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New Bill Aims to Block Both Online Adult Content and VPNs

If you live in Michigan, you might not be able to legally use a VPN soon if a new bill is passed into law. On Sept. 11, Michigan Republican representatives proposed far-reaching legislation banning adult internet content. The bill, called the Anticorruption of Public Morals Act and advanced by six Republican representatives, would ban a wide variety of adult content online, ranging from ASMR and adult manga to AI content and any depiction of transgender people. It also seeks to ban all use of V

3 reasons VPN use is set to explode worldwide - and that might apply to you

BlackJack3D/iStock/Getty Images Plus Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways The global VPN market is set to grow by 17.4% (CAGR) by 2030. Growth drivers include remote work, cloud tech, and data security. VPNs also protect against censorship and surveillance. Analysts predict that the worldwide Virtual Private Network (VPN) market will grow at an astronomical rate over the next five years, with a changing work environment and security becoming key reaso

Why VPN use is set to explode worldwide - and three reasons that might apply to you

BlackJack3D/iStock/Getty Images Plus Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways The global VPN market is set to grow by 17.4% (CAGR) by 2030. Growth drivers include remote work, cloud tech, and data security. VPNs also protect against censorship and surveillance. Analysts predict that the worldwide Virtual Private Network (VPN) market will grow at an astronomical rate over the next five years, with a changing work environment and security becoming key reaso

The VPN Market Is Booming Because We're Working Remotely and Worried About Privacy

We all have concerns about online safety and security, and that's not changing anytime soon. According to a new report from Maximum Market Research, the global market for virtual private networks will grow by more than 17% annually over the next five years. VPN expenditures are projected to reach $150 billion by 2030, more than triple what it was ($48.7 billion) in 2023. Two key drivers for that growth are the lack of data security on public networks and the increasing number of employees doin

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How Do You Sell People on VPNs? Just Say 'VPN' Over and Over and Over Again, Apparently

A tech company's text-heavy mural in London's trendy Shoreditch area, known for its street art, used the word "VPN" 24 times without actually explaining what a virtual private network is or does. Which was kinda the point. The eye-catching artwork was the creation of VPN provider Surfshark and graffiti art company KingMurals, which collaborated on a PR stunt. VPNs, or virtual private networks, create an encrypted tunnel that lets you engage in online activity without exposing your IP address,

VPNs and Age-Verification Laws: What You Need to Know

The problem is how the verification happens. You aren’t verifying your age with the government. You’re routing it through an independent third party, and most of the laws on the books are designed specifically in this way. In the UK, for example, Reddit verifies with Persona, and Bluesky uses Kids Web Services (owned by Epic Games). Persona’s privacy policy states that it collects not only biometric information and personal details, like your ID, but also ties that to information gathered from

These 18 Popular VPNs Share Parent Companies and Privacy Risks

The benefits of using a VPN service to protect your privacy are clear: Your ISP and other snoops won't be able to spy on your online activity. What's not always clear is which VPN service is trustworthy. A VPN, or virtual private network, is software that creates a secure connection between your device and the internet by routing your internet traffic through an encrypted tunnel to a remote server. A VPN essentially masks your IP address and helps keep some of your browsing activities private.

Researchers Discover 18 Popular VPNs Are Connected: Why This Matters

Virtual private networks are popular ways to keep your online activity private and hide your physical location from your internet service provider and apps. But it's obviously important to choose a safe and secure VPN. Three university researchers have discovered that 18 of the most widely used VPNs have shared infrastructures with serious security flaws that could expose customers' browsing activity and leave their systems vulnerable to corrupted data. These VPNs are among the top 100 most pop

The best VPNs for school in 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

As you go back to using school or campus Wi-Fi, always remember the disappointments with these networks. You can't reliably used them to access sites like Netflix, Spotify, or YouTube. They say it's so that to conserve bandwidth, minimize study distractions, or for whatever reason. Sometimes you can't even download educational material from legit sites. More often, students use VPNs to survive the boredom -- and you can too. A virtual private network (VPN) enables you to circumvent school or co

Researchers find alarming overlaps among 18 popular VPNs

A new peer-reviewed study alleges that 18 of the 100 most-downloaded virtual private network (VPN) apps on the Google Play Store are secretly connected in three large families, despite claiming to be independent providers. The paper doesn't indict any of our picks for the best VPN , but the services it investigates are popular, with 700 million collective downloads on Android alone. The study, published in the journal of the Privacy Enhancing Technologies Symposium (PETS), doesn't just find tha

