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> I find DoH + HTTPS to be enough. / Why do so many of you use VPNs? They solve different problems, and can be used together. HTTPS encrypts the contents of packets between your browser and the server. Therefore it reveals to your ISP what service you are using and when, which also indicates where you are at that time (e.g., in front of your computer at home). And it reveals to the Internet service (e.g., Facebook, etc.) identifying information about your computer. That metadata - knowing what people are doing and when, and identifying information - is generally considered to be as valuable as the contents of their transactions. VPNs encrypt everything between your computer and the VPN provider. That hides from your ISP and other intermediaries everything you do, other than indications of activity (though traffic could be your computer downloading an update, or example, without you being home). It hides some identifying information from the Internet service, such as your IP address, though your computer may communicate much more that identifies it. However, a VPN reveals to the VPN provider everything that would have been revealed to the ISP; you are merely shifting your trust from one vendor to the other (which is why HTTPS and VPNs are used together). In a sense, a VPN provider becomes your ISP, including determining the apparent location of your computer - you can look like you are in a different country, which might change what DRM-controlled media you can access. (VPNs also are used for secure tunnels, for example by remote workers and by security-concious network administrators.) |