I use Nord VPN because I care about privacy, but I’m starting to question what it actually protects me from. Is it worth paying for every month? How does it even work? If the government was after me, would turning it on make me safe to use my phone? Or is it just for stopping spam and tracking? What does ‘100% privacy’ actually mean?
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I already know where you live, my guy. It’s over for you.
Alexis said:
I already know where you live, my guy. It’s over for you.
Haha, thanks for confirming my doubts! Guess I’ll save $14.99 a month now. Feel free to take my bank info while you’re at it, bro.
Check out this video for a good explanation: Click here
I use a router-based VPN, but the concept is similar for software VPNs.
A router VPN secures communication between your device and a known endpoint using encryption keys. The setup involves certificates and passwords to establish trust. Once connected, your data is encrypted and hard to intercept.
The tricky part is whether governments can decrypt your data. They might not bother trying and could use easier methods like spyware or hacking VPN companies.
I’ve tested my VPN with tools like packet sniffers and haven’t noticed anything shady, but that doesn’t mean vulnerabilities don’t exist.
Commercial VPNs like Nord encrypt your internet traffic from your device to their servers, then send it out to the websites you visit.
What it does:
- Hides your activity from your internet provider and public WiFi networks.
- Lets you change your online location.
What it doesn’t do:
- Guarantee total privacy.
- Stop hackers.
- Block government or big tech surveillance.
- Keep spam away.
- Hide your identity when logged into services like Google, Twitter, or apps linked to your phone.
The VPN company still sees your activity. Whether they sell or store it depends on their policies, so it’s a trust issue. Personally, I use a VPN I trust more than Nord, but only for specific needs. If you’re just browsing casually, it might not be worth it.
@Aman
In the UK, internet providers have to keep logs for law enforcement. I use a VPN to avoid my provider tracking me. Not that I’m doing anything illegal—I just don’t trust them.
Arielle said:
@Aman
In the UK, internet providers have to keep logs for law enforcement. I use a VPN to avoid my provider tracking me. Not that I’m doing anything illegal—I just don’t trust them.
That’s fair. It depends on what you’re trying to protect and how much you trust your provider versus a VPN company. My comment was aimed at helping the person who posted figure out their options since they seem unsure about what VPNs do.
Last year, I traveled to places where some websites were blocked. My VPN let me access everything without any issues.
What are you trying to use it for? VPNs work well for things like streaming region-locked content, but they’re not great for protecting your personal info or general online safety. They won’t block malware or stop tracking cookies.
I use Nord too, but I’m not sure how secure it really is. If you want to be completely untraceable, maybe get a Faraday bag for your phone. That’s the only real way to go off-grid.