The best VPN routers of 2025

A virtual private network (VPN) is one of the best ways to encrypt your online communication, mask your IP address, circumvent censorship, and enhance your personal privacy. Many users simply download their chosen VPN's desktop or mobile software, install the app, sign in, choose a server, and go. However, you can also install your VPN on your router or purchase one with the service pre-installed. Setting up a VPN environment via your router provides blanket security and privacy coverage across

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How VPNs are helping people evade increased censorship - and much more

Charlie Osborne/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred Google source on Chrome and Chromium browsers. ZDNET's key takeaways Increased concern about surveillance and censorship is driving more VPN downloads. VPN providers are transforming one-and-done encrypted tunnels into holistic security suites. NordVPN is preparing for privacy protection in a post-quantum future. VILNIUS, Lithuania -- Many VPN providers have noticed an uptick in downloads and installation of their software in recent

Stop children using VPNs to watch porn, ministers told

Stop children using VPNs to watch porn, ministers told 11 hours ago Share Save Ottilie Mitchell BBC News Charlotte Sexton BBC Newsnight Share Save Getty Images The government needs to stop children using virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass age checks on porn sites, the children's commissioner for England has said. Dame Rachel de Souza told BBC Newsnight it was "absolutely a loophole that needs closing" and called for age verification on VPNs. VPNs can disguise your location online - all

UK Official Calls for Age Verification on VPNs to Prevent Porn Loophole

A U.K. government official wants tougher rules to stop kids from using VPNs to dodge the country’s latest online safety laws. The Online Safety Act, which went into effect this summer, puts new legal pressure on online platforms, including search engines and social media sites, to protect users from harmful content. The laws are mostly aimed at keeping children away from porn and other “harmful” material tied to self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders. One of the act’s main provisions is that

Best VPN for Mac for 2025: Improve Your Privacy for Web Browsing, Streaming and Gaming

Most VPN providers offer a VPN app for Mac computers, but it can be difficult to choose the right provider with so many options available. Based on our extensive research and hands-on testing of VPNs over the years, these are the most important factors to consider when choosing a VPN: Privacy The primary consideration for any VPN -- including a Mac VPN -- should be privacy. If your Mac VPN is unable to sufficiently protect your online privacy, then your VPN is useless. At a minimum, your VPN s

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Best travel VPNs 2025: Expert-tested for streaming and avoiding censorship

You don't need to leave your privacy at home when you travel. A virtual private network (VPN) can keep your data safe, mask your IP address online, and provide you with protection while you're away from home. Trusted VPNs encrypt and route your traffic through dedicated networks, and you should always consider using one when you travel to avoid cyberthreats. VPNs can also circumvent censorship blocks in the country you visit, including the UK's new age verification laws, and may help you access

Best VPN for Android for 2025: Protect Your Privacy on Mobile Devices

With so many Android VPN apps available, it can be difficult to choose the right solution. Based on our extensive research and hands-on testing of VPNs over the years, these are the most important factors to consider when choosing a VPN for Android: Privacy No matter which VPN you use on Android or any other device, the bare minimum for consideration is that it protects your privacy. Look for a VPN that uses industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption over the OpenVPN protocol, or ChaCha20 over W

VPNs are booming in the UK after age restriction laws, but free options carry big risks

The United Kingdom's Online Safety Act took effect on July 25th. Among other provisions, the new law makes websites responsible for protecting UK children from content deemed harmful, like pornography or the promotion of eating disorders. This has resulted in many of the most-used websites, including Pornhub, X and Reddit, either putting up or planning to put up age verification barriers to restrict access by minors. Age-restricting laws put broadly popular websites in a difficult position. Sit

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The role of the cybersecurity PM in incident-driven development

Article written by cybersecurity expert Yuriy Tsibere. Gone are the days when cybersecurity meant stopping annoying viruses like the Love Bug. Today, it’s about battling a massive, financially motivated cybercrime industry. Attacks are smarter, faster, and more damaging—and that changes everything for product teams. For product managers (PMs), this means understanding that attackers are constantly exploiting the same weak spots: stolen admin credentials, missing multi-factor authentication (MF

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Best Amazon Fire TV Stick VPNs 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

Signing up for a virtual private network (VPN) that works with Amazon's Fire TV Stick has many benefits. You can circumvent app and smart TV operating system restrictions, change your IP location to appear to come from another country, and potentially explore more streaming content libraries than those usually available in your home region. Amazon Fire TV Stick VPNs are not all equal, however. Some VPNs excel in terms of speed and stability, while others focus on country and server selection, s

