• Windscribe has released deGDID, a free tool that targets a hidden Windows identifier that VPNs cannot mask
• The identifier surfaced in a US court case where it helped trace a suspect's PC across VPNs and three countries
• Blocking the identifier can break Microsoft account features like Xbox, Outlook, and the Store

Windscribe has built a new tool that takes aim at a form of Windows tracking that even the best VPN cannot switch off.

The tool, called deGDID, targets a little-known Microsoft identifier called the Global Device Identifier, or GDID. It is a server-assigned code tied to a Windows installation.

The GDID burst into public view in July after it appeared in a US federal complaint against an alleged member of the Scattered Spider hacking group, where Microsoft gave investigators logs that correlated a Windows GDID with IP activity. Investigators traced the machine through VPN obfuscation across multiple countries over roughly eight months.

What Microsoft's GDID is, and why a VPN won't help

A Microsoft representative described the GDID in the complaint as a persistent, device-level identifier designed to uniquely identify an installation of Windows on a device.

It survives Windows updates but not a clean reinstall, which generates a fresh one. The privacy risk appears when that stable ID is tied to telemetry, Edge browsing data, Microsoft Store records, and IP addresses, letting Microsoft reconnect the same machine across sessions and services.

A virtual private network (VPN) protects your traffic by masking your IP address and encrypting your data. The GDID sits outside that tunnel, at the layer where Windows talks to Microsoft's cloud, so it ties every session together no matter which IP the traffic came from.

Switching to a local Windows account doesn't fix it either. Windscribe found its test machine still created a GDID even as a local account, and after manually deleting the value from the registry, it reappeared after a reboot.

How Windscribe's deGDID works, and how to use it

Windscribe's deGDID uses hosts file modifications and firewall rules to block the registration paths Windows uses to fetch a GDID, and wipes known local identity artifacts.

To run it, download the degdid.ps1 script from GitHub and run it in PowerShell with administrator rights. Use the -Status flag for a read-only check, or -Protect for the full block, verify, and wipe routine, with an -Unprotect option to reverse the changes.

The tool deliberately refuses to run on managed, domain-joined, or corporate machines.

This is not a clean opt-out. In hands-on testing, the script ran without errors, but then broke logins to Xbox, Outlook, and the Microsoft Store because the firewall rules also cut off the connectivity those services depend on.

Windscribe warns it may also affect OneDrive, passkeys, and Windows Hello, cannot guarantee it catches every GDID pathway, and does not erase records Microsoft already holds server-side.

For most people, this is just another reminder of what it means to be a Windows user, but if you want to inspect or reduce the identifier, deGDID is currently one of the only tools that tries. And if you want a more comprehensive solution, Windscribe suggests giving Linux a go.

When browsing the Google Play Store for a mobile VPN, downloads in the tens of millions is usually the ultimate stamp of approval. If 10 million people use an app, it must be well-maintained, technically secure, and backed by a legitimate business, right?

Unfortunately, our latest audit of Android VPNs shows that high download metrics and large app catalogs don't equal operational support, technical maintenance, or store compliance.

Primarily, our data suggests that Google Play's automated submission checks are allowing multi-million-download apps and commercial app networks to circumvent certain developer website requirements.

Instead of real support portals, these developers are using blank domain placeholders, error pages, and ad monetization text files to game the system.

Broken infrastructure in 10M+ download "Super-Apps"

When you pay for one of the best VPNs, you get a dedicated corporate infrastructure, 24/7 support channels, and transparent legal documentation. But on Google Play, some of the top-ranking apps we audited are operating as ghost towns.

Our audit identified 14 separate Android VPN apps with over 10 million downloads each that maintain non-existent, broken, or dummy website links. For example, both USA VPN - Get USA IP and VPN Indonesia - Indonesian IP direct users to tap2free.net, which is a completely blank page.

Other high-volume apps redirect to active server errors. AnonyTun directs users to an HTTP '403 forbidden' error. The link for v2RayTun simply times out, and examples like Fast VPN lead to "Invalid URL" messages.

Even when the sites load, they are often devoid of information. VPN 365 is one of several examples that display generic single-line welcome banners like "Welcome to facefaster.com!" with no other content. MTM Tunnel Lite links to an empty free Blogspot page containing a single post stating "there’s nothing here."

Most embarrassing of all is Armada VPN, which points to a blank white page that actually misspells the app’s own product name as "Aramda VPN".

Other major listings were also found to omit a website URL entirely on their official store pages.

More risk of hijacking

These missing and broken links indicate abandoned or completely unmaintained web assets, heightening the risk of quiet service degradation or future domain hijacking.

More importantly, it leaves millions of active users with no obvious or easy channels to seek technical support, report severe security vulnerabilities, or legally request account and data deletion.

It also prevents users from verifying company registration details or reading binding terms of service outside the application client.

The problem of multi-app developer rings

The broken links on individual apps are bad enough, but the audit also exposed massive "developer rings", single entities spinning up dozens of clone apps to flood the search results and trick Google's automated systems.

One of the most common ways these developer networks game the rules is through the "app-ads.txt" exploit.

App-ads.txt is a standard format websites use to manage their Google ads, and many sites host these files for free. Developers need only paste these raw monetization file links into their app store submission forms to satisfy Google's website requirement without having to build a real site.

This exploit is happening on an industrial scale. The developer account Karastm operates 39 VPN apps, and 35 of them link back to Google Play via a generic app-ads text file.

Another developer, helalik, operates 19 VPN apps, including seven with over 1 million downloads, that all point to a single adzonemax.site file. Similar ad-file exploits were found across several other networks of similar size.

When developer rings aren't using ad files, they use dummy blogs. The developer BanglaTach operates 26 VPN apps (including two with over 1 million downloads) that all point to naruto24.com, a generic, dummy WordPress template that contains no information about VPN services.

Networks like BD IT POINT (8 apps) point their store listings to empty blog feeds, removed accounts, or placeholder domains.

So what?

These multi-app networks create a dangerous illusion of software variety. They trick users into believing they are choosing between distinct, competing privacy providers, when they are actually downloading reskinned clone apps.

These white-label fleets share identical infrastructure, identical bugs, and identical data logging practices, all while successfully evading Google's operational transparency and support obligations.

Consumer advice & actionable insights

Because of the ways Google Play permits apps into its store, and the weaknesses in this, users must become their own security auditors to navigate the storefront safely.

Start by completely disregarding download metrics. You should treat high download totals merely as indicators of past distribution popularity, rather than proof of current security, technical maintenance, or legitimacy.

Before downloading, always click the developer's name on the app store listing to audit their portfolio. If you see them operating dozens of identical clone apps sharing generic names, avoid their software entirely.

Finally, pay close attention to the provided URLs. Do not download an app if its official store website link ends in an "/app-ads.txt" extension or points to a free blogging domain like Blogspot. Ultimately, legitimate privacy companies invest in and own their own web domains.

The bottom line

Our data shows that, currently, Google Play's app verification methods offer enough maneuverability for apps to use dead links, blank pages, and ad monetization files to register their apps in place of truly helpful information hubs for users.

Until automated store submission checks are replaced with genuine corporate verification, consumers should evaluate independent security audits and clear corporate domain ownership rather than assuming app store popularity reflects developer reliability.

When contacted about our findings, Google responded, saying: "We are looking into this. When made aware of an app that violates our policies, we will review the apps in question and take appropriate action."

We also contacted all the VPNs mentioned in this article for comment on the issues found. As of publishing, none have responded thus far though we will update with any responses as they arrive.

• Surfshark is retiring its private Search tool, blaming a lack of usage
• Already begun on mobile, the full shutdown is expected by the end of 2026
• The company says the move frees up resources for its Antiscam Hub

Surfshark is preparing to shut down Search, its built-in private search engine, for the simple reason that not enough people were using it.

In a note to TechRadar, the company confirmed that the tool, which is bundled with its One and One+ plans, will be wound down over the coming months.

Surfshark framed the decision as a way to free up resources for the areas its customers care more about, chiefly its Antiscam Hub.

The move is a notable trim for one of the best VPN providers around, a company that has spent recent years bolting extra privacy tools onto its app. Search was one of them, offering ad-free, tracker-free results with the option to switch regions.

Why Surfshark is retiring Search

The problem, by Surfshark's own admission, is that hardly anyone used it. The company told TechRadar that adoption stayed limited to a very small slice of its user base, and that retiring the tool lets it pour resources into higher-demand areas instead. Chief among those is the Antiscam Hub.

It's a pragmatic call. Standalone private search engines face stiff competition from established names like DuckDuckGo, Startpage, and Brave Search, and a search tool tucked inside a VPN app was always going to be a hard sell against them.

The wind-down is staggered rather than immediate. Search has already been pulled from iOS, and it will disappear from Android with the next app release in early August. For now, it survives on Surfshark's web app, so anyone who relies on it there has some time to choose their new alternative.

Surfshark says it will retire Search everywhere else by the end of the year, and tidy up any lingering mentions of it across its website.

Where the resources are going: the Antiscam Hub

In May, the company launched its Antiscam Hub for iOS, a dedicated section of the app that pulls five existing tools into a single interface: Personal Email Masking, Alternative Number, Dark Web Monitoring, Unsafe Site Blocking, and Identity Theft Coverage.

At launch, the hub didn't so much add new features as reorganize existing ones, and Surfshark billed it as the starting point for a roadmap of increasingly sophisticated security features.

That roadmap is now taking shape: the company told TechRadar it will soon reveal a completely new addition to the Antiscam Hub for both iOS and Android users.

It won't reach everyone, though. The new feature "will be part of the Surfshark One and One+ bundles," Gabriele Sinkeviciute, Head of Product at Surfshark, told TechRadar, adding that the company will assess future releases individually.

"The VPN is our foundation, but our focus is on building an all-in-one security product," Sinkeviciute said.

That tracks. Rivals including NordVPN have been consolidating their security tools into unified suites, as VPN providers push beyond simple traffic encryption. It also reflects a grim reality: US consumers reported losing about $15.9 billion to fraud in 2025, the highest on record and up roughly 27% from $12.5 billion in 2024, according to the FTC.

For now, the takeaway is straightforward — Search is on its way out, scam protection is the priority, and Surfshark says there's more to come.

• Watch The Sky at Night for free on BBC iPlayer (UK)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)

Cue At the Castle Gate. Almost as enduring as the BBC itself, The Sky at Night is one of the longest-running TV programmes anywhere. First shown in 1957, it's like a hand reaching out from the past, albeit with butter-fingers. Many of the episodes, somewhat pleasingly, have been lost forever, the romantic legacy of a bygone era.

We can only imagine what was contained within them.

And that rather neatly encapsulates what The Sky at Night stands for. The science, the explainers, the expert insight is illuminating and educational, but at its heart is something altogether more nebulous, even sentimental: that feeling when you're gazing at the stars and your mind drifts so deeply into the outer bounds of the universe that it's all you can do to remain upright.

The late Sir Patrick Moore missed one episode between the show's inception on April 24, 1957 and his death on December 9, 2012, and it's a tribute to the amateur astronomer that it's taken four avuncular experts at the top of their respective fields – Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Pete Lawrence, Chris Lintott and George Dransfield – to pick up the mantle.

Come for the untold stories, the facts, the deep dives on subjects as divergent and open-ended as extra-terrestrial life, space weather and astronaut training, but if there's anything you take away from it, let it be curiosity and the urge to pick up a telescope or a pair of binoculars every once in a while.

Read on as we explain how to watch The Sky at Night from anywhere.

How to watch The Sky at Night from anywhere

If you're keen to watch The Sky at Night but you're away from home and access to the show is geo-blocked, you can always use a VPN to access it (assuming you're not breaching any broadcaster T&Cs, of course). You may be surprised by how simple it is to do.

Use one of the best VPNs to watch The Sky at Night from anywhere:

How to watch The Sky at Night in the UK

Viewers in the UK can watch The Sky at Night for FREE on BBC Four and via the BBC iPlayer streaming service.

