If you’re looking for a way to enhance the privacy and security of your online activities, consider using a reputable VPN service.
And what’s a reputable VPN service? A reputable VPN service routes your internet traffic through a safe server, which encrypts your traffic, masks your IP address, and keeps your personal information away from prying eyes.
These features have made VPNs popular among all users, from human rights advocates to regular people seeking to stream geo-restricted TV shows or sports events.
There are myriad VPN options on the market readily available for download, including some that are free of charge. Using a free VPN might seem like a tempting option, but there are several risks involved that could compromise your online privacy and data.
Here are some reasons why you should avoid using free VPN services.
1. Intrusive Ads and Tracking
Free VPNs rely on advertising for revenue, and to accomplish this, they need to track your online activity to bombard you with intrusive ads. This tracking can jeopardize your privacy.
Some free VPNs may intend to sell your data to third parties, including marketing agencies or advertisers. This makes your online activities a valuable commodity for them.
In 2016, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia conducted a study on Android VPN apps. The findings were alarming:
- 67% of the VPN apps embedded at least one tracking library in their code to monitor users’ online activity. This tracking could lead to user data being sold to third parties for marketing purposes.
- Only 28% of free VPN services didn’t use embedded third-party trackers for tracking, or advertising purposes.
2. Weak Encryption
Having your data safe and secure with robust encryption algorithms is one of the main reasons to use a VPN.
However, many free VPNs use outdated or weak encryption protocols, leaving your data vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
According to the CSIRO report on Android VPN apps, 18% of Android VPN apps do not encrypt traffic at all. This implies that user data transmitted via these apps remains exposed and susceptible to interception by nefarious parties.
In addition, the study shows that 84% of VPN apps are unable to protect against IPv6 traffic leaks. As a result, your real IP addresses can be exposed even when you believe you’re using a secure VPN connection.
3. Limited Features
Free VPN services typically offer minimal features that may not safeguard your data privacy.
They frequently lack sophisticated features like the ability to bypass geo-restrictions for streaming content from other countries or split tunneling, which lets you route some of your data through a VPN and the rest through an open network.
4. Slower Speeds
Free VPN services often experience slower connection speeds compared to paid VPNs. While some free VPNs manage to provide decent performance, many suffer from bottlenecks due to server congestion, limited bandwidth, or other restrictions.
VPNs with slower speeds impact your browsing and streaming experiences. However, it’s essential to note that not all free VPNs are equally slow. Some may perform reasonably well, while others struggle to maintain acceptable speeds.
5. Data caps
Many free VPNs impose data limits on their users. These caps limit the amount of data you can transfer via their service within a specific time frame (usually monthly).
Data allotment for free VPNs is typically restricted to 500 MB, 1 GB, or 2 GB per month. If you go above this limit, your connection can be throttled or shut off entirely until the next billing cycle
If you often stream movies, download large files, or engage in data-intensive activities, hitting the data cap can be frustrating.
For instance, streaming a single HD movie or sports event can consume several gigabytes of data, quickly exhausting your allowance.
6. Malware Presence
Some free VPNs have been found to infect devices with malware. These malicious VPN apps turn your devices into unwitting proxies for cybercriminals, allowing them to route your internet traffic through these compromised devices.
According to the CSIRO report on Android VPN apps, out of the 10 VPNs most likely to be infected with malware, six were free ones.
The majority of the malware had an advertising connection. That isn’t even surprising, given that free VPNs frequently rely on advertising to generate revenue.
Adware, spyware, and other malicious software may be present in some free VPN apps, compromising your privacy and security.
7. Data Collection
Free VPN services must sustain their operations without charging users directly. As a result, they often resort to alternative methods, such as collecting and selling user data.
Some free VPN services record users’ online activity, including websites visited, search queries, and IP addresses. This information can be used for various purposes, such as targeted advertising or even sharing with third parties.
Hola VPN, a popular free VPN service, faced controversy when it was discovered that it turned users’ devices into exit nodes for other users. Essentially, your internet traffic could be routed through someone else’s device, and vice versa. This raised serious security and privacy concerns.
Hola also sold users’ idle bandwidth to a separate service called Luminati, which allowed Luminati’s users to use this network for various purposes, including scraping data from websites. Users were unwittingly participating in this network without their explicit consent.
Not only did Hola VPN sell users’ network bandwidth for their Luminati service, but it also injected intrusive advertisements into people’s browsers.
8. Limited Servers
Free VPN services often include a limited number of servers available to users. These servers can be concentrated in specific regions or countries.
Due to the limited server pool, free VPN servers can become congested. When too many users connect to the same server, it leads to slower speeds and minimal performance.
If you want to bypass geo-restrictions (such as accessing content from other countries), free VPN services may not offer the necessary server locations.
Conclusion
If you want to protect your online privacy and data, you should avoid free VPN services at all costs and consider investing in a reputable paid VPN service.
