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Aside from the obvious disastrous consequences of the pandemic, the UK government thought they’d add fuel to the fire by ramping up surveillance in the country. More specifically, they want access to your phone location data, which privacy advocates agree is never a good sign. Internet providers already collect an excessive amount of data about you, so you’ll need a UK VPN to mask your network activity and location.
You can protect your privacy with these VPNs, as all of them are certified no-logs providers. This means they don’t store your private data anywhere – unlike your ISP, as you’ll find out below.
How Does a VPN Secure Your Data?
Your Internet provider can see basically everything you do while you’re online. Yes, even the embarrassing stuff. And they’re required to store all that data about how you use the Internet for at least a year, thanks to the infamous Snoopers’ Charter.
So what can you do about it? Well, simply using a VPN app on your phone and other devices is enough to hide your online activity from any outsiders. Hackers, government surveillance, even your Internet provider. That’s because VPNs use complex algorithms to scramble incoming and outgoing data to your device – encrypt it, in a word.
Moreover, VPNs hide your IP address, which can reveal your real life location right down to the postcode. Anyone snooping in on your connection will see the location of the VPN server you connect to, instead.
Do I Need to Use a UK VPN Server?
You don’t need to connect to a VPN server located in the UK to protect your data. However, doing so will provide the best connection speeds, since your data doesn’t need to travel as far towards its destination.
Of course, you may run into situations where the server is highly populated, which may lead to congestion and lower speeds than usual. Fortunately, most top VPN providers nowadays have wide networks of high-performance servers, so you’re less likely to run into any issues. If you do, switching to a different server should do the trick.
Otherwise, you’re most likely going to connect to VPN servers from abroad. Why? See below.
What Else Can I Do with a VPN?
We’ve mentioned before that anyone trying to spy on your connection will see the VPN server’s IP and location. This also helps you get around geo-restrictions and access services previously unavailable in the UK. For example, you can expand your content library by connecting to an American VPN server, and see US-only Netflix shows like Weeds and Criminal Minds, or classics such as Twin Peaks and more.
In addition, you can access streaming platforms only available across the pond – like Hulu, or HBO Max way before it makes its way to Europe. The reverse also applies – you can catch shows from back home on platforms like BBC iPlayer when you’re on holiday abroad. Well, that’s more of a thought for when things return to normal; but it doesn’t hurt to keep it in mind.
Should I Use a Free UK VPN?
We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but “free” VPNs come with some hidden costs that go way beyond a regular subscription. For one, most free VPNs sell user data to advertisers and other shady third parties. You’d essentially be transferring your ISP’s current data collection privileges to someone else, for much poorer service. Oh, and a chance to have your data leaked online, or get a malware infection on your phone.
Speaking of poor service, here’s what you can expect from a free VPN:
- Throttled bandwidth – regardless of the quality of your Internet connection, free VPN services throttle everyone’s bandwidth to level the playing field. Fair enough, considering they need to provide the same service to everyone equally – just don’t expect magnificent speeds.
- Data limits – self-explanatory. The most generous data caps are around 10 GB a month. And if you’re familiar with data usage on Netflix and other streaming sites, then you know that’s nowhere near enough. At best, you can use free VPNs for light browsing and instant messaging.
- Inability to unblock most content sites – one of the major reasons people get VPNs is to get around unfair geo-blocks and access new avenues for entertainment. Unfortunately, free VPNs are easily blocked by such websites.
If you’re not sure VPNs are for you, you can always try one of the providers linked in the beginning. All of them have robust money-back guarantees (30 days, usually). Test them out at your leisure, and get a hassle-free refund if it’s not what you expected.
