What does a VPN protect you from?

Using a VPN allows you to keep your online activities more private than if you did not have a VPN. However, a VPN does not make you completely anonymous.

Encrypting your data and hiding your IP address is a good place to start, but your IP address is only one way you can be identified online.

A VPN does not protect you from.

Cookies and trackers. cookies and web trackers are tiny files that websites and advertisers use to tailor their services to specific users. They store information - such as your name, gender, location and sometimes even browsing habits - that can be used to identify you even when you're using a VPN.

Browser fingerprinting. Your device provides detailed information about your operating system, browser and hardware for the websites you visit. The sum of this information creates a unique 'fingerprint' that can be used to track and identify you.

IP, DNS and WebRTC leaks. Poor quality VPNs can reveal your identity by revealing information such as your real IP address or DNS requests. You can use our VPN leak test to test for such vulnerabilities.

Traffic fingerprinting. When you use a VPN, your ISP can still see that data is being passed between your device and the VPN server - it just can't see the content or destination of that data. Sometimes it is possible to identify the type of data being transmitted (e.g. web browsing, streaming, P2P) by analysing the time and density. This is known as "traffic fingerprinting".

Social media accounts. If you are logged into personal accounts such as Facebook and Google when browsing the internet, it does not matter whether you are using a VPN or not. These companies will be able to monitor your activity and link it to the IP address of your VPN server.

Our guide to the best private browsers explores the many ways you can keep your activity private and untracked by using a VPN.