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Free VPNs are NOT Really Free

November 2, 2021

For those that don’t focus on privacy, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a service that encrypts your data transmission from your computer to the destination. You should be using a VPN whenever you connect to an insecure network such as public Wi-Fi, airport and hotel wireless networks. However, be wary of any free VPN service. You may be “paying” for the free VPN by exposing your data to the provider. ZDNet has some advice on why using a free service is not necessarily a good idea. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

It’s all about the money. Running a VPN service is not cheap. You need servers and network connections around the world to route traffic. If you are not paying for the VPN service, the provider is monetizing your usage in some other way. Your usage may be sold for marketing purposes to present ads, hoping you’ll purchase a product or service. That’s the business model of Facebook. Don’t be tempted with free. There are many reasonably priced VPN services for you to choose from.

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