All you need is an account, a TV license and a UK postcode (e.g.HA9 0WS). Sign up here!

Outside the UK? Use a VPN to gain access to all the content you'd normally stream at home.

Can I watch The Sky at Night in the US, Australia or Canada?

The Sky at Night hasn't been picked up for broadcast in the US, Canada or Australia.

A VPN will help you tune in if you're a Brit spending time abroad. NordVPN is our recommended provider, and you can find out why with our in-depth NordVPN review.

The Sky at Night – Need to Know

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Proton VPN silently issued a major client-side rebuild of the existing WireGuard codebase
• Proton Protocols introduces automatic network conflict detection, quicker server connections, and an in-app connection rating system
• The upgrade is currently in beta on Windows, Android, and Linux

When choosing the best VPN to protect your digital life, the underlying architecture is just as important as the server count. Now, Proton VPN has quietly delivered a massive under-the-hood upgrade designed to turbocharge performance and bypass online restrictions more effectively.

Discovered in the version 5.1.5 release notes for its Windows application, the Swiss-based privacy giant has officially introduced Proton Protocols. Described as a complete client-side rebuild of the provider's existing WireGuard codebase, this new architecture entirely overhauls how the application communicates with Proton's global network of servers.

For everyday users, this translates to immediate, noticeable improvements in the app's responsiveness. The update promises quicker, more stable connections, alongside new smart tools designed to eliminate frustrating connection errors.

Notably, the update introduces automatic network conflict detection, which can identify when other software on your device — like a strict firewall or third-party antivirus — is interfering with your VPN tunnel.

The rebuild also serves a crucial purpose for users navigating restrictive digital environments. By overhauling the underlying code, Proton is actively boosting its anti-censorship capabilities, ensuring journalists, activists, and everyday citizens can maintain safe, unrestricted access to the open web.

Why Proton Protocols matters

The shift to the new Proton Protocols codebase isn't just a simple bug-fixing patch. It represents a foundational shift, originally teased in the provider's recent Spring/Summer 2026 roadmap, designed to unify performance and features across all operating systems.

A Proton spokesperson explained to TechRadar that the new codebase is easier to integrate with all the languages natively supported and can be deployed across platforms, while adapting to different environments and bringing improved feature parity.

"For example, it has allowed Proton VPN to bring the Stealth protocol to Linux, improve anti-censorship capabilities, and lay the groundwork for post-quantum encryption," said Proton's spokesperson.

In other words, by standardizing the codebase, the company can deploy complex features to operating systems that are traditionally left behind. And, beyond preparing the platform for next-generation security threats like quantum computing, the rebuild makes life significantly easier for the development team.

"Issues within our apps will be easier to diagnose and fix, and it unlocks the next generation of Proton VPN performance," the spokesperson added.

What else is new in version 5.1.5?

While the new architecture steals the spotlight, the 5.1.5 Windows release also packs in several important quality-of-life updates aimed at refining the user experience.

If you occasionally run into issues where a sudden app or device crash leaves your DNS rules active, potentially blocking your regular web browsing after disconnecting from the VPN, this update officially fixes that bug. It also patches a known reconnection flaw specifically impacting users with IPv6 connectivity.

Furthermore, Proton is leaning on its community to help fine-tune future updates by introducing a direct connection feedback tool. Users can now instantly rate their connection quality with a simple thumbs up or thumbs down directly within the interface.

While the 5.1.5 update brings these features to Windows users today, the wider deployment of the new architecture is still ongoing.

"The update is currently in beta on Windows, Android, and Linux, with Apple coming soon," the company confirmed to TechRadar.

• Leeds vs Liverpool: Sunday, August 2 | 9pm BST / 4pm ET
• Free Stream: All Red Video (14-day free trial)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (try 100% risk free)

Today's Leeds vs Liverpool live streams sees the two Premier League clubs play the final game of their US tour at Soldier Field in Chicago, with new Reds manager Andoni Iraola hunting a third win in three matches.

After a 3-2 defeat by Championship side Wrexham and a clash with Premier League rivals Sunderland, Leeds will aim to finish their US tour on a high. Fans got their first glimpse of Harry Wilson in Leeds colours after the summer signing came on as a second-half substitute against Wrexham and the Welshman could feature against Liverpool, where he came through the academy. Fellow new boy Tarik Muharemovic could also be in line for his debut. Daniel Farke's side have just three pre-season friendlies left after this game, with a home fixture against German side RB Leipzig next up on Saturday.

Iraola is eyeing a clean sweep in America after making it two wins out of two as Liverpool boss with a 1-0 victory over Wrexham, thanks to Rio Ngumoha's second-half strike. Stand-in captain Dominik Szoboszlai started at centre back in that game, underlining the Reds' lack of options in the heart of defence, but Jeremy Jacquet could make his debut following his £60m move from French club Rennes. Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Ryan Gravenberch could also feature for the first time under Iraola after joining the tour late following the World Cup. After this clash, Liverpool will fly home before facing Monaco and Como at Anfield on the next two Sundays.

Read on to find out how to stream Leeds vs Liverpool live and from anywhere in the world.

How to watch Leeds vs Liverpool live streams for FREE

Good news! All Red Video - Liverpool's official streaming platform comes with a 14-day free trial, enabling you to stream Leeds vs Liverpool and the rest of the Reds' pre-season friendlies for free.

beIN SPORTS Connect in Australia also includes a 7-day free trial.

Abroad for Leeds vs Liverpool? Use NordVPN to unlock your stream from anywhere in the world.

Use a VPN to watch Leeds vs Liverpool from anywhere

A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, thereby letting you unlock your usual streaming service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with a 75% discount.

It's really straightforward to use a VPN to watch Leeds vs Liverpool.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For example, if you want to watch the Stan Sport stream, select 'Australia' from the listed countries.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to Stan Sport and tune into Leeds vs Liverpool.

How to watch Leeds vs Liverpool live streams in the US

Viewers in the United States can stream Leeds vs Liverpool on the ESPN Deportes channel and via ESPN Select ($12.99).

You will need the Unlimited plan for $29.99 to access ESPN Deportes, which is also available on cord-cutters like YouTube TV (free trial), Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

Outside the US? Use NordVPN to unlock your stream of Leeds vs Liverpool.

How to watch Leeds vs Liverpool live streams in the UK

All Red Video (14-day free trial) and LUTV (£5 match pass) are your two options in the UK for streaming Leeds vs Liverpool.

In the US for Leeds vs Liverpool? Use NordVPN to access your usual streams.

How to watch Leeds vs Liverpool live streams in Canada

In Canada, fans can watch Leeds vs Liverpool on All Red Video (14-day free trial for new users), or by purchasing an LUTV match pass.

Use NordVPN to access your Leeds vs Liverpool live streams from anywhere in the world.

How to watch Leeds vs Liverpool live streams in Australia

Leeds vs Liverpool will be broadcast on Stan Sport ($32/month) and beIN SPORTS Connect (7-day free trial) in Australia.

Stan Sport carries most of the football across the 2026/27 season, including the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

Missing the game because you're outside Australia? Use a VPN to login to your Stan Sport or beIN SPORTS Connect account.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Naked and Afraid: Shipwrecked Premiere: Sunday, August 2 at 8pm ET / PT
• US broadcast: Discovery Channel via YouTube TV
• Global streams: Max (US) | Discovery Plus (UK & CA)
• Use NordVPN to watch from anywhere

In a brand new twist on the franchise, 12 all-star survivalists are dropped into the ocean in the dead of night and left to fend for themselves on a remote Philippine island — all while completely starkers. Read on for how to watch Naked and Afraid: Shipwrecked online from anywhere with a VPN — a potentially for FREE.

Initially told they are on their way to a standard Naked & Afraid group challenge, the survivalists are instead left to grab what they can before being set adrift off a remote island in the pitch black night. After making it ashore, the contestants are divided into four groups and left to survive on the island in an area dubbed “Southeast Asia’s Bermuda Triangle.”

The jungle offers the most fruitful bounty, including essential equipment left behind from those who have come before, but it’s also high risk, with unforgiving terrain and deadly wildlife. The shark-infested ocean doesn't offer much more solace, as alongside the toothsome terrors, there’s also stingrays, sea snakes and box jellyfish to contend with.

With no food, fresh water or clothing, the teams must quickly form a plan, and work together, relying on their skills as a unit, not as individuals. Whatsmore, with each team only receiving one piece of the challenge map, they must track down the others in order to combine intelligence and secure rescue by Day 35.

Shipwrecked sounds like a thrilling take on the franchise, combining the classic N&A survivalist ethos with the desert island drama of the likes of Castway and Lost. Find out how to watch Naked and Afraid: Shipwrecked online and from anywhere.

How to watch Naked and Afraid: Shipwrecked from abroad

For those away from home looking to watch Naked and Afraid: Shipwrecked, you’ll be unable to watch the show as normal if you're outside the US due to regional restrictions. Luckily, there’s an easy solution.

Downloading a VPN allows you to stream geo-blocked services online, no matter where you are. It's a simple bit of software that changes your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home. Our favorite is NordVPN – it's one of the best VPNs on the market.

Use a VPN to watch Naked and Afraid: Shipwrecked from anywhere:

How to watch Naked and Afraid: Shipwrecked in the US

Naked and Afraid: Shipwrecked premieres in the US on Discovery at 8pm ET / PT on Sunday, August 2. New episodes will go out in the same slot weekly.

Cord cutters can access Discovery via an OTT service such Sling TV or YouTube TV.

Episodes will also be available to stream every Monday, on HBO Max, with subscriptions starting from $10.99 a month.

Have one of these subscriptions but away when Naked and Afraid is on? You can still access your usual streaming services from anywhere by using a VPN.

How to watch Naked and Afraid: Shipwrecked in Canada

New episodes from Naked and Afraid: Shipwrecked stream on Discovery Plus in Canada, dropping every Monday.

Discover Plus costs CA$5.99 per month for Canadian subscribers.

US viewer in Canada? If you’re away from home, you can access your usual services easily with NordVPN.

Can I watch Naked and Afraid: Shipwrecked online in Australia?

New episodes of Naked and Afraid usually stream via Foxtel Now in Australia, however there's no set release date for the Shipwrecked spin-off.

When it does arrive, you'll also likely find episodes over on HBO Max.

US viewer travelling Down Under? Try using a VPN to access your usual stream – we recommend NordVPN.

Can I watch Naked and Afraid: Shipwrecked online in the UK?

Like all other iterations of the franchise, Naked and Afraid: Shipwrecked will stream on Discovery Plus in the UK, however a firm release date is TBC.

Brits can subscribe to Discovery Plus from £3.99, although many Sky users can access the service for free as part of their package.

Brit abroad? You can still watch the show as you usually would by using a VPN.

What you need to know about Naked and Afraid: Shipwrecked

Naked and Afraid: Shipwrecked episode schedule

Seasons of Naked and Afraid usually last around 8-10 episodes, meaning Shipwrecked would go out on the following schedule:

• Episode 1: Sunday, August 2
• Episode 2: Sunday, August 9
• Episode 3: Sunday, August 16
• Episode 4: Sunday, August 23
• Episode 5: Sunday, August 30
• Episode 6: Sunday, September 6
• Episode 7: Sunday, September 13
• Episode 8: Sunday, September 20
• Episode 9: Sunday, September 27
• Episode 10: Sunday, October 4

Naked and Afraid: Shipwrecked all-star cast

• Adam Kavanaugh – 61 Days Survived
• Ally Frueh – 21 Days Survived
• Ana Lis Pitter – 21 Days Survived
• Dani Beauchemin – 114 Days Survived
• Darrin Reay – 115 Days Survived
• Jamie Frizzell – 55 Days Survived
• Jarrell Banks – 21 Days Survived
• Jonny Yates – 21 Days Survived
• Malu Beyonce – 17 Days Survived
• Mandy Bublitz – 35 Days Survived
• Patrick French – 110 Days Survived
• Shawn Bretschneider – 21 Days Survived  

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• CAN Premiere: Saturday, August 1
• UK Premiere: Sunday, August 2
• FREE stream: Channel 4 (UK) | CBC Gem (CA)
• Use NordVPN to watch Channel 4 from abroad

With Christopher Nolan’s epic adaptation wowing audiences across the globe, actor Richard E. Grant sets out to follow in the fabled footsteps of Odysseyus, likely with less cyclops battling and more food and wine tasting. Read on, as we explain how to watch Richard E. Grant’s Very Modern Odyssey online from anywhere.

