In addition, they can also create fake Wi-Fi spots that mimic the original ones, meaning you will end up connecting to the hacker’s laptop rather than the real thing. In turn, not only can hackers manage to easily see this too, but they can also spread ransomware attacks or, even worse, steal the identity of their victims for credit card fraud. Because such a network is public, its owner can see which devices are connected to it but also what sites or services they are accessing. For hackers, all it takes is the appropriate knowledge of the software and some unsuspecting people to sign into their social media or bank accounts to get ahold of their personal details, which is why it is usually on these hotspots that hackers can be found lurking for victims. The evolution of technology has allowed people to connect to the internet without needing a stationary computer anymore and so nowadays smartphones and tablets are everywhere, much like the public Wi-Fi hotspots that we all want to connect to. Most VPNs nowadays already feature ad blockers or some other sort of protection. Social media websites are just the most well-known for doing this, but many others do so too. Likewise, hiding your real IP address also helps in avoiding intrusive targeted ads. These entities either use specific software to enforce such blocks or simply add their domains to the network’s blacklist, but regardless of the method they use VPNs can always work around it. The same happens to social media, gaming websites or other platforms that are typically blocked in a school, office or other working environments. Therefore, using a VPN to connect to a server in other country will disguise your IP address as one belonging to the connected country, and because virtually you’re no longer located in Turkey the site will now become available. Your computer will be using a Turkish IP address and these sites immediately recognize that and will block it. Let’s say you live in a country where streaming websites are blocked, Turkey, for instance. Nowadays most online content websites or services have some sort of restrictions in certain countries, while others are completely blocked for copyright and other reasons.

Enjoying Unrestricted Content and Avoiding Ads It’s important to acknowledge, however, that for most everyday users hiding their IP address may not make much difference, especially if they share every second of their lives on social media and don’t intend on doing anything risky. It can also help against targeted ads delivered through social media platforms. There are various reasons to hide your IP address at all times, from enjoying unrestricted content from abroad to increasing your level of protection and anonymity, both on public and domestic Wi-Fi networks.

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