VPN stands for Virtual Private Network: it creates a secure private tunnel over public networks, like the internet, which can shield your online activity from prying eyes. Millions of people worldwide use VPNs to enhance their digital privacy, bypass geo-restrictions and secure public WiFi, among other things.

In this article, we’ll look at what VPNs are, how they work and how to decide whether or not you should be using one.

What is a VPN?

As mentioned above, a VPN creates a private, encrypted tunnel between your device and the internet. You do that by connecting your device to a VPN server. Once you’re connected, it’s the VPN server that forwards your traffic to its ultimate destination, making you much harder to uniquely identify.

Here’s a simple example:

When connecting to a site

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