Seemingly the next installment in a long line of TV producers pulling a celebrity from one hat and a destination from another, Very Modern Odyssey sets itself apart through Grant’s lifelong passion for Homer and the original ancient Greek text. The actor’s expedition charts the mythological hero’s 10-year voyage, with Grant traveling from Turkey to Tunisia, through Sicily and Italy, Greece, and finally to Odysseus’ home island of Ithaca.

Grant will likely face slightly less hardship in his truncated version of the journey, with archery practice, amphitheater thesping, artistic indulgence, cave exploration, and fruit tasting all sounding far more appealing than being turned into a pig. However, the Odyssey will always be at the forefront of Grant’s travels as he tries to separate myth from reality.

An essential companion piece to Nolan’s latest, read on and find out how to watch Richard E. Grant’s Very Modern Odyssey online and from anywhere.

How to watch Richard E. Grant’s Very Modern Odyssey from abroad

For those away from home looking to watch Very Modern Odyssey, you’ll be unable to watch the show as normal if you're outside the UK due to regional restrictions. Luckily, there’s an easy solution.

Downloading a VPN allows you to stream geo-blocked services online, no matter where you are. It's a simple bit of software that changes your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home. Our favorite is NordVPN – it's one of the best VPNs on the market.

Use a VPN to watch Richard E. Grant’s Very Modern Odyssey from anywhere:

How to watch Richard E. Grant’s Very Modern Odyssey online in the UK

Can I watch Richard E. Grant’s Very Modern Odyssey online in the US?

At present, no broadcaster has picked up Richard E. Grant’s Very Modern Odyssey in the States. We'll be sure to update you when we know more.

Brit in the US? Anyone from the UK who wants to watch their usual free streaming service from abroad can do so by using a VPN.

How to watch Richard E. Grant’s Very Modern Odyssey online in Canada

In Canada, Richard E. Grant’s Very Modern Odyssey will stream for FREE on CBC Gem from Saturday, August 1.

If you want to watch without ads you can sign up for Premium for CA$5.99/month.

Canadian viewer abroad? Use a VPN to gain access to all the content you'd normally stream at home.

How to watch Richard E. Grant’s Very Modern Odyssey online in Australia

The bad news for Aussies is that there's no release date at present for Richard E. Grant’s Very Modern Odyssey. The good news is that when it does arrive, it'll stream for free on SBS.

Traveling from the UK to Oz? Try using a VPN as per our guide above.

What you need to know about Richard E. Grant’s Very Modern Odyssey

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Watch Tour de France Femmes 2026 free on SBS on Demand (Australia)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)
• Tour de France Femmes: Saturday, August 1 – Sunday, August 9

The toughest ever Tour de France Femmes is also the toughest to call. Reigning champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and 2023 winner Demi Vollering are shaping up as the favourites, but 2024 winner Kasia Niewiadoma, persistent contender Anna van der Breggen and rising star Paula Blasi are each capable of mounting a serious challenge.

The fifth edition features three flat stages, three hilly stages, two mountain stages and one ITT, and incorporates 1,175km and 18,795m of elevation gain – both records. The route will traverse three mountain passes: the Jura, Massif Central and Alps.

The Queen Stage is Stage 7, which takes the Tour de France Femmes up Mont Ventoux for the very first time. The mountain, nicknamed the "Beast of Provence", rises at an average gradient of 8.8% over 15.7km, the final 1.7km stretching up to 9.4%. This and the Stage 4 ITT will ultimately determine the race's outcome.

While Vollering and Niewiadoma have each made the podium at every edition of the TdF Femmes, van der Breggen has twice seen Grand Tour glory slip away on the final day of racing.

Here's how to watch Tour de France Femmes 2026 from anywhere in the world. We've also listed the schedule, route and recent GC winners below.

Can you watch Tour de France Femmes 2026 for free?

Yes. Tour de France Femmes 2026 is being shown on free-to-air SBS in Australia, with live streaming available through SBS on Demand.

It will also be available on France TV (France), RTBF Auvio (Belgium), RaiPlay (Italy), RTVE Play (Spain) and NOS (Netherlands).

Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch Tour de France Femmes for free as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch Tour de France Femmes 2026 live streams

A VPN is handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to 75% off.

How to watch Tour de France Femmes 2026 live streams in the US

All nine stages of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes are being shown on Peacock in the US.

The Peacock price starts at $10.99/month or $109.99/year for a plan that carries live sports. However, you can access Peacock virtually for free with a Walmart Plus 30-day trial for $1.

If you're traveling outside of the US, you can make use of NordVPN to catch the action.

How to watch Tour de France Femmes 2026 live streams in the UK

In the UK, live coverage of every Tour de France Femmes stage is exclusive to TNT Sports channels.

You can add TNT Sports to your Sky, Virgin Media or EE TV package, or get an HBO Max plan that includes TNT Sports. Prices start at £25.99/month if you commit to a year.

If you're out of the UK but still want to tune in, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts from anywhere.

How to watch Tour de France Femmes 2026 live streams in Australia

In Australia, every stage of Tour de France Femmes 2026 is available to live stream free of charge on SBS on Demand.

Just create an account, using a valid Australia postcode (e.g. 2042).

Not in Australia right now? You can use a VPN like NordVPN to watch all the action as if you were back home.

How to watch Tour de France Femmes 2026 in Canada

In Canada, FloBikes is showing every stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes.

A subscription costs CA$49.99/month or CA$216/year.

Visiting Canada from Australia? Use NordVPN to watch free-to-air Tour de France Femmes coverage.

Tour de France Femmes 2026 Q&A

Tour de France Femmes 2026 route

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Watch Clasica San Sebastian 2026 free on RTBF Auvio (Belgium)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)
• Clasica San Sebastian: Sat, Aug 1 at 5.05am ET / 10.05am BST / 7.05pm AEST

Remco Evenepoel returns to the Clasica de San Sebastian with one aim: the outright wins record. The 26-year-old, who's tied with Marino Lejarreta on three victories apiece, is coming off an impressive second-place showing at Tour de France 2026, but he's up against tough opposition in the Basque Country.

He'll lead lead a formidable Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe unit, which includes cycling great Primoz Roglic and emerging talent Giulio Pellizzari, against reigning champion Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious), who finished fifth in the TdF, 2024 winner Marc Hirschi (Tudor Pro), plus Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates XRG).

The 221.1km route both begins and ends in San Sebastian (Donostia in Basque) via seven categorised climbs, the Clasica de San Sebastian's most famous sequence being the Jaizkibel (7.9km at 5.6%), Erlaitz (3.8km at 10.6%) and Murgil (2.1km at 10.1%), all within the final third of the race.

Those three peaks – along with the Urraki (8.6km at 6.9%) earlier on – account for the majority of the Donostia Klasikoa's 4,150m of elevation gain, but it's their close proximity, both to each other and to the finish line, that makes them especially potent.

Here's how to watch Clasica San Sebastian 2026 from anywhere in the world. We've also listed the route and recent winners below.

Can you watch Clasica San Sebastian 2026 for free?

Yes. Clasica de San Sebastian 2026 is being shown on free-to-air RTBF Tipik in Belgium, with live streaming available through RTBF Auvio.

EITB Directo and RTVE Play in Spain will also show the race for free.

Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch Clasica de San Sebastian for free as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch Clasica San Sebastian 2026 live streams

A VPN is handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to 75% off.

How to watch Clasica San Sebastian 2026 live streams in the US

Cycling fans in the US can stream Clasica de San Sebastian 2026 live on FloBikes.

A subscription costs $155.88/year or $39.99/month.

If you're traveling outside of the US, you can make use of NordVPN to catch the action.

How to watch Clasica San Sebastian 2026 live streams in the UK

In the UK, live Clasica de San Sebastian 2026 coverage is being provided by TNT Sports.

You can add TNT Sports to your Sky, Virgin Media or EE TV package, or get an HBO Max plan that includes TNT Sports. Prices start at £25.99/month if you commit to a year.

If you're out of the UK but still want to tune in, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts from anywhere.

Can you watch Clasica San Sebastian 2026 in Australia?

Clasica de San Sebastian 2026 appears to have slipped through the cracks in Australia.

Visiting Oz from Belgium? Use NordVPN to tune in for free.

How to watch Clasica San Sebastian 2026 in Canada

In Canada, FloBikes is showing Clasica de San Sebastian 2026.

A subscription costs CA$49.99/month or CA$215.88/year.

Visiting Canada from Belgium? Use NordVPN to watch free-to-air Donostia Klasikoa coverage.

Clasica San Sebastian 2026 Q&A

Clasica San Sebastian 2026 route

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Chelsea vs Tottenham: Saturday, August 1 | 10.45am BST / 5.45am ET
• Free Stream: TVNZ+ (New Zealand) / CBS Sports Golazo Network (US)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (try 100% risk free)

Today's Chelsea vs Tottenham live streams sees two London rivals clash outside of the English capital for the first time, as the Premier League duo meet at Sydney's Accor Stadium in their latest pre-season friendly.

The Blues beat Western Sydney Wanderers 6-4 at Accor Stadium in the opening fixture of their summer tour, with striker Joao Pedro scoring a nine-minute hat-trick as new manager Xabi Alonso made a winning start to his reign. Dastan Satpayev, Dario Essugo and Jamie Gittens also found the net as Alonso named a youthful starting XI, with many of Chelsea's stars still on holiday after representing their countries at the World Cup. The Spaniard will hope this clash with Tottenham is less chaotic than his first game in charge, as the Blues play their final match of the Australia leg of their tour before flying to Hong Kong to face Juventus on Wednesday.

Tottenham are a little further ahead in their pre-season program, having beaten MK Dons, Auckland FC and Sydney FC already this summer - the latter victory coming via a penalty shoot-out at Sydney's Allianz Stadium on Wednesday. Spurs are also without several first-team players on their tour Down Under, but new midfielders Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes - who signed this summer for a combined fee that could rise to £185m - have both featured. Fernandes was left out of the squad against Sydney due to a minor calf issue and manager Roberto De Zerbi suggested he will be rested again here. After this, Spurs fly home to the UK before taking on Getafe in a behind-closed-doors friendly at their training ground next Saturday.

Read on to find out how to stream Chelsea vs Tottenham live and from anywhere in the world.

How to watch Chelsea vs Tottenham live streams for FREE

Chelsea vs Tottenham is available to watch for free on TVNZ+ in New Zealand and CBS Sports Golazo Network in the US.

You just need an account for TVNZ+ and you'll be able to watch at no cost. CBS Sports Golazo Network requires no account.

Abroad for Chelsea vs Tottenham? Use NordVPN to access your usual streams.

Use a VPN to watch Chelsea vs Tottenham from anywhere

A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, thereby letting you unlock your usual streaming service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with a 75% discount.

It's really straightforward to use a VPN to watch Chelsea vs Tottenham.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For example, if you want to watch the TVNZ+ stream, select 'New Zealand' from the listed countries.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to TVNZ+and tune into Chelsea vs Tottenham.

How to watch Chelsea vs Tottenham live streams in the US

In the US, Chelsea vs Spurs will be broadcast live on Paramount+ ($8.99/month) and simulcasted across to the free CBS Sports Golazo Network.

Paramount+ will carry Champions League, Europa League and Conference League football in 2026/27 as well as a host of NFL live streams for American Football fans.

Not in the US? Use NordVPN to unlock your stream of this London derby.

