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The truth about VPNs? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)

submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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So I'm pretty recent to the high seas but I've seen a few posts now about "stop relying on your VPN" and "people that think VPNs will protect them are naive" and so on.

So since I believe knowledge is our greatest weapon/tool/super-power, can we get some answers regarding what exactly the doomsayers are getting at? ELI5 why VPNs wouldn't protect your anonymity.

Is it about logging? The country your end-point is in? Something more technical?

Ultimately I'd like to be fully armed in order to keep making the best choices for my fledgling ship as it navigates the vast, stormy seas.

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 years ago (3 children)

A VPN doesn't make you anonymous, it enhances your privacy. If you login to a named FB account you're still you. All you've done is tell FB you're using a VPN.

In terms of torrenting, a VPN client, if configured correctly, encrypts all data between the device its on and the endpoint. This means your ISP cannot spy on what you're doing. When you leech or seed it also masks your real IP.

But you have to trust your VPN provider isn't logging you. And if you use a provider who's located in a good country (legally speaking) but they own or rent servers in not so good countries (5 eyes etc) and you connect via those servers then the provider has no physical access to them. Tracking could easily be carried out without their or your knowledge.

If you pay a provider with a card or PayPal then there's a paper trail to you. Use a VPN that accepts Monero or cash physically mailed to them.

Make sure your VPN network interface is bound to your torrent client so if your connection drops, your IP isn't exposed.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

undefined> Make sure your VPN network interface is bound to your torrent client so if your connection drops, your IP isn’t exposed.

This is the most important step, for most even if provider logged them it's not going to be the problem when you're just torrenting

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

your ISP cannot spy on what you’re doing.

ISPs dont monitor torrents, they just pass on complaints from copyright trolls. ISPs have no interest in inspecting your torrent traffic and have always resisted any attempts to make them do so.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Exactly. In Australia by law they had to block certain websites. All they did was block it via their own dns servers as it’s easy and cheap. All you have to do is use google/Cloudflare etc… for your dns and it works fine. They only care if you get complaints/legal stuff.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

Another good idea would be to use a visa gift card to purchase your VPN as an extra step