Does a VPN hide your IP address and location?

Over the last few years, people have started becoming more aware of companies tracking them on the internet for various reasons. Concerns about privacy are becoming much more on the minds of people as they go about their business on the internet, so it makes sense that people are wondering what their options are when it comes to protecting their privacy. VPN (Virtual Private Network) technology is emerging as a viable and inexpensive option that can help protect someone from tracking them as they virtually roam around the internet.

First of all, what is a VPN and how can it help protect you from being tracked?

The internet is a very large public data network, which means that it is open to anyone. But what if you have a personal (private network) within the public internet where only you have access and all of your information is completely closed off to anyone else, except for you? Well, that’s what a VPN is and that’s what a VPN does.

A VPN creates a private network within the public internet space by creating a data tunnel that only your data can use. All of the data that comes from your PC or laptop travels through the data tunnel. It is completely private (i.e., it cannot be read by anyone else), and it is completely secure because it travels through the tunnel in an encrypted format.

Does A VPN Hide Your IP Address and Location?

Many people who are generally familiar with VPN technology, but aren’t sure exactly how a VPN can protect their online life and activities frequently ask if a VPN can hide their IP Address and Location. The simple answer to that question is yes, a VPN will hide your IP Address and location.

Virtual private networks (VPNs) allow users to hide their IP Address and block their location, which provides a more private way to send and receive information over a public network like the internet.

Every time you go on the internet to do research, communicate with friends, shop at Amazon, etc. you leave a digital trail of “breadcrumbs” that indicates every place that you have been and many of the activities that you have performed while on the internet.

Internet service providers (ISPs), the government, and other third parties can monitor your search history and download activity, and using a private browsing mode does not mean that your IP address cannot be monitored or collected because only a VPN can truly hide your IP Address and physical location.

With a VPN enabled before browsing, you can ensure the security of your online identity while encrypting your traffic to increase your online privacy. The IP address of the remote VPN is the only tracking information that hackers and third parties will be able to get from your PC or laptop. As a result, they will not be able to access your real IP address, physical location, history, and any personal data you may have sent or received while browsing the Internet.

How Can a Website Track your Location and Activities?

Websites track you through cookies.

Cookie files are small files sent from a website to a computer. They can then get information on things such as your past travel searches, online profiles, and even the address for where you live. An action such as clicking on a link can trigger a cookie to be downloaded to your computer so that a website may be able to track your activities.

Marketers track traffic to websites and user behavior with analytics tracking software that can distinguish patterns of internet browsing behavior for marketing endeavors. Within a short period of time of visiting a website, advertisers may start to bombard you with retargeted ads.

Have you ever noticed that after you visit a website to look at options for buying a new car or shopping for a new vacuum cleaner, all of a sudden you start seeing Google Ads for the exact same stores that you just visited?

Using a VPN to block tracking technologies allows you the freedom and peace of mind to browse medical, travel, financial, and shopping websites anonymously while avoiding having to see all of those marketing ads.

Conclusion

There are several important stuff VPNs can help you to hide and protect including your location and IP address.

It is also worth noting that choosing the right VPN software is very important. We compiled a list of the best 3 VPNs out there. You can get it here.