By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Nigerians’ use of Virtual Private Network (VPN) to access Twitter has risen more than 200 per cent since the official ban on the microblogging on June 4.
VPN conceals the IP address of the Internet Service Provider (ISP), it is easy to access on the web, but using VPN comes with data and device risks as well as higher costs.
VPN eats up data faster and is slower than offerings by local networks. Free VPNs are not safe. For security, it is better to opt for paid VPN.
Express VPN
One of the popular VPNs accessed by Nigerian users is ExpressVPN, whose Vice President, Harold Li, told Nairametrics that the platform has seen a 200 per cent increase in traffic from Nigeria.
The biggest spike was on Saturday June 6 when web traffic rose by about 250 per cent compared to the previous day, he said.
VPNs are security tools that help protect users from being hacked, tracked, monitored, or otherwise compromised.
Li said ExpressVPN believes digital privacy and internet accessibility are human rights, and the firm will continue to speak out on this issue while encouraging others to do the same.
Despite the massive switch to VPN, there are concerns about risk, like sharing user data with a third party or breaching privacy. But Li insisted that ExpressVPN does not share user data with third parties.
“We do not collect anything that would allow ExpressVPN or anyone else to match an individual to specific network activity or behaviour,” he told Nairametrics.
“We have designed our systems to not have sensitive data about our customers. Even when compelled, we cannot provide data that we do not possess.”
ExpressVPN sees data as a “liability” and its guiding principle toward data collection is to collect only minimal data required to operate a world-class VPN service at scale.
“We do not collect logs of activity, including no logging of browsing history, traffic destination, data content, or DNS queries.
“We also never store connection logs, meaning no logs of IP addresses, outgoing VPN IP address, connection timestamp, or session duration. Essentially, we do not store or collect any data that could identify an individual and their online activity.”
Risks of using VPN
Below are some of the risks of using VPN articulated by Nairametrics:
According to a report, quoted by the publication, about half of Nigeria’s population of 200 million used the internet as of January 2021.
Twitter ban limits the connection of most of them with people, to share knowledge, and run businesses. Many have switched over to VPN to access Twitter with risks.
Some free VPNs are not safe enough to keep your data private, making it possible for your data to be leaked by third parties, especially if it is not well protected.
Internet banking data not well secured can get leaked.
Logging
If you use a VPN provider that stores data logs, information about your web activity can easily be tracked, which defeats the purpose of using VPN for privacy since you no longer have control over your data.
Data leaks
Free VPNs are not totally free because they need to earn revenue, and most times, they earn revenue from selling user data to third parties or sending you spam ads without your permission.
A study showed that 72 per cent of free VPNs embed third-party trackers in their software. These trackers gather data on your online activity.
All devices are not protected
If you install a VPN only on your phone or PC, that is the only device that gets protected. If you have more than one device to protect, you have to download a VPN on each device or install a VPN router.
Slow speed
VPN slows down connection speed and can slow down overall productivity of your smartphone, depending on the service. This can be quite frustrating.
Jurisdiction
The country where your VPN is located affects VPN security.
If your VPN is domiciled in a country which has data retention laws, the VPN may be forced to store your data in secret, or if an app you use is restricted in certain countries, you will also be affected even if you are not there physically.
For example, Binance is banned in the United States, so if your VPN is set to any US state, your account will be banned.
Also, regardless of the VPN’s policy, your data can still be shared.
Use paid VPN
For better protection online, avoid free VPNs. Go for paid VPNs as they offer better security and user experience.
Choose paid VPNs that prevent IP address disclosure and do not collect data logs that users share on it.