How to watch Chelsea vs Tottenham live streams in the UK

Fans in the UK can watch Chelsea vs Tottenham on CFC+ and SPURSPLAY, the two clubs' in-house streaming platforms.

Supporters wanting to stream just this game on CFC+ can buy a match pass for £9.99 but you can also subscribe for £14.99 a year, which includes live coverage of every single one of Chelsea's pre-season fixtures.

The pre-season friendly will also be shown live on SPURSPLAY, which costs £45 a year (£35 for One Hotspur members).

Not in the UK for Chelsea vs Tottenham? Use NordVPN to access your usual streams.

How to watch Chelsea vs Tottenham live streams in Canada

Chelsea vs Tottenham isn't being broadcast live in Canada, while CFC+ and SPURSPLAY don't show live matches in countries where a local rights holder exists.

Use NordVPN to watch the pre-season friendly from Canada.

How to watch Chelsea vs Tottenham live streams in Australia

Paramount+ will also be showing Chelsea vs Tottenham in Australia. Plans start at AU$7.99 per month or AU$70.99 per year.

Missing the game because you're outside Australia? Use a VPN to login to your Paramount+ account.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

When you download an app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, you assume the environment is heavily moderated and entirely safe. Unfortunately, we recently completed an audit of mobile VPNs that reveals significant privacy and security risks.

Our evaluation identified apps on both app stores that put visitors at risk of unencrypted traffic, hidden redirects, and active scareware.

The best VPNs will invest heavily in bug bounties and secure, authenticated web infrastructure. But there are a significant number of mobile VPN apps that leave you exposed to phishing and malware before you even install the app.

Insecure protocols and obscured links

The biggest concern we found surrounds encryption enforcement. We found that 339 Android links (5.3%) and 188 iOS links (6.8%) use plain, unencrypted HTTP instead of secure HTTPS. This includes massively popular apps like Oryx VPN (which boasts over 1 million downloads) and Stealth Shield VPN.

So what?

Clicking a plain HTTP link allows network eavesdroppers or man-in-the-middle (MitM) attackers to intercept, manipulate, or inject malicious content into the traffic between you and the developer's site.

But the security holes don't stop at missing encryption. The audit uncovered several other severely obscured URL formats being approved, such as:

• URL Shorteners: Multiple store listings rely on shorteners like shorturl.at and the Yandex-based clck.ru. This deliberately conceals the final destination domain, making it impossible for users or automated URL security scanners to evaluate link safety prior to clicking.
• Raw IP Addresses: Some listings use raw numerical IP addresses instead of domain names. This bypasses domain-based web filtering, SSL certificate validation, and public DNS reputation systems, effectively making connection security impossible to verify.
• Direct PDF Links: We found privacy policies pointing directly to downloadable PDF files (13 on iOS, 1 on Android). PDF documents can execute embedded JavaScript, trigger automated local file downloads, or easily exploit PDF reader vulnerabilities on your device.

Active threats: scareware and malicious redirects

The most alarming discovery is that clicking a link on an official Apple or Google store page can lead to active cyber threats.

When developers abandon their apps, their official web domains often expire. It seems that actors are actively purchasing these expired domains specifically to exploit the existing app store traffic. In fact, our audit verified multiple active store listings containing domains that now host fake antivirus popups and ad redirects.

Users who trust these official app store links are tricked into viewing fake security warnings. These scareware popups are explicitly designed to coerce panicked users into downloading genuine malware to "fix" a fabricated virus.

In other instances, store links point to totally irrelevant and unvetted environments. Official links were found pointing to deleted Twitter handles, empty Facebook and Instagram pages, payment portals like Cashpay Iraq, and even Chinese opera sites.

Directing users to external messaging platforms like Telegram or abandoned social accounts bypasses web security standards entirely, exposing users to unmoderated third-party chat environments and severe impersonation risks.

How to protect yourself

Its important that, regardless of inbuilt measures, consumers take matters into their own hands to some extent to navigate these listings safely. Always inspect link targets closely before blindly tapping on a developer website.

You should verify that the destination uses a secure HTTPS connection, and remain on high alert for obscured formats like raw numerical IP addresses or randomized link shorteners that conceal the true domain.

Furthermore, you should actively decline unexpected PDF downloads. Avoid opening direct PDF links from store pages, as these files may contain embedded JavaScript or exploit reader vulnerabilities. If tapping a privacy policy suddenly prompts an automatic file execution or download, block it immediately.

Finally, if an official app store link leads to a virus warning or requests system scanning permissions, recognize that it is a fabricated scareware scam designed to coerce you into downloading malware. Do not click anything on the page; close your browser tabs immediately to protect your device.

The bottom line

Gaps in outbound link verification across the App Store and Google Play Store mean active security threats and unencrypted traffic can still slip onto mobile VPN product pages.

When we approached Apple and Google on our findings, Apple declined to comment on the record. Instead, we were pointed towards its safety guidelines and app review processes. A Google Spokesperson did comment, saying, "We are looking into this. When made aware of an app that violates our policies, we will review the apps in question and take appropriate action."

We also reached out to both Oryx VPN and Stealth Shield VPN, neither of which has returned to us with a response at the time of publication.

Ultimately, the lesson is that you must apply the same strict web security precautions inside official app stores as you would when navigating the open web.

When Paul Moore heard the European Commission President saying that the EU age verification app will “give children a safer start online,” he was unconvinced.

"Bypassing the latest EU age verification app (2026.07-1) with a Chrome extension," he later posted on X. And it wasn’t the first time.

With over 20 years of experience under his belt, Moore managed to bypass the app back in April, right after the Commission first launched it. Combined, his experiences have led him to a straightforward conclusion: "anonymous age verification doesn't work."

While the process he used to bypass the verification system doesn’t undermine people’s privacy, Moore believes the long-term impact of its ineffectiveness will.

"All it is an escalation path being drip-fed, bit by bit under the guise of child safety," Moore told TechRadar. It won’t just be about proving your age. "The next step will be proving who you are," he said.

The EU’s 'privacy-preserving' approach

Most of the current age verification methods, which require scanning national ID documents or biometrics, put people's sensitive data at risk. (Think, for example, of the data breach that affected Discord’s age verification provider and exposed 70,000 people's government IDs and personal data last year.)

For that reason, there's a growing sense of urgency to find a solution that helps people prove their age without collecting sensitive information. And the European Commission argues that it has found it.

Drawing on the framework of the COVID-19 certificate app, the Commission came up with a template for a privacy-first, open-source tool that EU member states can use to build their own national apps.

The process — which is part of the bigger European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI) project — leverages zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) and verifiable credentials (VCs) to verify someone's age without sharing sensitive information.

In other words, your phone scans your ID and stores that data locally. Websites will then ask users to scan a QR code via the app to prove they are old enough to access certain content.

A European Commission spokesperson told TechRadar that online services won't receive any personal information about the users, saying: "The age proof simply confirms whether the user meets the age requirement."

Moore doesn’t dispute the privacy credentials of the process. Perhaps worse, he just doesn’t think it will work.

Why the EU age verification doesn't work

While the EU age verification blueprint sounds like a welcome improvement compared to the current approach, the advantages don't hold up.

That's because Moore says age checks have to be tied to a person’s identity to be trustworthy. "The second you strip the identity away from how old somebody is, a person can't answer that question," he said.

Since the April launch, the tool's security credentials have even been improved, but Moore says the issue isn’t a bug but the entire process, criticising the latest efforts as mere "security theater."

How Moore bypassed the app

Bypassing the app wasn't difficult. In fact, Moore says he built two Chrome extensions on Claude in minutes.

The first extension he built replicated the Android app, but with the ID checks removed. This meant he could skip the need for a user to scan a document entirely.

"It detects the QR code automatically (when presented by a website) and passes verification," Moore explains, adding that the process is entirely automated with no need to interact with the Chrome extension once installed."

This week, Moore went further and built a Chrome extension that can capture the QR code from a website and automatically forward it to a remote, automated phone to get a genuine signature in seconds.

Known as an 'automated relay bypass,' these attacks mean nothing in the process is faked, making prevention almost impossible.

"Even after they enable all other protection mechanisms, both will continue to work," Moore said.

The EU’s response

When asked whether any steps were taken to prevent circumvention, a European Commission spokesperson said: "We of course rely also on parents and caretakers to check what children are doing online," adding that the app's goal is "avoiding the unintended exposure of kids to inappropriate content."

Yet, according to Moore, lawmakers' focus is misdirected. He said: "What [lawmakers] are missing is that the threat actor isn't a third party; the threat actor is the user.

"They don't want age verification in the first place, so they are going to look for ways to bypass the system. And if the system can be bypassed by design, they will do it."

Deciding not to impose a new law or technology simply because it could be bypassed is unlikely to convince lawmakers. But the problem may extend beyond an ineffective system.

In fact, Moore fears that the app's inevitable ineffectiveness could push lawmakers to turn to more invasive checks and an erosion of people's privacy.

Next step? Our identity

When Moore says the concept is broken, he is calling out what he sees as a fundamental flaw in the EU age verification framework's design: client-side trust.

The app is more privacy-preserving than passports and face scans because the data won’t leave the user’s device. But this may be exactly why its implementation is bound to fail. If nothing leaves the device, Moore explains, there is no way to trust or verify what has been obtained.

This creates a problematic catch-22 for European lawmakers. When this ‘anonymous’ app fails to keep kids off restricted sites, Moore contends that Brussels is unlikely to simply give up on its flagship safety initiative and drop privacy-preserving practices altogether.

"For them to push ahead with it under the guise of child safety is an escalation path to say we've tried this; the natural route is now you've got to prove your identity," Moore told TechRadar.

It’s clear that age verification is here to stay, despite continuous outcry coming from privacy advocates, technologists, and data scientists who warn it may do more harm than good.

For Moore, the danger is that what’s marketed as a privacy-first breakthrough today may ultimately be used to undermine privacy tomorrow.

• Post-quantum encryption is now live on Norton VPN's Mimic and WireGuard
• Rebuilt iOS and Android apps have slashed connect times by more than 50%
• Norton has added 12 new countries across Asia and Africa

Competition for the title of best VPN is fiercer than ever, and Norton is making a strong case for the crown. The cybersecurity veteran has just unveiled the final releases from its first-half 2026 roadmap, delivering a robust mix of future-proofed privacy tools, significantly faster mobile applications, and an expanded global footprint.

The standout feature of this latest rollout is the introduction of post-quantum encryption. This comes alongside improved Software Development Kits (SDKs) for its mobile apps and an expanded server network across Asia and Africa.

At first glance, these releases may appear to be separate features. But for the provider, they all address the same need — customers must count on Norton VPN, wherever they are.

As Himmat Bains, Product Lead at Norton VPN, told TechRadar, post-quantum encryption is crucial to protect users' data from future threats. Faster, more reliable mobile connections mean VPN protection is there exactly when they need it. And coverage in 12 new countries means that more people can connect locally.

"Different problems, same answer — we want this to be the VPN you can simply trust and forget about," said Bains.

Post-quantum encryption lands on Norton's Mimic and WireGuard

As quantum computing advances, cybersecurity experts have increasingly warned of "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks. This is a tactic where cybercriminals or state actors steal encrypted data today, hoarding it with the intention of cracking it when quantum computers become powerful enough to break traditional encryption standards.

To combat this long-term risk, Norton VPN has upgraded its proprietary Mimic protocol to utilize the ML-KEM-1024 encryption algorithm by default across all platforms.

The company is also rolling out the exact same post-quantum protection to the popular WireGuard protocol on both desktop and mobile devices, ensuring that user traffic remains fully secure against tomorrow's technological threats.

Turbocharging mobile performance

While future-proofing encryption is crucial for long-term privacy, everyday users will immediately feel the benefits of Norton’s revamped mobile experience. The provider has entirely rebuilt its iOS and Android SDKs, the underlying code architecture that powers its mobile applications, from the ground up.

