Lots of people think anonymous browsing behind a VPN is only for illicit activities. That’s simply not true and Americans are starting to figure that out.

I’m a huge supporter of using a VPN or virtual private network while browsing the internet. At the very least, you should be using some kind of ad blocker or a browser like Brave, which blocks out some pretty nasty stuff. When I bring this up in discussions, most people will proclaim, “Well, what do you have to hide?” That’s a silly stance and an even sillier comment to make. It’s not about criminality or doing anything wrong.

You see, everything you do is now tracked. Everything. The sites you visit. The places you shop. What you look at when you shop and what you buy. Who you talk to. Where you go via location tracking. What you do when you get there. Places you visit, including private residences, not just public locations. What videos you watch and what kind of media you consume, all across the web, not just on social media.

All of this information is tracked, tagged and referenced, usually its tied to your digital persona. This is done largely by private or third-party companies called data brokers. It’s digital information of the most sensitive order. The chances of it being secure are slim to none, which means not just those parties have access — anyone does. For example, hackers collecting as much personal information as they can to steal your identity. We’ve learned time and time again these companies don’t care about protecting your data. It’s no different here.

Anonymous browsing: Blocking the data tracking

Source: Annie Spratt / Unsplash

Realistically, that information is collected by brands, companies and websites you visit, using data trackers, its sold to the brokers, and they sell it back to whoever wants it. It’s always exchanging hands. Which means, at any given time, lots of strangers know more about you than even your closest companions or loved ones. But a VPN, or virtual private network, can help you stop and eliminate most of that.

A VPN essentially masks your real IP address, which is associated with you through your service provider. With your IP, strangers can figure out your physical location, what you browse, when you browsed, and a bunch more. A reliable VPN gives you a fake or remote IP, blocking your real one and dissociating you from the data related to the current session, including websites you browse or visit. The more you use one to block tracking, the more fragmented your digital persona. That means the less these companies and strangers know about you.

Because of how the technology works, a lot of people, unfortunately, assume that VPNs exist to block out or protect yourself from illicit activities. Sure, that can be the case, but that’s not what it’s really for, and as it turns out, that’s not how the technology is being used by most Americans either.

Americans are browsing anonymously more than ever

Source: Petter Lagson / Unsplash

According to the data, more than 30% of internet users have used a VPN in the past month. Moreover, the internal data tells us a little about what people are doing with those protections, and it’s not what you’d expect.

The biggest driver of private browsing is to use streaming platforms, entertainment platforms like Netflix or Hulu, to watch without tracking. Over 3.8 billion anonymous requests came from streaming, alone. You can also use a VPN to mask your current location and browse, and watch, content that would otherwise be region or geo-blocked from viewing.

A further 3 billion requests were from social media and news platforms, which means people are actively trying to prevent tech companies from building detailed profiles of their interests and opinions. Touché, folks, touché.

Some other uses include e-commerce shopping, travel and booking sites, and, of course, to access the expected niche or sensitive content like pornography.

They use your data against you

Over 2 billion anonymous requests via e-commerce platforms show that savvy shoppers have discovered how tracking and browsing habits play into your experiences. Did you know, for example, that retailers will actually use your habits to manipulate prices? Brands might show higher prices based on your perceived buying power, like if they detect you’re from a middle or high-income area. Or, they might see you’ve visited the site and looked at the same product multiple times and thus used dynamic pricing algorithms to get you to act, lowering the price little by little until you buy. A discount is great, sure, but that’s still pretty darn deceptive.

Travel and booking sites use similar tactics. They inflate prices based on search history, current location, or even the time of day.

The fact of the matter is that VPNs and anonymous browsing tools can stop a lot of this manipulative bullshit. And it’s time to thank the internet gods that people are starting to figure this all out.

“Online privacy has become essential for Americans,” says the Head of Webshare.io, where most of this data comes from.

“Most people just want to browse without being constantly watched and manipulated. The internet used to feel open and free, but now every website tracks your location, monitors your habits, and restricts what you can access. Anonymous browsing has become the new normal as people reclaim their right to privacy online.”

Use a VPN people. That’s the moral of this story.

The data used in this story, and the quote, were originally shared by Webshare.io.