With so many free VPNs available, why would you consider paying for one? The simple answer is that free VPNs are quite ineffective at unblocking the sites you need. Additionally, they can expose your data or steal your information, posing significant privacy and security risks. Explore all the main reasons why free VPNs cannot be trusted.
Content
- 1. They Can’t Unblock Important Websites
- 2. They Expose Your DNS and Real IP Address
- 3. Free VPNs are a Goldmine for Data Harvesters
- 4. A Lack of “No Logs Policy”
- 5. They Can Spy on You
- 6. Slow Speed – Stolen Bandwidth
- Other Reasons You Can’t Trust Free VPNs
1. They Can’t Unblock Important Websites
With a free VPN, you might enjoy decent performance initially, but eventually you’ll notice that they fall short in unblocking websites. This can become increasingly frustrating over time, leading you to abandon it altogether.
Streaming sites like Netflix have their own methods to detect VPN usage, often causing web pages to crash. While launching Netflix, I experienced crashes on the Edge browser. I had to give up eventually. I tried all the popular browser-based free VPNs, but none could help me access Netflix.
The problem with streaming sites is also visible on gaming platforms, Zoom calls, and several social media websites. It’s very easy for most modern websites to detect VPN usage if a free VPN provider is involved. But, that is not the case with a top-ranked VPN like ExpressVPN, Surfshark or NordVPN.
2. They Expose Your DNS and Real IP Address
Each time you visit a website, your device makes a DNS request through your ISP or router to resolve the domain name into an IP address. In exchange, the website receives your real IP address. It can further use cookies and referrer headers to access your browsing history and online activities.
The primary purpose of using a virtual private network (VPN) is to prevent IP address exposure. However, if your DNS information continues to leak to random websites, you cannot trust your free VPN. It’s only a matter of time before your real IP address is leaked.
For most of the free VPNs I tested, I discovered they were exposing my DNS requests repeatedly. This is not how it’s meant to be. A good VPN ensures airtight security, preventing your DNS requests from being exposed. Top-rated commercial VPNs have built-in features that let you test for DNS leaks, WebRTC leaks, and IP address exposures.
3. Free VPNs are a Goldmine for Data Harvesters
The adage, “if you’re not paying for it, you become the product” couldn’t be truer for free VPNs and proxies. While you might enjoy accessing region-restricted videos through a free VPN, data harvesters benefit even more. They gain extensive insights into your preferences and browsing habits.
Since free VPNs need funding, they often sell your data to third parties. Who are these exactly? You may have encountered a few of the big ones: companies like Acxiom, Experian, River City Media, and LocalBlox. While these brokers only sell you targeted ads, the biggest threat comes from cybercriminals on the dark web that do a lot worse.
Until a significant breach grabs our attention, such as the NPD data leak, or the AT&T breach, many of us tend to ignore this problem. In the past, I was quite lax about using free VPNs until it affected me personally. My credit card details were leaked online, and someone attempted to make purchases on Macy’s website.
The sudden surge in online fraud is something we cannot ignore, and free VPNs are among the worst offenders. With free VPNs, you may expose yourself to having a hidden rootkit that is hard to get rid of, and it can put you at risk of a man-in-the-middle attack. They can also steal your login credentials, passwords, credit card information, and even take screenshots of whatever it is you’re doing.
4. A Lack of “No Logs Policy”
The key distinction between a reputable commercial VPN provider and a run-of-the-mill free VPN is its active adherence to a no-logs policy. Notably, there have been significant advancements in this area in recent years. For instance, both ExpressVPN and NordVPN have transitioned to RAM-only servers, which ensure that all user data is wiped out with every reboot.
Given that these VPN providers are based in the British Virgin Islands and Panama, outside the Fourteen Eyes jurisdiction, users can enjoy an added sense of assurance. Even when a VPN provider is based in the United States, such as Hotspot Shield, they enforce explicit in-app no-logs policies.
On the other hand, a majority of free VPNs do not have privacy policies that can be trusted. Some of them even made it clear that by using them, you allow your user data to be transferred to China or other countries. Since you may not read the small print, you’re not aware of what you’re agreeing to.
5. They Can Spy on You
Even if you’re indifferent about your data being sold to third parties, we cannot ignore the issue of cyber-surveillance. You might think you’re not important enough to be a target of spying, but many ISPs do track online activities. Government agencies, not necessarily from your own country, can monitor Internet traffic for intelligence, even if you’re not a high-profile individual.
Many of these free VPNs lack clear privacy policies or measures to protect their users, increasing the likelihood that they could be designed by cyber-surveillance companies.
Image source: DALL-E 3.
Additionally, due to browser fingerprinting, your browser, device, and surfing habits create a unique identifier, which can trace you even when you delete cookies. This information is definitely valuable to surveillance agents, advertisers, eavesdroppers, and data thieves.
6. Slow Speed – Stolen Bandwidth
Everybody loves free stuff. And when everyone is connected to the same free VPN service, it is inevitable that the speed is affected. Most free VPN services don’t have a lot of resources allocated, and when there are too many users, you will start to experience speed throttle or even a lost connection.
Since free VPNs need to get their funds from somewhere, it’s not uncommon for them to sell your bandwidth to third parties. There is no way to know if the person using your bandwidth knows that they are using stolen bandwidth. Also, if the person using it is doing something illegal, (since it’s your bandwidth) you’re the one that’s going to get in trouble with authorities.
Other Reasons You Can’t Trust Free VPNs
We’ve discussed the biggest drawbacks of free VPN products, which should make you pause before using them again. The real question isn’t whether a free VPN can be trusted, but whether the VPN you choose offers genuine value.
From a user experience point, the annoying advertisements, especially on mobile apps, is one of the worst aspects of using free VPNs. They always affect your Internet speed. In some cases, they have links to malicious sites. Moreover, free VPNs also limit your ability to select the country to connect to. They only have a handful of servers to begin with.
If the free VPN also offers a paid service, they will limit you so you will eventually upgrade to the paid service. For example, the free tier of Hotspot Shield offers 500 MB/day respectively. You can barely watch a streaming movie on Netflix.
Not all paid VPNs are created equal; some can be just as frustrating as free ones. This is why we rely on a select few top-tier VPNs that provide the most outstanding service. Our top two recommendations are ExpressVPN and NordVPN, though Surfshark, CyberghostVPN and PrivateInternetAccess are some of the others that are quite high on the list of top commercial VPNs.
Image credit: Pixabay. All screenshots by Sayak Boral.
Sayak Boral –
Staff Writer
Sayak Boral is a technology writer with over eleven years of experience working in different industries including semiconductors, IoT, enterprise IT, telecommunications OSS/BSS, and network security. He has been writing for MakeTechEasier on a wide range of technical topics including Windows, Android, Internet, Hardware Guides, Browsers, Software Tools, and Product Reviews.
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