Luckily for those who live or work in the US, the government doesn’t impose too many restrictions on citizens’ online activity. That’s why you might be misled into thinking that you don’t need any additional protection layers or products such as VPN. However, the US PATRIOT Act allows the FBI to make ISPs give up their customers’ internet activity records. And those guys know a lot, if not everything. Thanks to Edward Snowden, we know a thing or two about how vulnerable we can be. But that’s only one of the bunch of reasons to pick a high-quality VPN.
Why use VPN in the USA?
Stay private: Even if you have never done anything illegal in your entire life, privacy is something we all value. You know this feeling when your girlfriend looked up a blender three days ago, and now those blenders are all over the place? Sometimes you feel like they not only track your search history but also listen to your random conversations. That often happens because ISPs sell your data to advertisers. American VPN can easily throw them off navigating your traffic through an encrypted tunnel so that you don’t have to worry about who else has access to your data, not even your ISP.
Encrypt everything: If you often work from a next-door coffee shop or use public WI-FIs for any other reason – you need a decent USA VPN. You might be surprised how easy it is for a hacker to get their grubby hands on your personal data (think passwords, bank app credentials, etc.)
Save some money: Believe it or not, some websites pump up the prices according to the location you’re login in from. A good USA VPN will save you from price discrimination since you can log in using servers located in different countries.
Is VPN Legal in the USA?
There are only a handful of countries where VPN is prohibited. Surely, the USA is not one of them. Technically speaking, all you do is access the Internet from a different IP address, so there is absolutely nothing illegal in that. Even if you access geographically restricted content.
Pros and cons of using free VPNs in the USA
First off, you need to understand what you can get from using the VPN.
- Browsing and streaming more consistently without being traced
- If you’re a frequent traveler, you can still enjoy your favorite shows on platforms like Netflix or Hulu
- Since most of us have started working from home, VPN for the USA has become an essential product to connect to the corporate network safely.
- Some people love watching foreign TV, which is only possible with USA VPN usage.
As for the cons, a good VPN for the USA will cost you some money. There are lots of free options available, but there are multiple reasons not to settle for those. Among others, they can sell your data to third parties and be not as good at encryption and a variety of servers as their paid competitors.
Sometimes, good encryption results at lags, slower downloading speeds, and slower overall performance – that’s another reason to pick a high-quality American VPN.
Another potential downfall is that VPNs have several security loopholes, and the free ones are not completely safe.
The best VPNs to use in the USA
ExspressVPN is the winner on our list. The highest speed and top-notch support are what make it stand out from the crowd. ExpressVPN has reliable data encryption and doesn’t slow down Internet connection which is especially important for gamers. None of your data and IP address is recorded and remains fully protected. This VPN has a “smart location” feature that will automatically pick the best server according to your needs. You can try ExpressVPN for 30 days literally for free as there is a 100% 30-day money-back guarantee.
NordVPN is distinguished by price and quality. You can use it anywhere in the world. It provides simultaneous connection of up to 6 devices in its Standard plan. If you have any questions, their support will be one message away from helping you. They also have a pretty detailed knowledge base where you can find how to set it up on your router and other devices.
CyberGhost: simple interface for easy use. It has about 5700 servers in 90 countries, including Belgium. Copes with the protection of your data perfectly and easily bypass various restrictions. Locks ads and protects against viruses. Within 45-days, you can test this VPN as long as there is a refund.
IPVanish is a decent provider with good speed. It maintains confidentiality and data security.IPVanish allows you to secure up to 10 devices simultaneously and owns their servers, which lets it make sure that there won’t be any data leaks.
Surfshark – its distinctive feature is an unlimited number of devices connected to the server without losing speed. High level of unlocking. Surfshark includes about 800 servers in 50 countries. According to the law, there is no need to store data where the server is headquartered, namely in the British Virgin Islands.
Torrenting in the USA with VPN
The US government isn’t necessarily interested in your online activity unless..you’re trying to break some laws. One of the most popular ones is copyright infringement and privacy that the government is extremely strict about. That’s why they are known to monitor torrenting websites.
That’s a widespread discussion if torrenting is illegal. Torrenting itself is created for sharing files and is not unlawful, but authorities know that copyrighted material is transferred within the torrenting networks, which is punished by law.
Apart from being illegal, torrenting brings along many potential threats like malicious attacks and virtual hackers. You can also get warning letters from your Internet Service provider and fall under their radar in the future.
With good VPN services in the USA, you will be able to unblock torrenting websites, and your ISP won’t know. Though you must remember that if you break the law – it eventually will hunt you down.