The performance gains are impressive. According to Norton's release notes, the new mobile architecture reduces connection times by more than 50% and connection errors by over 60%. For mobile users who constantly hop between home Wi-Fi, public hotspots, and cellular networks, this means a much smoother, almost instantaneous protective shield.

Just as importantly, this rebuilt framework will allow Norton to ship bug fixes and new features much faster going forward. The overhaul has already paid immediate dividends, leading directly to a rebuilt mobile widget that patches previous usability issues users had been facing.

"

A broader network and a busy 2026

Beyond the apps themselves, Norton is continuing to scale up its physical infrastructure. The provider has added 12 more countries to its network, specifically targeting underserved regions across Asia and Africa.

This expansion brings Norton's total reach to an impressive 102 countries and more than 140 global locations, seamlessly building on the momentum of previous network upgrades earlier this year.

This latest announcement caps off a remarkably busy start to the year for the Norton VPN team.

The provider brought a native Amazon Fire TV app (Fire OS 8 and newer) in March and introduced the industry's first AI-native VPN for Agents in April. It also successfully added Split Tunnelling on Mac in June, joining its Android and Windows counterparts.

Furthermore, WireGuard is now live across Mac, iOS, and tvOS, with a new Pause VPN feature on iOS closing the platform's last functional gap. The company also rolled out 25 Gbps servers across busy cities and added Manual IP Rotation.

"Our goal is simple: deliver a VPN for the masses," Bains told TechRadar, arguing that these releases weren't about shipping a longer list; "it was about closing the gaps customers actually feel."

Looking ahead, Bains confirmed that Norton's second-half roadmap pushes even further, noting that "we'll have third-party audits for the third year launching later in the summer, along with meaningful updates coming to our streaming and performance.

A VPN isn't a silver bullet. It can’t guarantee total security or anonymity online. Instead, it is a tool that allows you to hide your browsing data from your internet service provider (ISP), adopt a virtual IP address, and access geo-restricted content.

However, there are still a lot of misconceptions about what a VPN can and cannot do — a problem made worse by the exaggerated marketing claims pushed by some VPN companies.

Given that, it’s unsurprising that when we analyzed nearly 30,000 Google Play Store reviews of our four top-rated VPNs, a clear trend emerged: a lot of people aren’t getting the privacy and security protection they thought they were paying for.

In part, this stems from users misunderstanding what a VPN does. But it also shows that the industry needs to do a better job of setting realistic expectations.

On the whole, people are satisfied with their VPNs. Across our full dataset, just 35% of overall comments were negative. However, when we isolated feedback related to privacy and security, the proportion of negative comments rose to 41%.

This article is the second in a series investigating the real-world experience of using major VPN services, driven by our exclusive analysis of Android VPN reviews. The first article examined billing and pricing issues.

Lab-tested security vs Play Store reality

Proton VPN received the highest proportion of positive comments regarding privacy and security, with 68% of its feedback on the topic being positive.

That's significantly higher than Surfshark, which recorded a positive sentiment rate of just 31%. ExpressVPN (54%) and NordVPN (34%) sat in between.

It's worth noting, however, that all four services offer essentially equivalent protection and are among the most secure VPNs available. They all feature advanced encryption and proprietary protocols, and have been audited by third parties to confirm their security credentials.

So what’s causing the disconnect between our lab tests and real-world user experience? It seems that for many, it stems from several myths about what a VPN can actually protect you from.

Myth #1: A VPN stops every 'hacker'

When analyzing the Play Store reviews, we noticed that a significant number of people were concerned about the threat of hackers. And for obvious reasons — people lose money, privacy, and their health to malicious actors online every day.

Unfortunately, a VPN can't help in every scenario, and that seems to have left many disappointed.

One Proton VPN reviewer, for example, alleges it is the “worst app ever” because they had “been hacked by someone else while using this VPN.” Meanwhile, a NordVPN comment says that “hackers” had “managed to set up a way of getting passed [sic] the VPN on all my devices.” Another simply says: “got hacked the second day, don’t trust.”

However, others proudly claim that their VPN “protects my identity from hackers.”

Like most things, the reality is somewhere in the middle. While a VPN protects your data in transit (encrypting the data between your device and the server you’re connecting to), it does nothing to protect data you’ve already handed over to a third party — like an email address or password stored on an external database.

A standard VPN also won't stop you from falling victim to phishing scams, where an attacker tricks you into voluntarily entering your credentials on a fake website. However, VPN companies are increasingly releasing products to help prevent this.

If you're looking for more details on what a VPN can and can't do, check out the cheat sheet at the end of this article.

Myth #2: A VPN offers bulletproof protection

In our tests, these VPNs have never leaked an IP address. That would be a big deal. Yet across Play Store reviews, a surprising number of people report that their VPN appeared to fail.

One NordVPN reviewer said the app “did not hide my IP address from being tracked,” while a comment about Surfshark claimed it “failed to hide my IP address at least twice in the first 3 weeks.” Another noted that their VPN “leaks IP after some time [...] giving you a wrong sense of privacy and security.”

It’s impossible to diagnose the specific issues at play without more context. However, true encryption failures are extremely rare, particularly among well-regarded providers.

In reality, most reported leaks stem from configuration errors (like not having the kill switch enabled), browser tracking or basic steup errors. To make sure your connection isn't dropping data, always enable your app's kill switch and verify your real IP address is hidden using a diagnostic tool like Cloudflare's trace page.

If you’ve checked your settings and still suspect your VPN is genuinely leaking your IP address, leave a comment below and our team will see if we can help troubleshoot it.

Myth #3: A VPN equals total anonymity

Exaggerated marketing claims around online privacy seem to have influenced reviewers throughout the data. Some accuse providers of betraying them, writing reviews like "do not trust this app for privacy," while others complain about the amount of telemetry data collected by the apps themselves.

However, these reviews highlight an uncomfortable truth: masking your IP address only goes so far. Cookies, browser fingerprints, device information, language settings, and SIM card regions are all routinely logged, analyzed, and leveraged by advertisers and platforms to track your identity regardless of your IP.

A VPN is an important first step in improving your privacy, but if you continue to use services that monitor your every move, it’s not enough on its own. Check your browser, the services you use and you might find that there are other factors at play revealing your identity.

‘Not a catch-all’ — VPN providers' defense

We reached out to each of the VPN companies mentioned in this report for comment.

Proton VPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark all acknowledged that a VPN is not a catch-all solution for every digital threat. Instead, they highlighted additional security features they offer and noted that many reported issues stem from configuration errors and non-IP tracking rather than a failure of the VPN.

ExpressVPN did not respond to our request for comment.

Proton VPN highlighted its NetShield feature, which blocks ads, trackers, and malware domains. Addressing leak complaints, the company explained that genuine tunnel traffic does not leak, and that reported issues typically occur when split tunneling, connection dropouts, or browser extensions leave specific traffic outside the encrypted connection.

Surfshark pointed to its Web Content Blocker — which it says blocked nearly 1.2 million phishing and malware sites in the past month — and its Alternative ID tool, which generates email aliases to protect contact details.

Meanwhile, NordVPN, which said that it "does not advertise complete immunity," highlighted its next-gen antivirus and credential leak monitoring tools. It added that perceived IP leaks are frequently down to device configuration rather than an IP exposure.

Combined, it's clear that leading VPN companies are developing more comprehensive and effective cybersecurity products to accompany the core VPN technology. However, if the limitations — as well as the benefits — of these additional tools aren't communicated clearly, the industry risks creating the same expectation gap it appears to face with its core technology.

What a VPN can and can't do — A cheat sheet

A VPN can:

• Encrypt your browsing traffic: Shield your internet activity from your Internet Service Provider (ISP), network manager, or public Wi-Fi admin.
• Spoof your location: Replace your real IP address with one in another location, making it harder for sites to track your physical whereabouts and help you access geo-restricted content.
• Bypass local network blocks: Circumvent restrictions imposed by Wi-Fi administrators, government censors, and geo-fenced content.
• Prevent bandwidth throttling: Stop ISPs from slowing down your speeds when they detect specific activities like streaming or torrenting.
• Secure DNS requests: Direct web address lookups through private, encrypted DNS servers to prevent ISP-level logging and DNS leaks.
• Protect your IP address against DDoS attacks and IP tracking by hiding your actual home IP address during gaming or P2P connections.

A VPN can't:

• Protect the data you share: It can't stop companies from collecting data you submit directly or protect that data if those companies suffer a breach.
• Prevent phishing: It can't stop you from falling for phishing, text, or phone scams, although many providers now offer tools that help on top of the VPN.
• Make you completely anonymous: Web cookies, browser fingerprinting, and account logins can still track your identity online regardless of your IP address.
• Block hardware-delivered malware: It offers no protection against threats introduced directly to your device via physical hardware (like infected USB drives).
• Protect against digital forensics: It cannot shield files or logs stored directly on your physical device if it is accessed with forensic tools.
• Remove existing infections: It cannot retroactively clean malware or spyware already installed on your system.
• Stop OS-level zero-day attacks: It can't stop sophisticated, nation-state spyware that exploits underlying vulnerabilities in your device's operating system.

Methodology

We collected almost 30,000 user reviews published on Google Play Store since the beginning of the year for the four VPN providers featured in this report using the google_play_scraper library.

As individual reviews often address multiple topics (e.g. streaming and security), we broke reviews down into sentence-level units. This expanded our analysis to over 47,000 entries, with individual entries permitted to sit across multiple categories when suitable.

Each sentence was assigned to specific categories using regex keyword filtering, and analyzed for sentiment using a pre-trained BERT model that took into account the user’s star rating.

While all machine learning sentiment pipelines carry a minor margin of error, every VPN provider was subjected to the exact same pipeline to ensure consistency and fair comparison. Human review was also conducted throughout.

Data processing scripts were developed in Python with AI assistance, and all final outputs were manually reviewed.

• Stream Women's Open 2026 for FREE on R&A TV (UK)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)
• Women's Open 2026: Thursday, July 30 to Sunday, August 2

The fifth and final major of the season is set to be electric, with so many of the top contenders out to fulfil lofty personal ambitions at Royal Lytham & St Annes, none moreso than Ryu Hae-ran and Nelly Korda.

World No.1 Korda won the first two majors of 2026, only for Ryu to double up too. It's the first time ever that two players have secured multiple majors in a season. They're both hoping to emulate the great Inbee Park, the last player to win three major titles in a single calendar year. That was way back in 2013.

The consistency of Korda, who'd also complete a career Grand Slam with victory in Lancashire, has been astounding over the past few seasons, but she missed her first cut in two years earlier this month.

Victory would see Miyu Yamashita become the first player to go back-to-back in a major since Yani Tseng in 2011, a scenario that isn't out of the question in current form. The 24-year-old has made the top-five in four of the past six tournaments she's contested.

Yamashita's triumph a year ago consigned Charley Hull to her second Women's Open runner-up finish in three years, but she has a big reason to be cheerful this weekend: the past two winners of the Women's Open at Royal Lytham were Brits.

Read on for our guide on where to watch Women's Open 2026 online, on TV and potentially for free wherever you are.

Can you watch Women's Open 2026 for free?

Yes. Full Women's Open 2026 coverage is free-to-air on R&A TV in the UK.

Another free option is BBC iPlayer, which is airing a nightly highlights show.

Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch the Women's Open for free as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch Women's Open 2026 live streams

A VPN is handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to 75% off.

How to watch Women's Open 2026 live streams in the US

Women's Open 2026 coverage is shared between NBC, USA Network, Golf Channel and Peacock in the US. All NBC coverage is being simulcasted on Peacock.

Round 1 and Round 2 air on Golf Channel from 4am-8am, and on USA Network from 8am-2pm. Round 3 and Round 4 air on USA Network from 7am-12pm, and on NBC from 12pm-finish. All times ET.

Peacock is also showing Featured Groups coverage.

The Peacock price starts at $10.99/month or $109.99/year for a plan that carries live sports. However, you can access Peacock virtually for free with a Walmart Plus 30-day trial for $1.

