Table of contents
- Is using a VPN legal?
- Can law enforcement track VPNs?
- How a VPN hides data from the FBI?
- What data is not protected by a VPN?
- How can the FBI track a VPN?
- Tips to protect yourself from the FBI tracking you with a VPN
- Sign out of your Google or Apple accounts
- Turn on Incognito mode
- Use secure browsers like Tor or Brave
- Disable GPS location services
- Privatize your social media accounts
- Always use strong passwords and two-factor authentication
- Use antivirus and ad-blocking software
- Takeaway on the FBI tracking VPNs
Is using a VPN legal?
In most countries, including the US and the UK, using a VPN to protect your internet traffic is legal. However, some governments, such as North Korea, have banned the use of VPNs as part of their efforts to control internet access, so you should check local laws before using one.
Can law enforcement track VPNs?
What you need to know about VPNs
VPNs encrypt all outgoing internet traffic, so they should prevent law enforcement from tracking your data. However, the police and other law enforcement agencies may use bugs, security flaws, and other vulnerabilities in a VPN to see that data and track you.
Two key things to be aware of are:
- How a VPN hides data from the FBI?
- What data is not protected by a VPN?
How a VPN hides data from the FBI?
Before investing in a VPN, you may have wondered what a VPN hides. The simple answer to that is almost all of your internet activity. A VPN routes your traffic through a third-party server that facilitates your connection to the internet for you, and encrypts all your data before you start transmitting it.
Your data is encrypted until it reaches the VPN server, so even if someone—such as a law enforcement agent—was able to intercept it, they wouldn’t be able to read it. Good VPN providers use AES military-grade encryption, which is almost impossible to crack in any meaningful way, even with the most advanced tools.
Without a VPN, you usually have an open connection to the internet, so your internet service provider (ISP) can see your traffic data, as can anyone else who intercepts it.
It would be fair to wonder if the government spies on us. It does if you are a person of interest, but although it’s a myth that police can track VPN activity, they can monitor most things if you don’t use one.
What data is not protected by a VPN?
It’s important to note that a VPN cannot protect every single piece of your browsing data. Things like your browser history, cookies, and cache remain unencrypted. Your device itself stores history, cookies, and cache data locally, but it may be synced to other devices you own if you’re signed into the same Apple or Google account.
Someone would need access to one of your devices to obtain this data, but the FBI does have a track record of hacking into smartphones, tablets, and computers to acquire this kind of information.
How can the FBI track a VPN?
The FBI and other law enforcement agencies cannot track encrypted VPN traffic, even if they have a court order. However, they may force your internet service provider (ISP) to disclose your connection and usage logs, which will show that you use a VPN.
Depending on what kind of VPN you use, there may be little to no data that your provider can hand over. Some do not keep any logs at all, while others store connection data, which shows when and how frequently you use the VPN, your actual IP address, and the IP addresses that the VPN has assigned to you.
Your actual IP address is unique to you and reveals your exact location, which is why it’s important to hide it when you’re online. You can do this using the Virtual Location tool built into Clario AntiSpy, which lets you choose the exact location your device reports. This could be anywhere in the world, such as a random coffee shop or bookstore.
Some VPNs also keep usage logs, even though they claim they don’t, which is very important to remember. These can include a record of all websites you’ve visited, and they may be seen by the FBI or another authority if they compel your VPN provider to hand over this information.
Tips to protect yourself from the FBI tracking you with a VPN
When choosing a VPN, it’s a good idea to select one registered in a country like the Netherlands, where the FBI, police, and other government agencies cannot force a VPN provider to keep and hand over any user information.
There are other things you can do to protect your internet activities and prevent them from being monitored if you’re worried the FBI can track VPN data, including:
- Sign out of your Google or Apple accounts
- Turn on Incognito mode
- Use secure browsers like Tor or Brave
- Disable GPS location services
- Privatize your social media accounts
- Always use strong passwords and two-factor authentication
- Use antivirus and ad-blocking software
Sign out of your Google or Apple accounts
If you sign into a Google or Apple account on different devices, you sync all of your browsing data between them. This sends your browsing data to the cloud, where you cannot control it, and means that you have to protect multiple devices.
Turn on Incognito mode
When you use your browser’s Incognito or Private browsing mode, your browser deletes your activity history as soon as you close your active tabs. This means there is no local record of the websites you’ve visited and the cookies you’ve picked up along the way. In addition, your browser disables trackers, temporary files, and other things of this nature.
Use secure browsers like Tor or Brave
You can step up your internet security by using a more secure browser, such as Tor or Brave. These browsers shield you from trackers, plugins, and even ads that can capture your browsing data by default.
Disable GPS location services
The FBI can track you even if you have a VPN by using other information like that reported by your phone’s built-in GPS. Be sure to turn off GPS location services on your device, even if you have a VPN running, so that apps and online services cannot use them.
Privatize your social media accounts
Your social media accounts can reveal a lot about who you are, what you’re into, the places you like to visit, and more. Use the privacy tools offered by Facebook, Instagram, and other social media networks to prevent random people from seeing the content you share.
Always use strong passwords and two-factor authentication
There’s no use in using a VPN and taking other precautions if you use weak passwords that make it easy to get into your online accounts. Use a password generator to create strong passwords that aren’t easy to guess or crack, and enable two-factor authentication wherever possible. This will prevent someone else from getting in even if they have your password.
Use antivirus and ad-blocking software
Online ads can hide nasty trackers and even malicious software. Use ad-blocking software to prevent them from appearing and antivirus to ensure they can be detected and removed if they end up on your device.
Takeaway on the FBI tracking VPNs
A VPN encrypts your internet traffic and protects it from snooping. There is no way the FBI, police, or even ISPs can access that information. However, law enforcement and government agencies have other online activity monitoring methods. So, if you’re asking whether the government is watching you through your phone, the answer is probably (if you are a person of interest for the FBI.
It’s not difficult to stop that by taking the simple precautions outlined in the guide above. And if you’re worried about revealing your real location online, step up your protection by using Clario AntiSpy to create a virtual location that makes it easier to hide from spies.
