Can You Still Be Tracked With a VPN?

Recap: Understanding How a VPN Works

Fundamentally, a VPN encrypts your online traffic and masks your IP address. When you connect to a VPN server, the VPN creates a secure tunnel and routes your online traffic via the specified server.

The tunnel encrypts your connection, including your online traffic. The encryption protects your traffic and connection over the internet from prying eyes.

The VPN server assigns you a new IP address that masks your actual IP address. To the entities on the internet, your traffic will seem to originate from the VPN server.

Additionally, you get the geo-location associated with the IP address, usually the server’s location.

Concisely, when using a VPN, you get online privacy. Prying eyes will not snoop on your connection or online activities, but they will know of your existence.

Who Can Track You While Using a VPN

Tracking a VPN user is a time-consuming, complex endeavor. It also depends on the tracker’s information about the user and associated online behavior.

A privacy-conscious internet user with a reputable and safe premium VPN will almost be untraceable. Nonetheless, different entities can potentially track the user.

These entities include:

1. Internet Service Providers

As the name suggests, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) provide services that allow you to access the internet.

In most countries, ISPs have lots of identifying information about their customers. They monitor how users utilize the service and what they do online to provide quality services.

This is how most ISPs throttle your connection when you are downloading content. It is also how they know you are engaging in activities that violate copyrights.

Some governments also require ISPs to retain data regarding their customers for a while. This data includes activity and connection logs such as your IP addresses, time stamps, visited sites, and everything you do online.

When using a VPN, you minimize what your ISP can track. They cannot see what you are doing online, but they know you are using a VPN.

They can only log your VPN connection details, such as IP addresses and connection times. If your IP leaks, they will know what you have been hiding.

2. Government and Law Enforcement Agencies

Law enforcement agencies like the police rely on ISPs to track online users. If you are using a VPN, this will be a challenging task since encrypted traffic is hard to crack.

Usually, the police will obtain a court order to request logs or information from the ISP. The ISP will then point them to your VPN provider.

If your VPN doesn’t keep usage and connection logs and its servers are RAM-based, the police will have to look for other avenues.

Other government agencies, such as the FBI, use a more thorough approach that relies on intelligence or force.

If they can’t get what they want from your strict no-log VPN provider, they will use lawful interception and other means necessary to keep tabs on you until you slip.

Intelligence agencies also cross-reference information from your digital footprints and other metadata. They might also raid your place and take your electronic devices for analysis.

Usually, the government and law enforcement agencies only track persons of interest.

4. Cybercriminals and Interested Parties

A VPN encrypts your connection and online traffic, making it hard for cybercriminals and anyone interested in tracking you.

However, determined parties can go an extra length to track your activities even when using a VPN.

Cybercriminals and interested parties may use social engineering techniques, including phishing, to compromise security.

If phishing is successful, cybercriminals may compromise your devices by unintentionally making you install malware such as spyware or even software with a backdoor.

Thus, cybercriminals and other interested parties may know what you do online if your device is compromised and you have no effective security measures.

5. Employer

Workplaces provide employees with VPNs that they can use to connect to the organization’s network remotely. They ensure the organization’s network and your traffic are safe from prying eyes.

However, these VPNs usually log what employees are doing online. Employers can track what their employees are up to anytime they use the VPN.

Employees who use commercial VPNs on workplace devices are also at risk of being tracked and monitored.

Most work devices have keyloggers and other software designed to keep tabs on what employers do while they use office devices.

6. Big Tech Companies

Big tech companies such as Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Meta (Facebook), Apple, Microsoft, and others have been known to track users all over the internet.

Unless you have been using a VPN since you created an account with these companies, most of your online activities can be traced back to you.

For instance, if you search for things on Google with your account signed in, even if you use a VPN, Google will still track you. The same goes for other companies.

Besides your account, these companies use cookies and other trackers to give you a better experience while benefiting from advertisements.

For persons of interest, the government and other agencies can go to these companies and ask for information regarding a specific IP address or particular searches.

Even if the VPN provider doesn’t have the logs, the tech companies can have some identifying information that can be used to connect the dots.

How to Avoid Being Tracked When Using a VPN

You can maximize your online privacy and make it more difficult to be tracked when using a VPN.

Potential entities that can track you rely on cookies, your digital footprint, the availability of identifying logs, malware, and big tech companies.

To thwart most tracking attempts, you will need to adhere to the best cybersecurity practices regarding privacy, such as:

Privacy oriented browsers

Privacy-focused browsers like Brave help you do away with trackers, ads, cross-site cookies, and browser fingerprinting.

They also help with social media blocking, safe browsing, safe WebRTC handling, and safe searches, and they sport many privacy and security features.

If you prefer to use other browsers, such as Firefox, ensure you tweak the settings to recommended levels. You can also use reputable extensions to improve your privacy.

Private search engines

Popular search engines such as Google deliver results while keeping track of your online movements and other data.

They also give you other ad-related results and use cookies to keep track of your online behavior and other preferences.

If your Google search is connected to your account, you will be traceable even when using a VPN. Try safe search engines such as DuckDuckGo.

Private and secure email

Unlike popular email clients such as Gmail and Outlook, private and secure mails offer better privacy and security since they are not connected to big tech companies.

You get anti-phishing and anti-spam features, end-to-end encryption, two-factor authentication, zero-knowledge encryption, and even custom domains with a private and secure email.

The only downside, most private and secure emails, such as ProtonMail, require a subscription if you want to enjoy most features.

Private messengers

Messengers such as WhatsApp are owned by Big Tech firms that are always after your data. Popular messengers also require you to have a phone number and even an email address.

To get better privacy, opt for messengers that don’t require identifying information and offer proper end-to-end encryption.

Platforms such as Signal and Session app are good privacy-friendly alternatives.

Reducing your online footprint

Potential trackers can use your online footprint to connect the dots when tracking a VPN user. Be careful with online people and interact cautiously on social media.

Reputable antivirus and antimalware software

Cybercriminals and other interested parties may use trojan horses to deliver malware that spies on your online activities.

Other software may even create backdoors that they can use to monitor what you do on your device. To be safe, use premium antivirus and antimalware software and set it to update automatically.

Avoiding free VPNs

Free VPNs may help you save some bucks, but this will be costly in the long run. Most free VPN services track, monitor, and store data regarding your online activities.

They also track your VPN usage; they know when to cap the speed limit when you have exceeded the allocated bandwidth.

Free VPNs sell or share your data with interested third parties to cover their operational cost.

What to Consider on A VPN for Ultimate Security and Privacy

Most VPNs claim that they can make you anonymous, but that’s not true. The best you can get is ultimate security and privacy if you choose an excellent VPN.

Aspects to consider include:

• Military-grade encryption
• Favorable jurisdiction with no data retention laws
• Clear privacy policy and a proven no-logs policy
• RAM-based servers
• Obfuscation, kill switch, leak protection, and ad blocking
• Independently audited by reputable firms
• Transparency regarding warrants

Wrap Up

Can you be tracked with a VPN? Yes. It might be difficult, but it is not impossible with the right resources and determination.

Since you cannot be completely anonymous, you can make it harder for anyone trying to track you while using a VPN.

Always use the right VPN, minimize your digital footprint, and adhere to the best cybersecurity practices.