Privacy seems elusive in today’s world, especially pertaining to our most sensitive information. If you watch porn, you probably want to shield yourself from prying eyes of advertisers, your internet service provider — or even just your roommate.

A VPN, or virtual private network, appears to be a simple solution. VPNs mask your current location, and there are plenty available — free or paid, as apps or browser extensions. 

These networks are easy to use, but should you use a VPN to watch porn? Well, the answer is complicated. 

VPNs aren’t “an anonymity cloak,” said Yael Grauer, investigative tech reporter at Consumer Reports, despite what their marketing may say. The reality is, some scenarios are best suited for other web security tools — and it’s actually possible that a VPN can weaken your safety.

How do VPNs work?

VPNs are a privacy and security tool that protects you in three key ways according to Harold Li, vice president at ExpressVPN. 

One is that VPNs encrypt your internet traffic and data. When this information is unencrypted, anyone in the chain between you and the destination (say, a porn site) can potentially see it. An example is the owner of a WiFi hotspot you use at a coffee shop. With a VPN, however, your traffic can’t be seen by that intermediary. 

Secondly, VPNs encrypt DNS (Domain Name System) requests. Li compared DNS to a phonebook. A DNS request is like looking up a number in the phonebook — you’re asking your computer to find something, like a website.

The third tactic is that VPNs mask your IP address, which is a unique number connected to your device and linked to your location. Computers need IP addresses in order to communicate with each other and know “where” to send information. When using a VPN, you replace your actual IP address with the VPN’s address.

“A VPN concentrates on hiding your real IP address,” explained Chris Hauk, consumer privacy champion at online privacy blog Pixel Privacy, “while also encrypting your internet connection so third-parties can’t easily track you simply by monitoring your connection.”

“VPNs aren’t ‘an anonymity cloak.'”

What a VPN can and can’t do

Know that any VPN won’t make you totally anonymous. Sites can track you in ways besides your IP address. For example, a site’s cookies (a file on your computer that tracks your activity) or other trackers will still be there even if you use a VPN, said Jon Callas, director of technology projects at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).

Browser fingerprinting is yet another way you can be followed online. This method logs data like your browser, operating system, screen resolution, and language. 

Further, your browsing history will still exist if you use a VPN, Callas explained. If you paid for anything, the site has your payment information as well.

When choosing whether to use a VPN, ask yourself what you want to protect yourself from, said Grauer. This is to discern whether a VPN is actually the best option.

Here are two instances Grauer said they could be useful for porn viewing: 

• To bypass a firewall (say, on hotel WiFi that blocks porn sites)
• If you’re worried about your ISP (internet service provider) seeing and potentially selling your data, as VPNs hide your info from your ISP

Grauer herself isn’t concerned with the latter point. “There’s a lot of people that look at porn,” she said, “so personally, I don’t feel the need to hide that I look at it…from my internet service provider.”

What about snooping family or roommates? Clearing your browser history may be your best bet — or even investing in a screen filter so no one physically around you can see what you’re browsing. Using an Incognito window, which doesn’t log history, may help too, but keep in mind that sites can still track you.

If loved ones or your building management have access to your WiFi and are savvy enough, however, they can potentially access your data. In that case, a VPN could help, Li explained, as it reroutes your traffic. 

Callas agreed. “If the threat is ‘I don’t want my apartment building to know what porn I watch,’ a VPN works,” he said.

VPNs enable free speech in some areas as well, said Li. Should you live in a country where queer sex and thus queer porn is illegal, a VPN could mask your IP from the government. Grauer wouldn’t rely on one in these severe instances, however, as VPNs can fail. She recommended people in these circumstances instead contact human rights organizations to figure out what security steps to take, as technology, laws, and government practices are ever-changing.

If the specific VPN you use doesn’t have a “kill switch,” which shuts off your internet connection if it’s not working, then authorities — or whomever else — could potentially see your traffic. Check if your VPN has a kill switch either in the features rundown on the company’s website, or in the VPN settings.

Not all VPNs are made equal 

“Some [VPNs] are more trustworthy than others,” said Grauer, who tested 16 VPNs along with her team last year. In its evaluation, Consumer Reports focused on characteristics like whether a VPN company conducted third-party security audits, and whether the company itself held customer information — as opposed to ease of use and cost. This takes into account what security experts look for in a platform.

Grauer found that most VPN companies fell short in terms of exorbitant ad claims (like that they provide “military-grade encryption,” which isn’t a real term or standard of protection ) and poor privacy practices (such as selling user data). A few, however, had truthful marketing and better policies like security checks by outside companies: IVPN, Mozilla VPN, and Mullvad VPN.

Hauk doesn’t recommend free VPNs as they sometimes sell data, or even insert their own tracking cookies into a user’s browser settings. If your goal is to stop your ISP from seeing and selling your data, a free VPN could do exactly what you’re trying to prevent.

Each VPN is different, so when looking for one, check if and how they collect user data. Li confirmed, for example, that ExpressVPN doesn’t keep activity or collection logs. 

Each VPN is different, so when looking for one, check if and how they collect user data.

Helpful privacy measures besides VPN

A VPN isn’t the end-all of security; other tools could better help with various issues. 

If you’re worried about advertising trackers on porn sites following you throughout the web, Grauer recommends a tracker blocker like Privacy Badger, created by EFF, or uBlock Origin.

Should you be concerned about malware, try one of the many malware removal and protection services on the market.

Another tool is a privacy-focused browser. Brave is Hauk’s favorite, as it blocks third-party tracking cookies and ads by default and randomizes your fingerprint, along with similar protections.

Additionally, Hauk singled out the latest versions of Apple’s Safari as it offers privacy and anti-tracking features alongside the introduction of macOS Monterey, like tracker blocking.

Opera also has excellent protections, said Hauk, like its own VPN. “Users should keep in mind though that the Opera VPN only protects the user’s in-browser activity,” he noted. “The rest of your online activity, such as from apps like P2P torrenting apps, is still left out in the open.”

Grauer mentioned Google Chrome, as Google has a robust security team, though you need to specifically opt out of Google tracking your data.

So, should I use a VPN to watch porn?

Are you concerned about your internet service provider, housemates, or building manager accessing your data? Then yes — a VPN would help. Furthermore, if you’re in a hotel or somewhere that has a firewall up for porn sites, a VPN can also circumvent that.

Remember, however, that not all VPNs are the same. Take a look at their fineprint to see if they’re going to collect or sell your data. If a privacy policy doesn’t explicitly state that the company won’t sell your data, that could be a red flag.

Read specific porn sites’ terms of service and privacy policies to see how exactly they’ll track you, too, Grauer said. According to Pornhub’s privacy policy, for example, the site tracks IP addresses and sets cookies, which have the potential to collect information about your site usage. If your VPN works properly, your IP address will be hidden — but you’ll need another tool to take care of the cookies.

Ultimately, a VPN won’t make you invisible to porn sites nor others. There are, however, additional services like tracker blockers that can make your experience that much more private.