Using a VPN challenges censorship, hackers, and so much more
Find truth in the freedom of the internet, all while staying safe and private online.
![Stop Social Media Censorship Act](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/URU6J95G2cWoFVTr5wfUSA-320-80.jpg)
Wherever you live, it's important to keep on top of what's happening in the world. Whether you're in a country with unfettered internet access or face state censorship, one of the best VPNs is essential to stay up-to-date and get a complete and genuine view of global affairs.
Even if you don't have any deliberate biases, we all have some inherent leanings based on our life experience – and a VPN can be a great way to challenge that and avoid misinformation.
Avoid censorship
If you live in a country with restricted internet access then you can use one of the best China VPNs or one of the best Russia VPNs to skirt around state censorship. One of the great things about the internet is the democratization of information, and living in or visiting a specific country shouldn't be an obstacle to that. Whether it's looking at foreign news outlets or accessing blocked social media websites, a VPN is a major tool in the fight for truth.
By using a VPN to reroute your spoof your IP address, you can access the internet as if you were in a country of your choosing. Especially if you use a VPN like NordVPN which has over 6000 servers worldwide.
Dodge government snooping
Even in countries that you may not consider to be censoring the internet, a VPN is a good idea. If you live in one of the countries that are part of the Five Eyes alliance (the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) then you'll want to use a VPN to appear elsewhere and boost your privacy. Of course, make sure to select a server in a country not in that agreement.
Sometimes you have to go deep to get the truth, and using a VPN is the best way to stay safe and access the dark web responsibly.
Avoid echo chambers
Another way a VPN can help you to conduct independent reason and see the truth for yourself is by helping you escape the echo chamber effect that many of us see on the internet.
Algorithms on social media and search engines, plus trackers on pretty much every website mean we are often served with only material that the internet knows we want to see and that fits with our worldview. But that's not the best way to come to an informed opinion on events. Even things like Google's Incognito mode aren't truly free from trackers and bias.
With a VPN you can disrupt things like targeted ads and reduce the effect of trackers (also try clearing your browser cookie cache) to get a more balanced view of the internet and hopefully any important news too.
Andy is Tom's Guide Staff Writer for VPNs and privacy. Based in the UK, he originally cut his teeth at Tom's Guide as a Trainee Writer (go and click on his articles!) before moving to cover all things Tech and streaming at T3. He's now back at Tom's Guide to keep you safe online, and bring you the latest news in VPN and cybersecurity.