The online environment is one that is filled with a lot of pitfalls, and there is always the risk that someone will steal important information from you, or that you will be able to be tracked through your online activity. This is an important reason to buy a VPN account, because it will allow you to make sure that this never happens to you.
One important part of the online environment is the IP address that is provided to you each time you connect to a network. This IP address is specific to your country, and it is also related to the network you are connected to. As you move from one network to another, such as from home, to the office, to Wifi at the coffee shop, your IP address will also change.
This is a good thing and a bad thing. It’s good if you are wanting to avoid your internet activity being tracked, but it isn’t good if you use websites that have heavy security, because some of these react very badly if you change IP address frequently. For example, some sites that offer online banking will lock you out if you try to access your account from too many IP address within a short space of time.
If you primarily use the internet from a single location, such as your home you will have the same IP each time you go online. This makes it possible for online companies to use your IP address to track you. No one actually knows what the information that is collected can be used for, or will be in the future. What is certain is that by recording your IP address and online activity, companies are collecting a large amount of data that is potentially very personally.
Another thing about your IP address is that it controls the content that you can access. For example, if you are living in China, your IP address allows you to access websites in China that are not able to be accessed from outside China. This includes websites that stream Chinese television programs and movies, many of which are difficult to get if you are not in China. Additionally, if you are in China, you also experience the pervasive level of censorship, also as the result of your IP address.
Because of this, many people buy a VPN account to be able to access websites that they wouldn’t normally be able to.