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For those of you who do not know what a VPN is, the letters stand for Virtual Private Network: a VPN is a way to get onto the internet and maintain anonymity. VPNs are especially prevalent in countries where censorship laws are rife and internet access is heavily monitored and heavily restricted.
In countries where the internet is restricted, VPNs play an important part in getting the news into these countries and to let the citizens know what is happening in the rest of the world. Even though, VPNs are saviors to those whose internet usage is monitored or restricted, they can also be used to do some really cool things.
Here are some of the ways that you can use your VPN to enrich your life and maybe get a deal or two. Let's look at things to do with VPN technology.
1. Anonymous Commenting / Publishing
Sometimes you want to remain anonymous especially if you are making mean or stern remarks about someone else and wished to remain anonymous to protect your safety. Moreover, you might just want to stay anonymous when publishing a movie or a video on Facebook that is controversial and could land you in trouble but you see the merit and sharing the video with the world.
The VPN allows you to achieve anonymity by masking your IP address and making it look like you are in another state or even another country.
2. Access Restricted Sites from Your Country
China has some of the most restrictive laws surrounding the censorship of the internet. Several sites are blocked such as Facebook. With the use of a VPN, you can change your IP address and view the internet behind a firewall by using the VPN and specialized browsers such as TOR.
The Chinese government is cracking down on the use of the VPNs so it is important that you keep your VPN a secret from everyone, even the ones you love because you don't know who will turn you in in order to save themselves.
3. Access Free Streaming TV in Other Countries
Have you ever wanted to watch a show but can’t because you're not in the country of origin? I've had this situation before but with the use of a VPN, I was able to watch whatever shows I wanted to in whatever country I chose.
This even allowed me to view films that have been banned in my home country. It is important to note that you do need to have intermediate knowledge of how a VPN works in order to watch films and TV shows from other countries.
4. Save Money on Online Bookings (Airline Tickets and Car Rentals)
With a VPN, you can access exclusive deals that may not be available to you and your own ZIP code or even in your own country to get cheap deals on airline tickets and rentals.
However, this does not always work. If you have already booked into a hotel in your destination country, you could try using their address when signing up for the free deals.
5. Speed up your internet
Now this one doesn't always work but some ISPs will throttle the internet and make it slow to make you buy more expensive packages in order to get faster internet.
With a change in an IP address, you may be able to speed up your internet with the use of a VPN.
Other cool things to do with VPN technology include:
- The safe use of public WiFi (with that extra layer of protection, you can safely use WiFi without fear of hackers stealing your data.)
- Protection from marketing companies who want to steal your information to send you tailor-made adverts and product offers based on your internet usage.
- VPNs allow you to have privacy from nosy parents or suspicious lovers. You can hide your chats by using a VPN.
- Reduce lag while playing your favorite MMORPG.
- Get access to library records and other public domain records in another country.
- Avoid being caught by the radar of government groups and the FBI for things you say and or do.
- Look at books banned by the man! Do you have a desire to read the anarchists cookbook? Well, with a VPN you too can read this and other banned materials.
- Unlock social media. If you are in China or North Korea Facebook is banned, so you could use the VPN to change your IP and get on to social media.
- Save money on calls. Programs like Skype let you phone for free in your own country, but not to others. With a VPN you can call all over the world, and the best part is, it is free!
- Use the VPN to disguise your location. If you have an overbearing lover or maybe you just like your privacy, you can hide your location with a VPN.
So if you feel the need to embrace a VPN, then here is how you can get one. Most computers come with a VPN built into the system. You can find the VPN settings in your control panel. There are paid VPN providers who will offer you a wider range of connections and tighter security than what you would have from using the windows VPN alone.
Conclusion
VPNs are an empowering technology. There are some legal gray areas around the use of VPNs, but they offer so much more good than they do bad. Without VPNs, many in the world would continue to be censored and still under the rule of dictators: VPNs freed many people and fueled the Arab Spring with the use of encrypted technology and a program called Telegram. It was through VPNs that messages were sent with locations of protests and other demonstrations against the ruling party.
ISPs and the government would have you steer clear of such technology because the use of VPNs either cuts into their profit margins or loosens the stranglehold the government has over the masses and the down-trodden people of this world.
Fight the system: embrace the VPN.