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Best travel VPNs 2025: Expert-tested for streaming and bypassing country blocks

You don't need to leave your privacy at home when you travel. A virtual private network (VPN) can keep your data safe, mask your online activities, and provide you with protection while you're away from home. Trusted VPNs encrypt and route your traffic through VPN networks, reducing the risk of internet protocol (IP) address monitoring, tracking, and data theft. You should always use a VPN when you travel, especially when relying on unknown Wi-Fi connections, as it's impossible to know what cyb

Best VPN for iPhone 2025: Enhance Your Privacy on the Go

Downloading a VPN app, creating an account, choosing a plan and connecting to your VPN shouldn't take longer than a minute or so. Nelson Aguilar/CNET With so many iPhone VPN apps available, it can be difficult to choose the right one. Based on our extensive research and hands-on testing of VPNs over the years, these are the factors to look out for when choosing the best VPN for iPhone: Privacy The most important factor to consider with any VPN is privacy. You should never use a VPN provider i

Best VPN for Mac for 2025: Hide Your Browsing, Privately Torrent and Unblock Streaming Services Like Netflix

Most VPN providers offer a VPN app for Mac computers, but it can be difficult to choose the right provider with so many options available. Based on our extensive research and hands-on testing of VPNs over the years, these are the most important factors to consider when choosing a VPN: Privacy The primary consideration for any VPN -- including a Mac VPN -- should be privacy. If your Mac VPN is unable to sufficiently protect your online privacy, then your VPN is useless. At a minimum, your VPN s

Topics: mac privacy vpn vpns want

Best VPN for iPhone 2025: Boost Your Privacy on the Go

Downloading a VPN app, creating an account, choosing a plan and connecting to your VPN shouldn't take longer than a minute or so. Nelson Aguilar/CNET With so many iPhone VPN apps available, it can be difficult to choose the right one. Based on our extensive research and hands-on testing of VPNs over the years, these are the factors to look out for when choosing the best VPN for iPhone: Privacy The most important factor to consider with any VPN is privacy. You should never use a VPN provider i

Best VPN for Mac for 2025: Stay Private While Streaming, Torrenting, Browsing the Web and More

Most VPN providers offer a VPN app for Mac computers, but it can be difficult to choose the right provider with so many options available. Based on our extensive research and hands-on testing of VPNs over the years, these are the most important factors to consider when choosing a VPN: Privacy The primary consideration for any VPN -- including a Mac VPN -- should be privacy. If your Mac VPN is unable to sufficiently protect your online privacy, then your VPN is useless. At a minimum, your VPN s

Topics: mac privacy vpn vpns want

Best VPN for iPhone 2025: Privacy Protection on the Go

Downloading a VPN app, creating an account, choosing a plan and connecting to your VPN shouldn't take longer than a minute or so. Nelson Aguilar/CNET With so many iPhone VPN apps available, it can be difficult to choose the right one. Based on our extensive research and hands-on testing of VPNs over the years, these are the factors to look out for when choosing the best VPN for iPhone: Privacy The most important factor to consider with any VPN is privacy. You should never use a VPN provider i

Engadget Podcast: Reviewing our favorite VPNs and M3GAN 2.0

This week, I chat with Sam Chapman, Engadget’s new security reporter who’s been reviewing VPNs and related products. He dives into what led him to security, the VPNs he likes the most and his thoughts on potential cyberattacks. Additionally, we discuss Microsoft’s latest news around the Windows 10 Extended Security Update, and Devindra explains why M3GAN 2.0 absolutely rules. Credits Host: Devindra Hardawar Guests: Sam Chapman Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien If

Best VPN for Mac for 2025: Tested and Reviewed

Most VPN providers offer a VPN app for Mac computers, but it can be difficult to choose the right provider with so many options available. Based on our extensive research and hands-on testing of VPNs over the years, these are the most important factors to consider when choosing a VPN: Privacy The primary consideration for any VPN -- including a Mac VPN -- should be privacy. If your Mac VPN is unable to sufficiently protect your online privacy, then your VPN is useless. At a minimum, your VPN s

Topics: mac privacy vpn vpns want

Obscura VPN – Privacy that's more than a promise

Unlike VPNs with a “no-logs” policy, Obscura is provably private by design. Even “no-logs” VPNs see both your identity and your internet activity, meaning you have to blindly trust their pinky-promise for privacy. This is exactly why some privacy-conscious folks will tell you not to use a VPN at all. Obscura is different – we never see your decrypted internet packets. It’s simply impossible for us to log your internet activity, even if we were compelled to, or if our servers were compromised.