For instance, maybe an online video is restricted in your region. You can also use this type of proxy to access geo-restricted content. You’d use these proxies to access websites. This will keep your identity and true location hidden from these sites and apps. The website you are visiting - or the streaming service you are accessing or file-sharing site you are using - will only see the IP address belonging to the proxy server. There’s a clear benefit to this if you want to hide your identity. Once you do this, you’ll be connecting to the site or app through an outside host server. When you connect to a specific website, video-streaming app, or file-sharing program from your laptop, tablet, smart phone, or any other device, you can first connect to a proxy. But both of these tools work in different ways.Ī proxy server is a computer that sits between you and a server, acting as a gateway when you access the internet. What VPNs and proxy servers areīoth VPNs and proxy servers are tools you can use to help keep your activity private when browsing the internet, sending emails, reading online message boards, streaming video, and downloading files. This means that only a VPN can help hide your online activity from hackers, government agencies, and companies that might be looking to learn more about how you spend your time on the internet.

While both tools can protect your identity, only a VPN will encrypt your data as you browse the web. You might be wondering if it’s time to sign up with a virtual private network (VPN) or proxy server to hide your location and internet-service-provider address from any snoops.īut be aware: There are significant differences between a proxy and a VPN. Worried about your privacy when searching the Internet? Wondering if hackers, government agencies, or companies can track what sites you visit, files you download, or links you click?

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