Featured article by Emily Taylor, Independent Technology Author
Many people enjoy spending their evenings, or other free time, accessing their favorite movies and television shows. It can be incredibly irritating when one gets taken off air, or removed from your streaming provider, especially if you were mid-way through watching it.
It is because of this that so many people love the idea of using a VPN. While they are becoming increasingly popular, a fair amount of people still do not know of their existence, nor of information regarding how they work and what you do to obtain one.
What is a VPN?
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It is a means of changing your IP address to one of a different state or country, which can allow you to access media that usually is restricted. One such example of this would be to get a VPN for free to be able to access the Netflix content that is available in the United Kingdom, when you reside in Florida. You would, of course, still have to gain a subscription to the streaming provider you use, and this may be difficult if you do not have an address or payment method registered to that country, but then you can resume watching your programmes without country borders getting in the way. This can be particularly useful when wanting to see new episodes of a show that are often released earlier in one country than another.
Is it Safe?
Generally, people understand enough in regard to their internet safety, such as changing passwords, not giving out information on unsecure sites, and never downloading suspicious content. Due to their lack of knowledge, they may be hesitant to use a VPN. Luckily, the usage of one is fairly safe. Not only does it allow you more freedom, but it can also potentially increase your security and anonymity online. By hiding your existing IP, and replacing it with one of the destination of your choice, you will be able to move around online without the risk of cyber criminals accessing your location.
Is it Legal?
For the majority of the western world, the use of a VPN is completely legal. It only becomes a problem if you are carrying out illegal activity and, even then, it is the activity that would be the issue, not your VPN usage. The only time you may need to worry about the legality of your VPN usage would be when visiting countries where it is illegal, such as Iraq, China, or Belarus.
Some streaming providers may not approve of the use of VPNs, and can specifically block known VPN IP addresses if they so choose. If it is written into the terms and conditions of using their service that VPN usage is not acceptable, your account may be closed, but, legally, there is no recourse that can come upon you from using a VPN for streaming legitimately available content.
Using a VPN, and increasing your online safety, can be great for accessing media content, as well as during your regular browsing and other internet usage.
