Do you really need a VPN?

Basics recap for consumer VPNs:

1. Not everyone needs a VPN. It depends on your threat model / jurisdiction you live in / expectations around privacy. You need to understand the extent of protection they provide to assess that.

2. Despite what most VPN providers will tell you in their marketing speak, using a VPN alone will be ineffective or useless for:

- Achieving anonymity or "perfect privacy"

- Preventing tech corporations from profiling you

- Protecting your passwords

- Hiding your mobile phone location

- Providing better security when working from home

3. Trustworthy VPNs can be effective at:

- Encrypting your data and DNS requests so your ISP or mobile network operator cannot monitor or log your online activity

- Masking your IP address from websites and servers you connect to

- Circumventing censorship or geo blocks

- Increasing your security on untrusted public networks by preventing MITM attacks (not common)

If you see claims from a VPN provider contrary to any of the points above, they are either lying to you or are incompetent. 95% of them won't pass this test.