Digital privateness networks are gaining recognition. Between January’s short-lived TikTok ban, the rise of AI scams and on-line privateness considerations, Individuals are turning to VPNs to entry restricted content material or to extend their safety. An unique CNET survey discovered that 43% of US adults are utilizing VPNs, and practically half achieve this to safeguard their on-line exercise and IP deal with.
Given how a lot we do on-line, Neal O’Farrell, a cybersecurity knowledgeable with over 40 years of expertise and founding father of Suppose Safety First, believes all of us needs to be utilizing VPNs — particularly for those who’re apprehensive about somebody monitoring your net browsing habits.
“As an alternative of rolling the cube and hoping that nobody’s snooping, simply do not take the possibility,” stated O’Farrell. Though the vast majority of Individuals aren’t but utilizing a VPN, O’Farrell suspects that utilization will enhance as privateness considerations develop.
Curiosity in utilizing a VPN to entry banned or blocked content material elevated earlier this 12 months, notably when TikTok went down for a number of hours on the evening of Jan. 18. CNET’s survey discovered that fifty% of Gen Zers and 50% of millennials used a VPN to try to entry a restricted app or web site for the reason that begin of 2025.
“The specter of a TikTok ban within the US prompted a surge in VPN curiosity as a result of many of us had been in search of methods to bypass restricted entry,” stated Moe Lengthy, a CNET senior safety editor. “However in my testing, utilizing a VPN to unblock TikTok wasn’t a viable resolution. Nonetheless, this illustrates how VPNs have gotten extra mainstream — we have additionally witnessed this pattern with extra people turning to VPNs for streaming region-restricted content material, like loading overseas Netflix libraries or watching BBC iPlayer outdoors of the UK.”
VPNs are authorized in most international locations. Nonetheless, a number of international locations ban or prohibit VPN utilization, and utilizing one may result in authorized penalties. Here is what CNET’s survey uncovered about why and the way individuals use VPNs. In case you’re fascinated by attempting a VPN, I’ve compiled suggestions from on-line safety consultants.
- Privateness: Over half of US adults who’ve used a VPN (52%) use one to guard their IP deal with when utilizing the web.
- Cellular use: 51% of those that use a VPN achieve this on their telephone, adopted by 50% who use a VPN on their pc or pill.
- By era: VPNs are used most by youthful generations — 50% of Gen Z and millennials have used one this 12 months.
- Saving cash: 23% of US adults use a VPN to economize, totally on streaming providers prices.
- Accessing banned apps: Since Jan. 1, 2024, 17% of US adults have tried to entry a banned web site or app of their space. Because the begin of 2025, 50% of Gen Zers and 50% of millennials have used a VPN to try to entry a restricted app or web site.
Who’s utilizing VPNs?
CNET discovered that 43% of US adults use a VPN, a quantity O’Farrell expects to rise as individuals grow to be extra apprehensive about their knowledge being tracked. Here is how that quantity breaks down:
Males have a tendency to make use of a VPN greater than girls. Half of the lads surveyed have used or at the moment use a VPN, in comparison with 36% of ladies. Youthful generations have a tendency to make use of VPNs extra, with 50% of each Gen Zers and millennials reporting they use a VPN.
As soon as individuals attempt a VPN, they appear to stay to it; 10% say they’ve used or tried utilizing a VPN for one to 2 years, whereas 19% say they’ve used one for over two years. Here is a better look:
Extra persons are defending their telephones with VPNs
Up to now VPNs have been generally used on laptops and tablets, particularly for work or to stream sports activities. Nonetheless, 51% of US adults are actually utilizing VPNs on their telephones. adopted by 50% who use them on their private pc, laptop computer or pill.
O’Farrell thinks utilizing a VPN for cell phone utilization is sensible.
“We overlook that we transact and conduct so many delicate discussions and transactions on our telephones,” stated O’Farrell. “Threats are in all places, and for those who’re utilizing your telephone as a every day software, it is advisable be defending that.”
In case you’re contemplating a VPN to your telephone, you need not look particularly for a cell VPN, stated Lengthy.
“One of the best VPNs seamlessly change between Wi-Fi and cell networks, and in my testing, the main VPNs all labored easily on telephones and computer systems,” stated Lengthy. Most VPNs help Android, iOS, and iPadOS, Lengthy added.
Why are individuals utilizing VPNs?
Most US adults flip to a VPN for its main operate — to guard their IP deal with. The second main purpose is to maintain their on-line exercise non-public. Different causes vary from streaming video video games to accessing restricted content material and apps.
We requested consultants to weigh in on the highest causes persons are utilizing VPNs, and this is what we realized.
Privateness
Almost half (47%) of US adults use VPNs to maintain their on-line exercise non-public.
A VPN routes your on-line site visitors by means of an encrypted digital server, stopping apps and web sites from viewing your IP deal with by masking it along with your VPN server’s IP deal with. This protects your precise IP deal with, in addition to your web service supplier, your on-line exercise and your location.
There are limits to what a VPN protects, nevertheless. It may’t safe your fee info, cookies and account logins.
