Should I use a vpn?

[LastBusStop]

I'm new here but I've been lingering for a while, I didn't use a vpn before but now that I made an account should I use one? I don't use tor just duckduckgo.

 

[houseofleaves]

I'm new here but I've been lingering for a while, I didn't use a vpn before but now that I made an account should I use one? I don't use tor just duckduckgo.

If you're in Italy — yes) any other country — why?

 

[Smart No More]

If you're in Italy — yes) any other country — why?

Why do you say that? Have italy banned the site?

I think a vpn is always worth using to view and use the forum personally. You just never know and an easy bit of extra precaution is never a bad thing. It's free in some cases so why not right? Proton have an easy to use free vpn service. It's probably not ideal and certainly not fool proof but for free you can't moan at the service.

 

[GentleJerk]

Ye

 

[YC&^93qoVF*e]

I'm new here but I've been lingering for a while, I didn't use a vpn before but now that I made an account should I use one? I don't use tor just duckduckgo.

they already logged your ip here.

i mostly use ddg. sometimes tor. but i see search engines just as a tool to find what i want. if ddg doesnt give me the result i want, i use google or whatever. also yandex is amazing for image search and reverse image search
VPNs are over-hyped.

 

[Smart No More]

they already logged your ip here.

i mostly use ddg. sometimes tor. but i see search engines just as a tool to find what i want. if ddg doesnt give me the result i want, i use google or whatever. also yandex is amazing for image search and reverse image search
VPNs are over-hyped.

Yeah but you could have signed up anywhere. A friends house for example.

Just to be clear, using ddg isn't going to hide your ip. It will not stop you being visible when using links from the search results. VPn's may be over rated but they are better than no vpn.

 

[YC&^93qoVF*e]

Yeah but you could have signed up anywhere. A friends house for example.

Just to be clear, using ddg isn't going to hide your ip. It will not stop you being visible when using links from the search results. VPn's may be over rated but they are better than no vpn.

true and true

 

[LastBusStop]

Yeah but you could have signed up anywhere. A friends house for example.

Just to be clear, using ddg isn't going to hide your ip. It will not stop you being visible when using links from the search results. VPn's may be over rated but they are better than no vpn.

Is it better if I pay for one? I've heard free VPNs don't work

 

[Smart No More]

Is it better if I pay for one? I've heard free VPNs don't work

A paid one is going to offer a better service. Things like no accidental dropout in service which is remedied by a "kill switch" or some form of DNS leak protection. That said, I don't know how necessary it is. If you have the means/funds and will use the paid vpn elsewhere online (which is always a good idea in my humble opinion) then yeah, why not use a paid vpn. A well chosen free one isn't terrible but not fool proof. They vary in quality of service. Paid and free. Many claim privacy oriented features that are talked up or essentially untrue. For example Proton claimed they don't keep logs or provide info to law enforcement when requested because they don't have the info to provide. Their servers are based in the Netherlands I think. Fairly recently they reworded the way their privacy and log logging works in their t's&c's. Thing is, it's highly unlikely they'll ever receive a request for log info or any other info for the average user. What's useful about some is that they take payment in crypto currency which allows further anonymity and distancing from things. So there are a few elements to consider. If you're going to use a vpn it would pay to use a privacy oriented browser too and avoid tracking cookies from the likes of google and facebook and cookies that fingerprint your devices. They do this by logging installed apps and configuration on said device. This means they can basically put the piwces together to reidentify you and your device even when you've deleted cookies. There's all sorts of methods used to piece together your info and log your actions and identify you so as I say, there's a lot to consider if you want to be really anonymous and it's near enough impossible but a few basic precautions will make it harder and more vague with the info they do manage to scrape. So - block 3rd part cookies, advertising cookies (as many cookies as you can without breaking sites, use addons that block things and help with privacy (they'll vary from browser to browser), avoid anything google and block permissions on your phone if using android, use a vpn in conjuction with these things and use a privacy oriented browser where possible. Brave is one that's on a few platforms. Firefox is pretty good for configerability and decent addons.
Lol, did I go overboard?

It's so ridiculously hard to remain private these days. I don't know how it's even okay. Worlds gone mad.