{"id":111646,"date":"2024-06-06T06:10:13","date_gmt":"2024-06-06T13:10:13","guid":{"rendered":"\/blogs\/?p=111646"},"modified":"2024-06-07T09:32:45","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T16:32:45","slug":"free-vpns-may-still-come-with-a-price","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/free-vpns-may-still-come-with-a-price\/","title":{"rendered":"How Free VPNs Come With a Price"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The number of people who use VPNs (virtual private networks) continues to mushroom. Recent research shows that 46% of American adults now use a VPN \u2014 23% of which use it for strictly personal purposes.<a href=\"#_edn1\" name=\"_ednref1\">[i]<\/a> Within that mix, 43% said they use a free VPN service. Yet \u201cfree\u201d VPNs often come with a price. Typically at the expense of your privacy.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/learn\/vpn?path=blogs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A personal VPN<\/a>\u00a0establishes a secure tunnel over the internet, offering you both privacy and freedom from IP-based tracking. It protects your identity and financial info by encrypting, or scrambling, the data that flows through the tunnel. Moreover, it can mask your true location, making it appear as though you are connecting from somewhere else.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes a VPN is included in more robust security software, as it is in\u00a0our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/en-us\/identity-theft\/family.html?path=blogs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">McAfee+<\/a> plans. It\u2019s also, but often it is a standalone tool, that is offered for a monthly subscription rate or for free. While it might be tempting to go for a free option, there are some serious considerations that you should take to heart.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Free VPNs \u2013 risky business<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Because free VPNs don\u2019t charge a subscription, many make revenue indirectly through advertising. This means that users get bombarded with ads. And they get exposed to tracking by the provider. In fact, one\u00a0study\u00a0of 283 free VPN providers\u00a0found that 72% included trackers.<a href=\"#_edn2\" name=\"_ednref2\">[ii]<\/a> The irony is worth pointing out. Many people use VPNs to shroud their browsing from advertisers and other data collectors. Meanwhile, free VPNs often lead to that exact kind of exposure.<\/p>\n<p>But beyond the frustration of ads, slowness, and upgrade prompts is the fact that some free VPN tools include malware that can put your sensitive info at risk. The same study found that 38% of the free VPN applications in the Google Play Store were found to have malware, such as keyloggers, and some even stole data from devices.<\/p>\n<p>Also concerning is how these free providers handle your data. In one worrying case, security researchers uncovered seven VPN providers that gathered user logs despite pledges not to.<a href=\"#_edn3\" name=\"_ednref3\">[iii]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Clearly, many so-called \u201cfree\u201d VPNs aren\u2019t free at all.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Privacy worth paying for \u2013 paid VPN benefits<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>VPNs are critical tools for enhancing our privacy and shouldn\u2019t be an avenue opening the door to new risks. That\u2019s why your best bet is to look for a paid VPN with the following features:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Unlimited bandwidth<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 You want your network connection to stay secure no matter how much time you spend online.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Speedy performance<\/strong> \u2014 We all know how frustrating a sluggish internet connection can be when you are trying to get things done. Whether connecting for productivity, education, or entertainment, we&#8217;re all dependent on bandwidth. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to choose a high-speed VPN that enhances your privacy, without sacrificing the quality of your connection.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Multiple device protection<\/strong> \u2014 These days many of us toggle between mobile devices, laptops, and computers, so they should all be able to connect securely.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Less battery drain<\/strong> \u2014 Some free mobile VPNs zap your battery life, making users less likely to stay protected. You shouldn\u2019t have to choose between your battery life and safeguarding your privacy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ease of <\/strong><strong>use<\/strong> \u2014 For technology to really work, it has to be convenient. After all, these technologies should power your connected life, not serve as a hindrance.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, we don\u2019t have to sacrifice convenience, or pay high prices, for a VPN that can offer a high level of privacy and protection. A comprehensive security suite like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/en-us\/identity-theft\/family.html?path=blogs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">McAfee+ includes our\u00a0standalone VPN<\/a> with auto-renewal and takes the worry out of connecting, so you can focus on what\u2019s important to you and your family, and enjoy quality time together.