In case you use public Wi-Fi, corresponding to at a espresso store or airport, O’Farrell recommends connecting to a VPN. CNET’s expertise author, Attila Tomaschek, added {that a} high quality VPN is often quick sufficient for normal web actions, even on public Wi-Fi.
Accessing banned content material
Accessing content material that is banned in your space is one other frequent purpose persons are utilizing VPNs, in keeping with CNET’s findings.
Customers would possibly hook up with a VPN to observe regionally locked sports activities video games or a present solely provided abroad. Others may need even tried a VPN to entry TikTok in the course of the hours it was down in January.
Since Jan. 1, 2024, 17% of US adults have tried accessing a banned app or web site of their space, corresponding to TikTok. Of these utilizing a VPN to entry unlawful or banned apps, 45% began utilizing a VPN up to now 12 months.
You may’t all the time use a VPN to entry banned apps, nevertheless. For instance, Lengthy tried accessing TikTok by means of a VPN in the course of the app’s short-term ban final month and could not. Some web sites and apps have firewalls and VPN detection options that may block you. Content material will also be restricted to sure areas as a result of licensing agreements and copyright restrictions, Tomaschek stated.
It is also essential to know if accessing content material is authorized in your nation. For instance, accessing a TV present that is regionally blocked is mostly not unlawful, so long as VPN utilization is authorized in your nation. Nonetheless, there are different ramifications you may face. If accessing blocked content material violates your streaming service’s person settlement, your account might be suspended.
It is best to by no means use a VPN to entry unlawful content material or violate VPN legal guidelines in your nation. In case you do, you might face fines or imprisonment.
“Whether it is banned in a particular nation, the authorities in that nation could have a proper to entry who’s accessing it,” O’Farrell stated.
VPNs are banned or restricted within the under international locations:
- Belarus
- China
- Iran
- Oman
- Russia
- Turkmenistan
- United Arab Emirates
Saving cash on streaming
Utilizing a VPN to change your server’s location will help you lock in decrease costs on gadgets or providers, which can be cheaper in different states, areas or international locations.
We discovered that 19% of US adults who use VPNs achieve this to save on streaming service prices, together with TV, sports activities, and music. This breaks right down to 12% who use VPNs to avoid wasting on streaming TV, 9% to economize on streaming sports activities and eight% on streaming music, with some respondents utilizing VPNS to avoid wasting on multiple streaming service.
For instance, Lengthy examined utilizing a VPN to economize on streaming content material and was capable of save $6 on renting a film by utilizing a VPN to vary his location to the UK.
If you wish to attempt utilizing a VPN to avoid wasting on streaming prices, be sure you test the service’s phrases and circumstances for any language that prohibits the usage of VPNs.
VPNs may make it easier to lower your expenses on journey, however solely 9% of VPN customers are utilizing one to avoid wasting on aircraft tickets, accommodations, rental vehicles and different journey bills. When utilizing a VPN to get the most effective value on journey, do not forget to consider alternate charges and worldwide transaction charges.
Focused on attempting a VPN?
CNET consultants have been testing VPNs for over a decade, and have accomplished hands-on testing that will help you discover the fitting one. In case you’re contemplating attempting a VPN, this is what CNET consultants say to search for.
Privateness requirements
CNET editors suggest on the lookout for a VPN with AES 256-bit encryption to cover delicate info, and a no-logging coverage to stop any of your on-line exercise from being saved by your VPN supplier. Search for different privateness options, too — like DNS leak safety and a kill change.
Tomaschek recommends ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Proton VPN as high quality suppliers.
Be careful: VPNs aren’t a safety measure to defend you from id theft or scams. Sure, you will defend your location, however that does not cease your system from getting a virus or malware. Tomaschek recommends each a VPN and antivirus software program since they serve completely different functions. Some VPNs are actually even providing id theft safety like ExpressVPN’s Id Defender and NordVPN’s NordProtect.
Web velocity
Many VPNs will sluggish your web velocity by 50% or extra, however a VPN that is thought of quick will solely sluggish your velocity by 25% or much less. In case you’re utilizing a VPN to stream or play video video games, you will wish to discover one with low velocity loss. Tomascheck recommends NordVPN.
Servers and areas
As you slender down your VPN selection, take note of the variety of servers and areas the VPN presents. The extra servers and areas it has, the extra choices you will have for bypassing geo-restrictions and accessing a greater variety of content material from completely different international locations. Extra importantly, you will produce other choices if a server is down in a single location.
VPN help
In case you plan to make use of your VPN on a number of units, make certain your VPN can deal with these concurrently. Some VPNs permit eight to 10 units directly, whereas others do not have a restrict. It is also essential to verify your VPN helps your working system. Some VPNs could also be higher appropriate with Home windows and MacOS, whereas cell VPNs may match higher on iOS and Android. Your system might also play an element in your VPN’s efficiency. We suggest taking a look at CNET’s greatest VPNs that will help you slender down your search.
Methodology
All figures, until in any other case acknowledged, are from YouGov Plc. Complete pattern measurement was 2,429 adults, of which 1,057 have ever used a VPN. Fieldwork was undertaken between 3 to five Feb. 2025. The survey was carried out on-line. The figures have been weighted and are consultant of all US adults (aged 18 or over).
