Question VPN to secure data and avoid ISP snooping. I.E monetizing your web surf information.

[Joe Hogan]

Does anyone effectively use a VPN to avoid security risks of open connections or attempt to avoid Carrier snooping and throttling when tethering a cell phone? Typically I use Private Internet Access VPN at home and when on the road. Some sites will not allow you to connect while using a VPN but that is becoming less of a problem. There are ways to mask, obscure, the use of a VPN from your ISP and still protect your activity.

Using a VPN has become more common. Apparently if a Cell carrier, I have read and experienced, 'sniffs' a VPN when using their data connection, odds are good they will throttle the connection. There are times when my iPhone will not connect to data even with a strong signal until I turn off the VPN.
In response some VPN's are offering a way to obscure the VPN data to look like typical traffic while maintaining encryption. This technology is way above my pay grade.
It is nice to have a relatively secure connection at times. For messaging there are alternatives to a VPN with some planning.

 

[Neal]

I don't and wonder if you're surfing over HTTPS (encrypted) as almost everything is going to then is a VPN really necessary overhead? VPN AFAIK is really a point to point system, i.e. for me to connect to my business or home, etc. through a secure tunnel. As for general Internet surfing I'm not sure how it benefits or even works for you. I'm not well versed on VPN's FYI.

 

[Joe Hogan]

To your point HTTPS appears to be sufficient for known point to point communication.

The reason I use a VPN is to obscure my IP address from sites that come up in a web search, avoid my ISP and others from monetizing my web searches.

As we all have discovered, ads tailored by your web searches magically appear on your screen. Look for a tool online and ads magically appear for dozens of tools.

That said there is a "cost" to using a VPN and that is speed. A standard connection may have a Latency of <20 ms and VPN may be >100ms. Consequently you may turn the VPN on and off as necessary.

Your ISP Is Tracking Every Website You Visit: Here's What We Know - Privacy Policies

Despite the privacy precautions you take, there is someone who can see everything you do online: your Internet Service Provider (ISP). When it comes to online privacy, there are a lot of steps you can take to clean up your browsing history and...

www.privacypolicies.com

How does HTTPS really work,

How HTTPS (SSL) Works ? & Differs From HTTP


Paranoid, probably yes.

 

[Neal]

Try just talking to your phone for a day (around your phone) and then see if youtube or online ads reflect what you were saying. I had a developer friend that actually discovered this. He never searched on a topic of his discussion, he had a phone call with a fellow programmer about something new they wanted to develop. He then saw ads on that very topic! There is no escaping it. Embrace the exposure

 

[boomer]

Don't you know all the snooping is supposed to make your life easier, like Neal said Embrace ?