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How a VPN Protects Your Personal Data

From your IP to your browsing habits, here's exactly what a VPN keeps private.

A VPN protects several distinct pieces of your personal data at once. Here's what each one is.

Your IP address and location

Without a VPN, every site sees your IP — your provider and approximate location. A VPN replaces it with the server's IP.

Your browsing activity

Your internet provider can see and log the sites you visit. A VPN encrypts that traffic so they can't.

Your data on shared networks

On public Wi‑Fi, unencrypted data can be intercepted. A VPN makes it unreadable to anyone on the network.

What you still control

A VPN can't protect data you hand over directly — what you post, the accounts you log into, the permissions you grant. Combine a VPN with good habits.

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FAQ

Q: Does a VPN hide my data from websites I log into? A: It hides your IP and encrypts the connection, but a site you log into still knows it's you. Use separate accounts for separate purposes.

Q: Does my provider see anything with a VPN on? A: Only that you're connected to a VPN — not which sites you visit.