Increased surveillance, censorship and new laws are driving more consumers to download and install VPN software to protect online privacy. VPNs create secure, encrypted tunnels between a user device and the internet, reducing eavesdropping and spying while sometimes slowing connection speeds. The UK Online Safety Act's age-verification and content restrictions have pushed some users to use VPNs to circumvent censorship. VPN providers are expanding services beyond single encrypted tunnels into broader security suites. Some providers, including NordVPN, are preparing for future threats by researching post-quantum privacy protections. The trend reflects growing public concern about government censorship and technological threats.
VPNs -- short for Virtual Private Networks -- are tools that enhance online privacy and security by creating a secure, encrypted connection between your device and the internet. Here's how they work: Once you download a VPN -- typically on your PC, laptop, or mobile device -- you connect to a server managed by the VPN provider, and an encrypted tunnel is forged between your device and the website or service you are trying to reach.
In the UK, they are now also considered a way to circumvent the country's new Online Safety Act. The new law takes aim at so-called adult or harmful content, calling for age verification methods to be imposed on everything from pornography websites to Wikipedia. However, as with many tech-related initiatives launched by previous UK governments, the Act is already a disaster -- easily bypassed, and the first step toward broader suppression of content.
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