NBC and USA Network, meanwhile, are available through Sling – specifically the Blue plan, which starts at $45.99/month. It includes NBC, ABC and Fox in select locations, plus FS1, USA Network, FX and more. You'll need the $11/month Sports Extra add-on for Golf Channel.

Alternatively, all three channels are also carried by YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, each of which offers a free trial to new users.

If you're traveling outside of the US, you can make use of NordVPN to catch the action.

How to watch Women's Open 2026 live streams in the UK

In the UK, Women's Open coverage is free-to-air on the R&A TV streaming platform.

A 60-minute Women's Open highlights show will air at 8.30pm BST on all four days of the tournament on BBC One Red Button and BBC iPlayer.

All you need is an account, a TV Licence and a UK postcode (e.g.HA9 0WS). Sign up here!

Alternatively, Sky Sports is providing extensive coverage of the 2026 Women's Open, across its Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Golf channels.

Sky Sports plans start from £35/month, or £20 if you're an existing Sky subscriber. Alternatively, grab a Now Sports subscription from £14.99/day or £34.99/month.

Outside the UK right now? Use NordVPN to access your preferred Women's Open stream.

How to watch Women's Open 2026 live streams in Australia

In Australia, Women's Open 2026 is being televised on Fox Sports via Foxtel, with live streaming available via Kayo Sports.

Kayo Sports starts at AU$30 per month after a 7-day free trial. Or you can get your first month for AU$1.

If you're currently out of Australia but want to watch your usual Women's Open coverage, you'll need to get yourself a VPN, as per the instructions above.

How to watch Women's Open 2026 live streams in Canada

In Canada, Women's Open 2026 is exclusive to TSN.

If you don't have cable, the TSN Plus streaming service costs CA$8/month or CA$80/year.

If you're out of Canada but still want to tune in, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts from anywhere.

Women's Open 2026 FAQs

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

If you think downloading a VPN directly from an official app store guarantees your digital privacy, it’s time to think again.

We recently undertook a huge audit of storefront verification standards, which has exposed a severe lack of quality control across both the iOS App Store and Google Play.

We evaluated developer transparency and store verification standards, analyzing 3,392 Android VPN apps (with more than 1,000 downloads) and 1,387 iOS VPN apps (with at least one review).

It appears that Google Play looks significantly worse than Apple's App Store across almost every transparency and validity metric. In fact, a mere 61.4% (851) of iOS apps passed all main validity checks, while Android trailed far behind with just 40.8% (1,210) passing the same tests.

Just because a VPN is available on an official App Store doesn’t mean it’s legitimate. Here is what the data tells us about the safety of mobile VPNs.

Storefront Enforcement & Quality Control Data

When you hand over your web traffic to a VPN, you expect the developer to be a real, registered business. However, storefront enforcement data proves that thousands of these apps lack even the most basic corporate infrastructure.

When it comes to maintaining a valid developer website, Apple leads the pack. Our data shows that 82.7% (1,147) of iOS apps maintain a valid developer website. In contrast, only 52.2% (1,774) of total Android apps manage to do the same (which equals 59.8% of the Android apps that actually bothered to list a URL).

But the problem goes deeper than broken links. 46.9% of valid Android websites (832) and 47.5% of total Android privacy policies (1,612) rely entirely on free third-party domains like Google Sites, GitHub, and Blogger.

In total, more than 1,200 Android developer website or privacy policy links pointed directly to free Google pages. Apple performs better here, but isn't immune; 15.6% of iOS websites (179) and 18.3% of iOS privacy policies (217) still rely on these free hosts.

So What?

Relying on free platforms like Blogger or Google Sites signals a complete lack of dedicated corporate infrastructure and financial investment. If a developer isn't willing to spend a few dollars on a custom domain, how can you trust them to invest in secure AES-256 encryption or server maintenance?

Worse, if that free third-party account is suspended or abandoned by the host, developer support and privacy documentation vanish instantly.

The platform differences are equally stark when it comes to developer contact requirements. Google Play mandates that developers display an email address, but 65.1% of Android apps (2,208) use free, public domain services like @gmail.com or @yahoo.com.

Meanwhile, iOS does not require developers to display an email address at all, and it is present on only 16.2% of iOS VPNs (225 apps).

Allowing developers to omit contact emails lets operators remain entirely anonymous. This prevents users from exercising fundamental privacy rights, such as GDPR data access or deletion requests.

It strongly indicates that the "company" is an individual or transient entity rather than a registered business, making legal accountability and data privacy enforcement virtually impossible.

Privacy Policy Misrepresentation & Boilerplate Networks

A VPN is only as trustworthy as its privacy policy. Premium providers like ExpressVPN and NordVPN undergo regular independent audits to verify their no-logs claims. By contrast, our audit revealed that hundreds of mobile VPNs use completely meaningless, generic, or copied text to masquerade as legitimate services.

In one example, we found 13 iOS apps sharing identical boilerplate text containing unedited template placeholders. Because the developers didn't even bother to read their own legal documents, the text still reads: "If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at support@example.com." You can view one of these identical unedited policies here.

These unedited templates contain zero binding commitments regarding VPN-specific practices, such as traffic logging, IP tracking, or bandwidth monitoring. Users are misled into assuming they are protected when, in reality, no legal policy actually exists.

Furthermore, a massive portion of these apps rely on automated "policy generator farms", sites that bulk-host generic privacy documents. The audit discovered:

• 48 Android apps hosting policies on projeto10.top
• 40 apps using freeprivacypolicy.com
• 19 apps using termsfeed.com

Automated policy generators often attach legal disclaimers stating they do not guarantee accuracy. Furthermore, the host platform can alter or remove the page without the developer's knowledge, leaving users without valid privacy terms.

Perhaps the most absurd discovery belongs to Sigma VPN, an Android app with over 100,000 downloads. Its listed privacy policy isn't a policy at all. Instead, it links directly to a copied Wix support article on how to create a privacy policy.

Even when policies are unique, they are often too short to mean anything. The audit found that 2.3% of valid Android policies (72) and 6.6% of valid iOS policies (78) contain 250 words or fewer. Highly truncated policies like these lack necessary legal disclosures regarding logging, third-party data sharing, jurisdiction, and data retention windows.

Consumer Advice & Actionable Insights

So, how do you navigate app stores safely without downloading a dud, or worse, a data-harvesting nightmare? Here is our actionable checklist to protect yourself before hitting 'Download'.

• Domain Verification: Always check that the provider operates an independent, custom web domain matching the product name, rather than a free sub-domain on Blogger or Google Sites. If they don't own their own website, they shouldn't own your web traffic.
• Policy Audit Checklist: Don't just trust the word "Privacy Policy." Open the link and search the text for generic email placeholders (like support@example.com), generator footers, or broad non-VPN terms. Confirm that the policy explicitly commits to no connection or activity logging.
• Contact Testing: Test the developer's contact channels before subscribing. Send a quick email to verify that support responsiveness and account deletion mechanisms actually exist.

The Bottom Line

Google Play's link verification method lets hundreds of apps operate using temporary blogs, blank pages, and automated generator sites. While Apple does a better job of enforcing valid web links, its main flaw is that it permits total anonymity for developers, leaving users with no way to hold iOS developers accountable legally.

In response to our investigation, Apple declined to comment on the record, pointing instead to its safety guidelines and app review processes. Meanwhile, a Google spokesperson said: “We are looking into this. When made aware of an app that violates our policies, we will review the apps in question and take appropriate action."

The final takeaway is a crucial lesson in modern cybersecurity: store listing approval reflects compliance with basic submission forms, not operational legitimacy or privacy protection. Always do your own research before trusting a mobile VPN with your personal data.

Trust your VPN software updates keep you safe? Believe that downloading the latest release protects you from most known threats?

You might be surprised to learn that there could be a set of invisible vulnerabilities lurking inside your state-of-the-art VPN. That's because more than half of Windows VPNs we analyzed include OpenVPN code that hasn’t been updated in over a year — potentially leaving you exposed to a wide range of security and performance threats.

OpenVPN is a protocol that determines how data is encrypted and routed between a user's device and a VPN server. Thanks to its open-source status, it became the industry's de facto standard, serving as the foundation for many commercial VPN services.

Because OpenVPN is developed as a separate open-source project, however, VPN providers often update their apps while leaving the bundled OpenVPN component unchanged. New interfaces, bug fixes, and major features may arrive regularly, but the code responsible for the fundamental VPN connection may be severely out of date.

Cracking the kernel

This July, we audited 32 Windows VPN clients ranging from established, multinational companies to smaller, older and free apps, to check the OpenVPN version included in their latest release.

The results were shocking. A massive 56% (18 of 32) use an OpenVPN version that is more than a year old, 41% (14) use configurations that are over two years old, 22% (7) rely on code more than four years old. And a terrifying 12.5% (4) use code that is at least five years old.

Not all providers were equal. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of the best VPNs — including NordVPN, Windscribe and Proton VPN — use OpenVPN releases as recent as April 2026. At the other end of the scale, Turbo VPN and VyprVPN continue to use OpenVPN 2.4.7 from April 2019.

It might seem logical that companies with greater commercial resources are the ones investing more into keeping the app's codebase up to date. But having significantly older versions of the OpenVPN protocol raises significant privacy and security concerns regardless.

A variety of hidden risks

So is this really a big deal?

Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN, tells TechRadar: “Because OpenVPN — like any project — regularly patches vulnerabilities, hardens its codebase, and improves performance, running a version that’s years behind might miss security components that current up-to-date versions offer.”

Jason Xu, senior app developer at Windscribe, argues that previously disclosed vulnerabilities could actually be more serious, precisely because they have been documented. “An attacker doesn’t even need to find a new bug; they can just read the changelog,” he notes.

Indeed, OpenVPN regularly releases Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs): six vulnerabilities were registered in 2025, six in 2024, one in 2023, and one in 2022. This means providers with older versions likely did not adopt the upstream releases containing those fixes.

Of course, the risks have nuances. Running an older version does not necessarily mean an application is vulnerable to every newly discovered flaw. For example, if an older build does not include a feature which later caused a vulnerability, it is unaffected.

Briedis stressed that security can be maintained through other means, including backported patches, vendor fixes, configuration mitigations and/or removing vulnerable functions. However, he said the real concern is when none of those measures are in place and when there’s no visibility into whether they are.

The issues involved can be broad and numerous. Outdated dependencies, like running an older version of OpenSSL, are just some of the potential issues.

There is also a broader maintenance cost. According to Dr. Peter Membrey, Chief Research Officer at ExpressVPN, older versions can become increasingly difficult to integrate with current operating systems and cryptographic libraries. “Being several years behind can indicate a growing body of security, compatibility, and operational debt,” he says.

Ultimately, “the further behind you fall, the harder each upgrade gets,” Xu adds. “That’s the trap. Nobody decides to be five years behind; they just keep saying ‘next quarter’”.

A question of stack

Adopting a new OpenVPN release is a fundamental change requiring compatibility testing across platforms, regression checks, staged rollouts, and validation that nothing breaks in the software stack — a process which often takes months to complete.

Because of that, VPN providers say they are not obliged to adopt every upstream release.

NortonVPN, which is in the process of moving to the cutting-edge OpenVPN version at the moment, explains that each update needs to be assessed and tested carefully to make sure it delivers clear benefits without introducing stability, performance, or compatibility issues for customers.

Indeed, Karolis Kaciulis, Leading System Engineer at Surfshark, agrees that a six-to-18-month delay can be reasonable provided critical vulnerabilities are addressed promptly.

Some VPN providers whose updates date back more than two years have cited specific reasons to justify the delay.

StrongVPN, for example, states that work on its proprietary internal protocol has postponed the planned update to OpenVPN 2.7. Meanwhile, ClearVPN claims to ensure security by applying its own security patches.

Finally, PureVPN states that it is staying with OpenVPN 2.6.12 because it has developed custom technologies based on that version and because OpenVPN 2.7 removes support for the Wintun driver.

