An almost daily drumbeat of data breaches and online privacy violations has fueled public interest in VPN services such as Proton VPN. This article explains what VPNs are, what they do, and whether you need one. Its sister article, How does a VPN work?, provides a more detailed and technical overview of how a VPN […]

Internet cookies, often called website cookies, computer cookies, or just cookies, are small text files that websites store on your computer or device when you visit them. These files contain data that websites use to remember and track information about your browsing activity. In this article, we look at what cookies are and how they […]

Geoblocking is the practice of restricting or blocking internet content based on your geographic location. This usually means restricting content based on which country you are in, and is most commonly associated with media streaming services such as Netflix. In this article, we discuss why streaming services geoblock content and how they do it.  Why […]

In this article, we discuss DNS — what it is, how it works, and how it impacts online privacy and censorship. All devices that connect directly to the internet are identified by a numerical label known as an IP address. To help make things easier for us humans, this address can also be identified using […]

Privacy advocates often refer to an “encrypted tunnel” or “VPN tunnel” that protects your data when you use a VPN. But what exactly is a VPN tunnel? The term “tunnel” is a metaphor. Apart from the fiber optic cables tying the internet together, your data isn’t really traveling through a tunnel. But VPNs do protect […]

A virtual private network (VPN) prevents your internet service provider (ISP) from seeing what you do online. However, in doing this, it takes over routing your internet connection to the websites you visit, so it can monitor what you do on the internet instead of your ISP. Unlike your ISP, protecting your privacy is a […]

It costs money to run a VPN service. Even the most basic service must purchase or rent servers, pay qualified staff to configure and maintain them, and employ and train knowledgeable support staff.  To stand out in today’s crowded VPN marketspace, providers must hire talented developers to build high-quality software with advanced features, creative designers […]

Third-party cookies provide an invasive way for websites to track what you do online. In this article, we look at what they are, how they work, and how you can block them on all major browsers.  Find out which browsers are best for your privacy If you want to keep your online activity private, a […]

A VPN allows you to access Instagram, whether you live in a country where the internet is censored or just want to distract yourself with your favorite influencers’ photos at work.   Instagram is a wildly popular social networking platform that emphasizes sharing photos and videos. It’s owned by Meta, the umbrella company that also owns […]