If you’re an experienced web user, you ought to be familiar with government monitoring. It has, admittedly, become a brutal reality over time. Unfortunately, the story does not end here. Currently, government agencies employ a variety of methods to monitor users’ online activities.
As a result, when encrypting sensitive data online, people must use a VPN. However, the question of whether government entities can still monitor you even if you use a VPN relics.
Read on to find out the complete answer to this question.
Can the government monitor you if you utilize a VPN?
Government entities can trace you even when you use a VPN. Take China as an example: the Great Firewall of China (GFW) heavily depends on deep packet inspection (DPI) to inhibit Vpn connections.
You should use a VPN service that provides ambiguous servers in this case. Aside from ambiguous servers, a no-logging policy is required to circumvent governments’ surveillance strategies.
A VPN service should also include security features such as an internet kill switch, DNS leak protection, and WebRTC leak protection. If your VPN service lacks these features, you could find yourself in hot water and face harsh penalties such as imprisonment.
Can the police track VPN users?
The police force is in charge of detecting and preventing crime within its jurisdiction. It is also supposed to keep the law and order situation under control.
Police, like government agencies such as the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), and others, can request ISPs to provide connection or usage logs about a specific VPN user in response to a judicial order.
As previously stated, ISPs know their subscribers who use VPNs regularly. As a result, they can notify the police that they should consult with VPN providers if they want to obtain online location data in connection logs, usage logs, or both.
Why do gov’ts want to track their citizens’ online behaviour?
Various web-based apps track their users’ online activities to improve their services. As a result, they can provide users with personalised services based on their preferences. Similarly, governments intentionally track their citizens’ web browsing activities to protect them from cyber threats.
However, not everything about governments’ spying activities is rosy. Your online data may fall into the hands of cybercriminals, who may use it to further their illicit goals.
The information you provide when visiting various websites is vital to marketing and third-party advertising companies.
Final Thoughts
Government entities can easily detect what you do on the internet if you do not utilise a VPN. They can request that ISPs provide them with your details, including search queries, media streaming activities, and so on, as and when required.
Likewise, they can still tell you’re connected to a VPN server if you use a VPN. They cannot track what you do online while using a VPN service. However, they can request VPN providers, such as ISPs, to provide their users’ browsing activities.
If a VPN adheres to the concept of a no-logging policy correctly, the government may be unable to obtain the required users’ data.
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