Time to DIY

So what can you do? Is it time to shun anyone not using the most recent version of OpenVPN?

Not necessarily. Many providers now use newer protocols like WireGuard by default, which generally benefit from more active maintenance.

In fact, several providers are in the process of phasing out OpenVPN support for faster, more agile protocols.

Proton VPN is one of the providers keeping pace, running one of the most recent OpenVPN builds on its Windows app. However, a spokesperson said that over time, the company "will start to phase out OpenVPN support in our client apps" while retaining the protocol on servers for legacy routers and older devices.

The spokesperson also noted that the protocol is "slow and bloated" in comparison to Proton VPN's Stealth and WireGuard protocols, though OpenVPN remains "robustly secure."

So whether you're using an app with the latest OpenVPN configuration or not, it might be worth switching protocols anyway.

But if you really want to know, you can audit your VPN by checking the client settings, diagnostic logs, or official release notes to confirm which version of OpenVPN your provider is using and when it was last updated.

A key red flag is protocol dependencies that are more than 12 to 18 months old without a documented security or compatibility reason as it may suggest that critical security updates have been delayed.

If you're still unsure, you can always contact your VPN provider's support team to receive more transparent info about timelines for protocol updates and security patches.

Ultimately, the risk to your security may well be limited. However, in the world of VPNs — where attention to detail in regards to security is the currency of providers — one might well ask: “Why not simply support the latest and most secure option?”

Why not indeed…

The VPN industry has a problem. For a significant number of people, their VPN subscription has quietly auto-renewed, jumped in price, or cost more than they initially bargained for.

The issue is so bad that multiple VPN providers — including ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Surfshark — have faced legal scrutiny over their auto-renewal practices.

This creates a dilemma for us at TechRadar when it comes to recommending VPNs. We are confident these are the best VPNs available — they are the fastest, most secure, and best at streaming — but it's clear that more needs to be done to ensure fair and transparent billing.

To get a better understanding of people's real-world experience using our top-rated VPNs, we analyzed almost 30,000 Android VPN reviews across the 'Big 4' — NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark & Proton VPN — published on the Play Store since the beginning of the year.

The results are stark. Across the entire Play Store dataset, people are mostly happy with the apps — just 35% of overall written comments are negative. But when we looked at billing and pricing specifically, that figure rose to almost 60%.

Read on to find out which provider performed the best, which you might want to be wary of, and the key practical steps to avoid common VPN issues.

This article is the first in a series investigating real-world customer experience of using major VPN services, inspired by our exclusive analysis of user-generated Android VPN reviews.

Which VPN has the most positive reviews?

The vast majority of written Android reviews offer little insight into how people really feel. There are thousands of generic entries like "top app," "good," "ok," or "bad."

However, once we filtered out the noise, billing and pricing issues emerged as a significant area of frustration, accounting for almost 30% of all categorized feedback.

Because total review counts varied widely between brands, we compared percentages rather than raw numbers. Attitudes were scored using a machine-learning model supported by manual human checks.

Read more about our methodology here.

When it comes to billing and price satisfaction, Proton VPN is the clear winner. Just 35% of billing-related comments were negative. However, that’s in large part because of the free tier it offers.

In fact, if you remove references to the product being 'free,' the rate of negative comments rises to 57%. While that points to significant underlying friction for paid accounts, it’s still better than the rest.

By contrast, the remaining market leaders face significant dissatisfaction:

• NordVPN: 83% negative billing sentiment
• ExpressVPN: 79% negative billing sentiment
• Surfshark: 71% negative billing sentiment

It wasn’t all bad news, though. There was some positive feedback, with one user praising Surfshark for its "outstanding value for money" and another calling NordVPN the "best affordable" VPN. But for the majority of reviewers, issues around free trials, auto-renewals and price hikes dominated.

Of course, all written reviews skew towards negative emotions as consumers seek to fix or change something. However, taken together they demonstrate a comprehensive picture with clear issues at play.

Free trials, auto-renewals, and price hikes

Across all of the reviews analyzed, three distinct issues appeared.

Firstly, it’s clear many people are experiencing issues with free trials. Specifically, people are signing up only to find themselves charged automatically.

As one Surfshark user wrote: “Wanted to try using the free trial, [it] didn’t work and still charged me for a month.” Meanwhile, a NordVPN user reported not being able to “cancel my free trial just days in.”

Another source of friction occurs when automatic renewals are triggered. And it impacts all of the providers mentioned. As one Proton VPN reviewer wrote: "A lot of users would appreciate more transparency before renewals happen.”

Closely related to the automated renewals are the price hikes that are associated with them. Even if you sign up for a certain price for a year, VPN providers often use more expensive rates at the point of renewing a user’s subscription.

One ExpressVPN user wrote: "Of course every time they renewed my subscription they used old prices and never told me about it.” Meanwhile, a Surfshark reviewer put it even more succinctly for others: “Beware of subscription auto renewal.”

VPN auto-renewal costs

Comparing the prices of 1-year VPN plans across the 'big four' initially and after renewal

NordVPN

Initial cost

53.88

Renewal cost

139.08

Surfshark

Initial cost

50.85

Renewal cost

79

ExpressVPN

Initial cost

74.85

Renewal cost

99.95

Proton VPN

Initial cost

47.88

Renewal cost

83.88

037.575112.5150

USD

Group 1 Data

Product	Initial cost (USD)	Renewal cost (USD)
NordVPN	53.88	139.08
Surfshark	50.85	79
ExpressVPN	74.85	99.95
Proton VPN	47.88	83.88

How to avoid VPN auto-renewal traps and surprise charges

It's clear that major VPN providers need to do more to ensure fair and transparent pricing and billing. Thankfully, there are also a number of steps you can take to make sure you're not unnecessarily impacted.

To avoid the billing and pricing issues referenced here:

• Turn off auto-renewal immediately after signing up: Navigate straight to your account dashboard after subscribing and turn off auto-renew.
• Prepare for the ‘early billing’ window: Many VPN providers trigger automatic renewal charges 7 to 14 days before your subscription technically expires. Set calendar reminders two weeks before your renewal date so you aren't caught off guard.
• Keep an eye on your inbox: VPN providers will contact you to warn you about the auto-renewal and are likely to send you an email about extending your discounted rate around 60 days ahead of your contract expiring.
• Always request an official cancellation first: Submit an explicit cancellation request through the provider's official account portal or support chat.
• Check refund terms: Many ‘free trials’ require upfront payment details and automatically convert into full recurring plans. Read the fine print before providing billing information, and remember that 30-day money-back guarantees often only apply to first-time purchases and are void during certain promotional offers.

What did the VPN companies say?

We contacted each VPN provider for comment on our findings.

Representatives from NordVPN, Surfshark and ExpressVPN highlighted their strong overall Google Play ratings and stressed that user feedback informs ongoing app development.

ExpressVPN added that subscriptions bought via Google Play are subject to Google’s payment and refund policies, but noted its focus is on making the experience "easier to understand, manage, and resolve when customers need help."

A NordVPN spokesperson argued that its premium pricing reflects ongoing infrastructure investment, but pointed out that because the app is free to download, "some users expect the service itself to be free as well," which can drive down review scores when users discover it is a paid product.

A Surfshark spokesperson acknowledged that "public reviews naturally tend to overrepresent moments of friction" but said its current approach is "resonating positively with users" overall.

Meanwhile, Proton VPN emphasized that its paid subscriptions fund an unlimited, ad-free tier for all users, adding that it "clearly states its pricing structure, upfront costs, and terms of renewal" without using tiered feature paywalls or surprise price increases.

Methodology

We collected almost 30,000 user reviews published on Google Play Store since the beginning of the year for the four VPN providers featured in this report using the google_play_scraper library.

As individual reviews often address multiple topics (e.g. streaming and security), we broke reviews down into sentence-level units. This expanded our analysis to over 47,000 entries, with reviews permitted to sit across multiple categories when required.

Each sentence was assigned to specific categories using regex keyword filtering, and analyzed for sentiment using a pre-trained BERT model that took into account the user’s star rating.

While all machine learning sentiment pipelines carry a margin of error, every VPN provider was subjected to the exact same pipeline to ensure consistency and fair comparison. Human review was also conducted throughout.

Data processing scripts were developed in Python with assistance from an LLM, and all outputs were manually reviewed.

If you're looking to get ahead for college in the fall, then a VPN is one of the most sensible back-to-school staples to tick off your list now. You're going to spend a lot of time connected to campus Wi-Fi and it's often not as user-friendly as it might seem.

For sure, there can be security concerns when connecting to any form or public network, which a VPN can help with, but its best use at university is to make sure you can access all the content that you usually do at home.

That's because campus Wi-Fi can be very restrictive. These are networks that have to manage huge bandwidth demands, maintain cybersecurity, and also comply with legal requirements.

That means that they often limit access to certain usage-heavy services, and sites and apps that are more in a grey area when it comes to safety and the law. Think video streaming, online gaming and torrenting, for examples, as three activities that you might find curtailed.

But, if you're using a VPN on your device, the campus network in question won't be able to see what internet sites and services you're accessing, so it will be blind to you and your activities.

It will probably be able to see that you're using a VPN, the amount of bandwidth your device is using and what your device is but your online deeds will remain private. So, if you're headed to college this year, you might want to think about getting a VPN.

Right now, IPVanish is a good choice for college students. It does a great job of keeping your digital life private and, just as importantly, it's cheap!

At $2.19 per month, IPVanish is solid, 4-star VPN and is only short of the very best VPNs on features like server count and some streaming service unblocking that's not a priority for this use case.

It does also have a unique privacy feature which may be handy for your browsing too.

IPVanish's Secure Browser is remote browser software that runs on an IPVanish cloud server. The sites and services you then navigate to have no idea about you or your device at all. They only connect with the cloud server.

That means the session cannot be linked with you at all and no trackers, cookies nor anything else can come your way. It also protects you from any malware or any other nasty things that you stumble across. Definitely worth using when you're searching the darker corners of the web.

Along with IPVanish's standard features, that should have you covered for all the college dorm internet use cases you'll have. Give it whirl.

• Stream Commonwealth Games for FREE on 7Plus / CBC Gem
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)

Less prestigious than the Olympics but much more of an occasion than the various international governing bodies' world championships, the Commonwealth Games has its roots in the past but its eyes on the future.

74 Commonwealth Games Association member states, spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas and Oceania, are participating at Glasgow 2026, many of which barely get a look-in on the global stage.

For instance, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, Brunei, the Cayman Islands, the Cook Islands, Eswatini, the Gambia, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, the Maldives, Malta, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Seychelles, Sierra Leone, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu are yet to win Olympic silverware, yet they're being strongly represented at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Eyeing their first Commonwealth Games silverware in Scotland this summer are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Brunei, Eswatini, the Falkland Islands, Gabon, Gibraltar, the Maldives, Montserrat, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Sierra Leone, Togo, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

It's this scarcity of acclaim that makes the event so special, so read on as we explain how to watch the Commonwealth Games for free in the UK.

Use a VPN to watch any Commonwealth Games 2026 stream

A VPN is handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to 75% off.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Premiere: Monday, July 27 at 9pm BST (UK)
• Watch free: ITVX (UK)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)

Love Island UK season 13 is still set up for a nail-biting conclusion. Lola & Sean had long been the runaway favourites for the £50,000 jackpot, but their unexpected exit has brought (almost) everyone back into contention.

We now find ourselves with the final four, and Monday’s episode will begin with an instant elimination as Mica and Samraj decide who will join them on the plane home.

The remaining couples in the final are currently Julia & Lorenzo, Yasmin & Tommy S, Angelista & Simba, and Kavan & Jasmine.

You can watch the Love Island UK S13 final online from anywhere with a VPN and potentially for free.

