It is no secret that our online activities are being intensively monitored. We all have searched for one thing and seen dozens of advertisements pop up for that exact thing, even in our social media. This is marketing and ad tracking. A powerful tool called VPN can offer some assistance in keeping your privacy and preventing marketing and ad tracking.
What Is A VPN?
A VPN, virtual private network, creates anonymity and privacy by securing your entire connection. This means that your connection is rerouted through a VPN server that masks your IP address and also through an encrypted tunnel that helps keep your data safe from prying eyes.
Why Is Marketing And Ad Tracking A Problem?
Every time you visit the internet, you are basically leaving a trail of digital breadcrumbs that is used to profile you. Websites, advertisers, and third-party trackers gather a variety of data, including your IP address, browsing history, search queries, and even how long you linger on certain pages. This information helps them build detailed profiles of users, which are then used to serve up targeted ads. For example, you search for a mattress and suddenly you see ads for mattresses on unrelated websites or even on your social media.
This might not bother you so much, but it goes further than just annoying ads. These companies can also gather sensitive information about you like your location, interests and more. This data is most likely sold to third parties without consent, which opens a lot of other doors such as the possibility for misuse, data breaches or even exploitation.
How Can VPNs Protect Against Marketing And Ad Tracking?
There are a few ways that a VPN can effectively help against marketing and ad tracking:
Disguises Your IP Address
When your connection is rerouted through a VPN server, it effectively masks your IP address. Your IP address can reveal things such as your location and even your ISP (Internet Service Provider).
This makes it harder for trackers to identify you, making it harder to create a profile on you.
Encrypts Your Data
It is necessary for your internet traffic to be encrypted; otherwise, your ISP and other prying eyes will be able to monitor it. Advertisers have the option to collaborate with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or utilise tracking tools to keep an eye on your browsing habits. By encrypting your internet traffic, it helps ensure that prying eyes cannot spy on you, and this also helps that if your data is intercepted, it cannot be easily deciphered.
Bypassing Geo-Targeted Advertising
Advertisers frequently customise their ads according to where you are located, and they figure this out by looking at your IP address. By masking your IP address, it is possible to hide your location and therefore effectively avoid geo-targeted advertisements.
Prevent Cross-site Targeting
Advertisers will use cookies or other tracking tools to track your actions across multiple websites. While VPNs by themselves don’t stop cookies, they do make it harder for trackers to connect your online activities to a single IP address.
Protection Against Device Fingerprinting
Device fingerprinting is described as a unique identifier, since this is the process where a sophisticated tracking method collects information about your device, such as your browser type, screen resolution, and operating system. This is a very sophisticated tracking method, since even clearing cookies will not clear this fingerprinting. Using a VPN that masks your IP address makes it much harder for advertisers to create a consistent fingerprint of you.
Other Ways VPNs Protect Your Privacy
Apart from fighting against marketing and ad trackers, a VPN does have some additional privacy and security benefits:
- Public Wi-Fi: Public Wi-Fi is a hunting ground for hackers, and by using a VPN you will make it harder for these people to determine your location or to steal your data.
- Avoid ISP tracking: ISPs are known to monitor internet usage, and this can also lead to them throttling your internet speed. A VPN makes it much harder for your ISP to monitor your online activities.
- Access Geo-Restricted Content: Sometimes content will not be available in your region, and simply by changing your VPN server to another country, it will allow you to access this content.
Limitations of VPNs in Blocking Ads
A VPN isn’t 100% effective in completely blocking ads. It does help, but there are some limitations. To enhance your privacy, it would be beneficial to combine a VPN with these tools:
- Ad Blockers: There are great browser extensions that can halt trackers at the source.
- Privacy-focused Browsers: Browsers such as Firefox and Brave come with built-in features that help protect your privacy by blocking tracking.
- Cookie-Management: Make it a habit to regularly clear your cookies or opt for browsers that automatically block third-party cookies.
Are VPNs Effective In Avoiding Marketing And Ad Tracking
A VPN is a very helpful tool when it comes to avoiding marketing and ad tracking. Since it hides your IP address and encrypts your internet connection, it makes it much harder for your ISP or marketers to track you across multiple websites and create profiles or even a digital fingerprint on you. A VPN can be more powerful by combining it with tools such as ad blockers, privacy-focused browsers, or cookie management tools to give you the utmost privacy. As advertisers and trackers get smarter, it’s essential to take proactive measures to safeguard your privacy. It’s no longer just an option—it’s a must!
