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I am becoming concerned over the privacy of my online digital trail, especially in lieu of recent political developments. Occasionally I use the TOR browser, but its not all that convenient. So, VPN?
How far do I need to take things, like, do the ad trollers pick info off the browser or can just I keep using Safari? Will I have to keep logging in to all the sites I visit (like here)? Should I use a gift card to buy VPN?
Not to sound paranoid, but I can imagine a scenario where maintaining anonymity might be important in the near future.
My brother is recommending PIA - looks like some of you are using it.
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In my opinion, you're definitely being paranoid.
That said, who am I to say? Maybe I'm naive.
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A VPN raises fewer red flags than using the Tor browser. If you’ve used Tor, you’re already on a government list. Sorry. Probably true if you use a VPN, too, but at least we know that the NSA has put people on their watchlist for using Tor.
I use PIA. It’s very well maintained, works flawlessly on my computer and our iOS devices. There’s no way to know if it’s run or has been infiltrated by any government. I use it primarily because I travel, and I tend to be a little wary of wifi in rural India or southern Ethiopia or even “FREE AIRPORT WIFI” at LAX. At home, when I think of it, I use it, just on general principle. Then I turn it off because Netflix insists and I forget to turn it back on again.
It’s not just Netflix. Other sites can be a pain, at least if you’re using a well known VPN like PIA.
You won’t need to re-log-in to most of your customary sites. They use cookies, so a change in your IP address doesn’t matter. Unless, that is, they care for security reasons -- your bank, Google, Steam, etc. Those places may want to check that you are who you say you are.
Most sites, and most advertisers, just use cookies, though. This means that they know you’re you, and they also know you’re using the VPN. Even if you turn on private browsing, they could still query your browser and the font set and whatnot and know it’s you.
I should think it would be child’s play to prove you’re using a VPN, so I wouldn’t go out of my way using bitcoin or a gift card or some other anonymizing method to pay for a VPN.
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Rule 41. Oye. Guess I'll save my money and just start assuming everyone can see everything.
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In an earlier post I asked about a Canadian VPN and one suggestion was to use the current version of the Opera browser; it comes with a VPN.
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Opera has a separate VPN too, at least for iPad, iPhone, maybe Mac. I've researched VPNs a lot, and settled on IPVanish. $10 per month, but I also travel a lot and use various wifi sources, mainly hotels. Get one, s'il vous plait.
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PIA or Nord. Nothing wrong with a dose of paranoia. Look where it got cheeto face.
“Art is how we decorate space.
Music is how we decorate time.”
Jean-Michel Basquiat
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If "they" want your information, "they're" going to find a way to get it. :boink:
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I use PIA 24/7. It's frequently offered for $59.95 for 2 years ($2.50/mo)
...and yes,
they can always get your info...