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref1\" name=\"_edn1\">[i]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.security.org\/resources\/vpn-consumer-report-annual\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.security.org\/resources\/vpn-consumer-report-annual\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref2\" name=\"_edn2\">[ii]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.icir.org\/vern\/papers\/vpn-apps-imc16.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.icir.org\/vern\/papers\/vpn-apps-imc16.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref3\" name=\"_edn3\">[iii]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/7-vpn-services-found-recording-user-logs-despite-no-log-pledge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/7-vpn-services-found-recording-user-logs-despite-no-log-pledge<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The number of people who use VPNs (virtual private networks) continues to mushroom. Recent research shows that 46% of American&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1407,"featured_media":193908,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10670,10661,13],"tags":[4452,6688,5471],"coauthors":[15735],"class_list":["post-111646","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-tricks","category-internet-security","category-privacy-identity-protection","tag-cybersecurity","tag-free-vpn","tag-vpn"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How Free VPNs Come With a Price | McAfee Blog Free VPNs vs Paid VPN | McAfee Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The number of people who use VPNs (virtual private networks) continues to mushroom. Recent research shows that 46% of American adults now use a VPN \u2014 23% A personal VPN is simply a piece of software that can establish a secure tunnel over the internet, offering you both privacy and general anonymity. Given the benefit of getting a VPN for your device, it might be tempting to get a free version. However, we\u2019ve found that some free VPN tools include malware that can put your sensitive information at risk.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Free VPNs Come With a Price | McAfee Blog Free VPNs vs Paid VPN | McAfee Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The number of people who use VPNs (virtual private networks) continues to mushroom. Recent research shows that 46% of American adults now use a VPN \u2014 23% A personal VPN is simply a piece of software that can establish a secure tunnel over the internet, offering you both privacy and general anonymity. Given the benefit of getting a VPN for your device, it might be tempting to get a free version. However, we\u2019ve found that some free VPN tools include malware that can put your sensitive information at risk.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/free-vpns-may-still-come-with-a-price\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"McAfee Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-06-06T13:10:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-06-07T16:32:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/shutterstock_1123217999-woman-on-tablet-.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jasdev Dhaliwal\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@McAfee\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@McAfee\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jasdev Dhaliwal\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/free-vpns-may-still-come-with-a-price\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/free-vpns-may-still-come-with-a-price\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jasdev Dhaliwal\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/49b8ff7075f52333a95710a8340c326f\"},\"headline\":\"How Free VPNs Come With a Price\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-06-06T13:10:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-06-07T16:32:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/free-vpns-may-still-come-with-a-price\/\"},\"wordCount\":643,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/free-vpns-may-still-come-with-a-price\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/300x200_Blog_060624-1-4.png\",\"keywords\":[\"cybersecurity\",\"free VPN\",\"VPN\"],\"articleSection\":[\"How To Guides and Tutorials\",\"Internet Security\",\"Privacy &amp; Identity Protection\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/free-vpns-may-still-come-with-a-price\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/free-vpns-may-still-come-with-a-price\/\",\"name\":\"How Free VPNs Come With a Price | McAfee Blog Free VPNs vs Paid VPN | McAfee Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/free-vpns-may-still-come-with-a-price\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/free-vpns-may-still-come-with-a-price\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/300x200_Blog_060624-1-4.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-06-06T13:10:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-06-07T16:32:45+00:00\",\"description\":\"The number of people who use VPNs (virtual private networks) continues to mushroom. 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Recent research shows that 46% of American adults now use a VPN \u2014 23% A personal VPN is simply a piece of software that can establish a secure tunnel over the internet, offering you both privacy and general anonymity. Given the benefit of getting a VPN for your device, it might be tempting to get a free version. 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