It is a fact that we live immersed in the Internet age and that means many things. Among other things, an exposure that we are not fully aware of because of how our “online life” goes, which is that we leave a deep trail wherever we go, which can be used for all kinds of purposes: from an advertising profile to manipulation or theft give.

It is precisely because of these dangers that modern life entails, in which we are always connected, that vpn, virtual private networks or virtual private networks, have earned a leading role among the leading tools of anyone who cares a little about their privacy. Because yes, VPNs include other benefits; but let’s not be fooled: the main thing is to protect privacy… without undermining the experience.

In other words, there are methods that are just as or more effective for protecting your privacy on the Internet than using a VPN, but they aren’t nearly as convenient. As a demo, try Surfshark for free for a week on Android, iOS, or macOS. This is one of the great VPN providers in the market and unlike others, they offer this trial period which is limited in time but complete in terms of features.

The distinction is important because although there are free VPN services, they are either unreliable, very bad, or very limited, as usual. A VPN doesn’t just encrypt your internet traffic or assign you an international IP address on demand: it does it without affecting your browsing speed. Here’s the key. Otherwise, you can use Tor for free and not worry.

However, it is not the same. Having a lot of privacy at the cost of ruining the experience is not the same as having a little less, with all the guarantees of speed and compatibility that every average user has. And with the advantage of connecting to the IP of the country you want, yes, although we will continue to consider this feature secondary, even though for many it is the most basic reason to jump on the VPN bandwagon.

Basically, with a VPN you can hide your web traffic from your own ISP, but without hindering the use of your favorite services (place Google, Facebook, Netflix, Spotify…), whether they harm your privacy or not (it’s up to you). ); but you can also combine using a VPN to block third-party tracking, although in that case you’ll have to work a little harder to get things in the right order.

With a VPN, as mentioned, you will be able to connect to the same services from the country you want, with the ability to access, for example, content that has been blocked from you due to regional blocking. a few clicks, without importing the device you’re connecting from, and without reducing connection and download speeds. This is the real power of a VPN.

So you already know what vpn can do for you: increase your online privacy by encrypting your traffic for your internet provider, but also for the services you use and the sites you visit; assign you an IP address to mask your own and with an incentive to simulate a connection abroad; and all this without affecting the speed of your connection and therefore your browsing.

what can’t you do For you, no VPN guarantees your anonymity because it does not exist on the Internet; just as it cannot guarantee you the optimal level of privacy unless you put in a little interest on your part. Keep this in mind because it’s important: anonymity doesn’t exist on the Internet, as has been proven many times over the years. No VPN, no Tor.

For the rest, VPNs are a valuable resource today… and a cheap one, as competition in the sector is brutal. Of course, cheap is not free. Stay away from any free VPN unless you use it sporadically for little things. That’s why a test like the one offered by Surfshark is better: if they convince you, you pay… And it doesn’t have to be Surfshark, even if it’s one of the few that offers unlimited devices. But let it not be for alternatives.