The idea of being followed or being watched is enough to make even the most resilient of people feel uncomfortable. When we think of someone being monitored, we assume criminal activity or malicious intent behind the pursuer’s objectives. The startling truth, however, is that almost all of us are being consistently monitored, via our online activities. And while we don’t have to fear any criminal intent, the feeling of being tracked online is uncomfortable, to say the least.
Careful online tracking gives ad networks the information they need to predict our shopping habits and influence us to make future purchases. It also means if the website you’re trying to access has geographical restrictions, you’ll be blocked. This is all due to your IP address, kind of like a digital postcode that tells the websites you’re trying to access where you’re from. Shopping and browsing habits can also be monitored due to activity from your IP address. It’s no wonder so many people are investing in VPNs to hide their online activity.
Read on for some other interesting reasons why you should hide your IP address.
Say goodbye to geographical barriers
Perhaps there’s a site you want to access that has geographical restrictions, or maybe you’re travelling overseas and want to access something that’s normally available back home. These kinds of restrictions are incredibly frustrating. By hiding your IP you’ll have unlimited access to sites across the world, which also means full access to streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, services that limit the content available per country due to international copyright laws – check out this US IP address site for more information.
If you’re someone who travels regularly then bypassing these barriers safely, legally and securely means fewer headaches and frustrations whilst overseas.
No more ad tracking
Platforms such as Google, Facebook, Instagram and even YouTube track your browsing history so they can show you ads that are specifically targeted to your browsing history and your online habits. You may not have realised that you gave them these permissions when you initially signed up for their services. While many people find these kinds of ads helpful and tempting, others find them intrusive and irritating. Being constantly shown ads for a website you clicked on once can be infuriating, and even dangerous for those with poor money management skills.
The idea of deleting your profiles is tempting, but not always practical, but by hiding your IP address with a VPN instead, you’ll be able to stop ad networks from monitoring your online movements, allowing you to browse online in peace.
And finally, better online security
Whether you’re using a wi-fi hotspot or checking-in to public Wi-Fi to preserve your data, it’s not always easy to keep your personal information safe. These kinds of networks are a hacker’s dream, making accessing all your personal data effortless. By installing a VPN on your mobile device as well as your laptop, you’ll add another layer of protection to your online presence. Making it harder for cybercriminals to target you and access the data you’re sending.
