Big VPN providers try to create this impression that your ISP can see everything you do, and that you're completely exposed without a VPN. This is misleading. Nobody can see the actual content or full URL thanks to HTTPS/TLS, only the domain names are exposed (even with Encrypted DNS). This is by design, otherwise data packets can't be delivered, like an envelope without an address.

For example, if you visited https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewf-8rx9_uQ, no intermediary can see which page you visited specifically - they only know you visited youtube.com. While a domain name may not seem like a lot, over time, it's data on everywhere you go and when, which is worse when your internet provider also knows your identity. This is typically only a concern if your ISP is also your government (as is the case in many restrictive countries), or if your ISP has been known to monetize this data.

If you don't want your ISP or network admin (e.g. a hotel) knowing this, a VPN revokes their ability to see it. This isn't because VPN encryption is 'better' or 'military grade' (contrary to what big providers want you to believe); it's simply because the whole data packet (including the address) gets encrypted and put in another data packet, with the VPN server as the address. In this sense, a VPN server works just like a package forwarding service, relaying the inner packet for you.

If you trust your ISP of your home WiFi and cellular, then this is not a concern for you. Remember, one does not simply 'gain privacy' just by enabling a VPN — there is only a transfer of trust. Privacy is only gained if it moves to an entity you trust more. Because before, your ISP was in the position to see the domain names, and now your VPN provider is in that position (because they are the one relaying the inner packets for you). This is why trust is the most important factor when deciding which VPN provider to go with, and why you want to be cautious of any free ones, because running VPN servers costs money, and if you are not paying for the product — then you are the product.

If you download torrents from public trackers, your torrent activity is public knowledge. Anyone who is on your home WiFi (like friends or family), or who knows your home IP address (like your ISP), can see what has been downloaded from there, whether it's a Linux ISO or a public domain film. It's like having your browsing history written on your house, but for torrents. A VPN moves that activity away from your own home, because now your torrents happen through the VPN server, along with everyone else's.

For casual torrenting from public trackers, a VPN is the right tool. But if your torrenting needs become heavier (say, over 500GB a month consistently), or you use private trackers, a VPN stops being the right tool for the job, and what you want is a seedbox instead.

We categorize unlocking into two types:

Unlocking Lvl 1 (Supported)
If your country restricts access to certain sites and services, but they allow UDP traffic (WireGuard uses this) and aren't using DPI (Deep Packet Inspection) to deny any traffic that 'looks' like VPN encryption. This will unlock the internet in almost all restrictive countries, except China. However, it may not work on some corporate networks.

Unlocking Lvl 2 (Coming Soon)
If you are on a restrictive network that denies UDP, or performs DPI to deny anything that 'looks' like VPN encryption. This functionality will be coming soon, using Shadowsocks. We'll be adding 1 dark pass to our subscription offering, named after a ghost-type Pokémon.