Watch the Love Island UK S13 final from anywhere

If you're keen to watch the Love Island UK S13 final but you're away from home and access to the show is geo-blocked, you can always use a VPN to access it (assuming you're not breaching any broadcaster T&Cs, of course). You may be surprised by how simple it is to do.

Use one of the best VPNs to watch Love Island UK from anywhere:

How to watch the Love Island UK S13 final in the UK

The Love Island UK S13 final premieres at 9pm BST on Monday, July 27 on ITV2 and via the ITVX streaming service in the UK.

All you need is an account, a TV license and a UK postcode (e.g.HA9 0WS). Sign up here!

Traveling outside the UK? Try using a VPN – check the details above for more.

How to watch the Love Island UK S13 final in the US

In the US, the Love Island UK S13 final will air on Hulu on Thursday, July 30.

Plans start from $11.99 per month after a FREE 30-day trial. Alternatively, the Disney Plus Bundle costs an extra $1 each month but unlocks access to heaps more entertainment.

Have Hulu but away when Love Island UK is on? You can still access your usual streaming services from anywhere by using a VPN.

Can I watch the Love Island UK S13 final in Canada?

Hayu is home to Love Island UK S13 in Canada. However, seeing as it's a little way behind, we're not expecting the S13 final to air until early August.

A subscription starts at CA$7.99/month after a 7-day FREE trial.

Outside Canada? Use a VPN to gain access to all the content you'd normally stream at home.

How to watch the Love Island UK S13 final in Australia

Fans based in Australia can watch the Love Island UK S13 final for FREE on 9Now from 12pm AEST on Wednesday, July 29.

You need an email and an Aussie postcode to sign up.

Traveling outside Australia? As detailed above, if you’re overseas you’ll struggle to connect to any of the streaming services you usually use. The solution? Try using a VPN.

How to watch the Love Island UK S13 final in New Zealand

In New Zealand, the Love Island UK S13 final is available to watch on free-to-air TVNZ Duke from 8.30pm NZST on Wednesday, July 29, with live streaming available via TVNZ+.

Outside of New Zealand? Use a VPN to gain access to all the content you'd normally stream at home.

Love Island UK S13 final Q&A

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Commonwealth Games Athletics: Monday, July 27 to Saturday, August 1
• FREE streams: 7Plus (Australia) / CBC Gem (Canada)
• Use NordVPN to watch from anywhere - 75% Off Right Now

Watch Commonwealth Games athletics 2026 live streams as Josh Kerr, Shericka Jackson and Andre De Grasse headline a cast of track and field stars going for gold in Glasgow.

The six-day athletics and para athletics program begins on Monday, July 27, with fast times expected on the newly-laid track at Scotstoun Stadium. Home hope Kerr arrives fresh from breaking the mile world record in London earlier this month, while Jamaican sprinter Jackson and Canadian legend De Grasse are among a host of big names jetting in from across the world.

Keep reading to discover how to watch Commonwealth Games athletics 2026 online from anywhere – starting with those FREE options.

Today at the Games (Monday, July 27: Day 1)

(All times BST)

Morning session (10am-1.30pm)

Men's 400m Hurdles Round 1

Men's Long Jump Qualifying Round - Group A

Men's 100m Round 1

Men's Long Jump Qualifying Round - Group B

Men's 110m Hurdles Round 1

Women's Hammer Throw Qualifying Round

Women's 100m Round 1

Women's T38 100m Round 1

Evening session (6.30pm-10pm)

Women's Shot Put F57 Final

Men's High Jump Final

Women's 800m Round 1

Women's T38 100m Final

Men's Hammer Throw Final

Women's 10,000m Final

Men's 3000m Steeplechase Final

Men's 1500m T20 Final

Men's T38 100m Final

Men's 110m Hurdles Final

• 🇦🇺 Australia: 7Plus
• 🇨🇦 Canada: CBC Gem 
• 🇳🇿 New Zealand: ThreeNow (some events free)
• 🇬🇧 UK: Channel 5 (daily highlights)

Abroad during the games? You can use NordVPN (try 100% risk-free) to watch all the athletics and para athletics action free of charge as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch Athletics at the Commonwealth Games 2026

With the six-day athletics and para athletics program taking place from July 27 to August 1, Commonwealth Games 2026 coincides with peak summer vacation season. Unfortunately, you may find that your usual streaming options are geoblocked while you’re away.

That’s where a VPN comes in handy – not only does it let you access your home streaming services from anywhere, but it also protects you from potential online threats. We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and will unblock any free streaming service for you to watch the action.

Using a VPN is incredibly simple:

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting the US and want to view your usual Australian service, you'd select an Australia-based server from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to your usual local streaming service and watch the athletics and para athletics action.

How to watch Athletics at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in the US

You can watch Athletics at the Commonwealth Games 2026 on beIN SPORTS in the US.

Fans in the US can watch every second of the Games on beIN SPORTS CONNECT. This will also give you access to the main beIN Sports channel which will have all the key athletics and para athletics action live.

beIN SPORTS subscriptions are available from $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year.

Outside the US during the Commonwealth Games? Use NordVPN to access your beIN SPORTS streams.

How to watch Athletics at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Canada

CBC has the rights to broadcast Commonwealth Games 2026 for FREE.

You can watch some athletics and para athletics events on TV via the free-to-air CBC Sports or, for much more comprehensive live and on-demand coverage, head to its CBC Gem streaming platform.

If you aren't in Canada for the games, simply use a VPN to tune in from overseas.

How to watch Athletics at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in the UK & Ireland

You can watch Athletics at the Commonwealth Games in the UK and Ireland on TNT Sports.

TNT Sports are the live broadcast partner of the games in the UK and Ireland and will show every athletics and para athletics event on its streaming partner HBO Max.

Plans start at £25.99 per month, with rolling subscriptions available at £30.99.

If you just want to watch highlights of the track and field action, these will be free-to-air on Channel 5 every day.

Make sure to use NordVPN if you're abroad and don't want to miss any of the athletics action.

How to watch Athletics at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Australia

Fans in Australia can watch live coverage of Athletics at the Commonwealth Games 2026 for free on Channel 7 and its streaming website 7Plus, including all of the athletics and para athletics action.

If you're currently out of Australia but want to watch free live streams, you'll need to get yourself a VPN as per the instructions above.

Commonwealth Games Athletics 2026: Preview

Two-time Olympic medalist and 2023 world champion Kerr is arguably the star attraction when it comes to the athletics and para-athletics at Glasgow 2026, especially after breaking the men's mile world record in a time of 3mins 42.66secs. The Scot goes for gold in the return of the historic Commonwealth Mile, so expect an electric atmosphere if he reaches the final on Saturday evening, with fellow home hopes Jake Wightman and Neil Gourley also targeting medals.

The host nation boasts a similarly strong line-up of female track stars, with Jemma Reekie (800m and Mile) and Laura Muir (5,000m) among their 39-strong party, as well as Paralympic gold medalist Ben Sandilands and Owen Miller (both T20 1,500m).

Several more big names are set to light up the track, including England's Zharnel Hughes in the 200m and 4x100m relay, and Georgia Hunter Bell (800m), with Jackson and De Grasse representing Jamaica and Canada, respectively, in the 4x100m relays, and 21-year-old Kanyinsola Ajayi, who this year broke the Nigerian 100m record with a time of 9.84.

The pick of the field events is arguably a highly anticipated javelin showdown between India's Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, the two most recent Olympic champions. Reigning Olympic, world, and Commonwealth high jump champion Hamish Kerr represents New Zealand as he aims to add yet another medal to his collection, while Australian wheelchair racing legend Angie Ballard competes at a record-breaking fifth Commonwealth Games.

Commonwealth Games Athletics 2026: Schedule

Below is the daily schedule of athletics and para athletics events taking place at Commonwealth Games 2026. All times BST.

Monday, July 27: Day 1

Morning session (10am-1.30pm)

Men's 400m Hurdles Round 1

Men's Long Jump Qualifying Round - Group A

Men's 100m Round 1

Men's Long Jump Qualifying Round - Group B

Men's 110m Hurdles Round 1

Women's Hammer Throw Qualifying Round

Women's 100m Round 1

Women's T38 100m Round 1

Evening session (6.30pm-10pm)

Women's Shot Put F57 Final

Men's High Jump Final

Women's 800m Round 1

Women's T38 100m Final

Men's Hammer Throw Final

Women's 10,000m Final

Men's 3000m Steeplechase Final

Men's 1500m T20 Final

Men's T38 100m Final

Men's 110m Hurdles Final

Tuesday, July 28: Day 2

Morning session (10am-12.30pm)

Women's Heptathlon 100m Hurdles

Women's 400m Round 1

Women's Heptathlon High Jump

Men's 800m Round 1

Men's 400m Round 1

Evening session (6.30pm-10pm)

Women's Heptathlon Shot Put

Women's High Jump Final

Men's 100m Semi-Finals

Women's 100m Semi-Finals

Women's Hammer Throw Final

Women's Heptathlon 200m

Men's T20 Long Jump Final

Men's 10,000m Final

Men's 100m Final

Women's 100m Final

Wednesday, July 29: Day 3

Morning session (10am-1pm)

Women's Heptathlon Long Jump

Women's 200m Round 1

Men's Shot Put Qualifying Round - Group A & B

Men's One Mile Round 1

Men's 200m Round 1

Women's Heptathlon Javelin Throw

Men's 100m T12 Round 1

Women's 400m Hurdles Round 1

Evening session (6.30pm-10pm)

Women's Discus Throw F42-44/61-64 Final

Women's 1500m T54 Final

Men's Long Jump Final

Men's 400m Hurdles Semi-Finals

Women's 800m Semi-Finals

Women's Shot Put Final

Men's 100m T47 Final

Men's Discus Throw F42-44/61-64 Final

Women's Heptathlon 800m Final

Women's 3000m Steeplechase Final

Thursday, July 30: Day 4

Morning session (10am-1.30pm)

Men's Decathlon 100m

Men's Decathlon Long Jump

Men's Javelin Throw Qualifying Round

Women's 100m Hurdles Round 1

Women's One Mile Round 1

Men's Triple Jump Qualifying Round - Group A & B

Men's Decathlon Shot Put

Women's 400m Semi-Finals

Men's 400m Semi-Finals

Evening session (6.30pm-10pm)

Men's Shot Put Final

Men's 200m Semi-Finals

Men's Decathlon High Jump

Women's Triple Jump Final

Women's 100m T47 Final

Men's 100m T12 Final

Women's 200m Semi-Finals

Women's Discus Throw Final

Men's 800m Semi-Finals

Men's Decathlon 400m

Women's 5000m Final

Women's 100m Hurdles Final

Friday, July 31: Day 5

Morning session (10am-1.45pm)

Men's Decathlon 110 Hurdles

Women's Long Jump Qualifying Round - Group A

Men's Decathlon Discus Throw

Mixed 4x400m Relay Heats

Women's Long Jump Qualifying Round - Group B

Women's 200m T38 Round 1

Women's 400m T54 Round 1

Men's Decathlon Pole Vault

Evening session (6.30pm-10.15pm)

Men's Decathlon Javelin Throw

Men's 10,000m Race Walk Final

Women's Pole Vault Final

Women's Long Jump T38 Final

Men's Javelin Throw Final

Women's 800m Final

Men's Decathlon 1500m

Women's 400m Hurdles Final

Men's 400m Hurdles Final

Men's 200m Final

Women's 200m Final

Saturday, August 1: Day 6

Morning session (10am-1.45pm)

Men's Shot Put F57 Final

Men's Triple Jump Final

Men's 1500m T54 Final

Women's 10,000m Race Walk Final

Men's Discus Throw Final

Men's 400m Final

Women's 400m Final

Women's 4x100m Relay Round 1

Men's 4x100m Relay Round 1

Women's 200m T38 Final

Evening session (6.30pm-10.30pm)

Men's Pole Vault Final

Women's Long Jump Final

Women's 400m T54 Final

Women's Javelin Throw Final

Men's 5000m Final

Men's 4x100m Relay Final

Women's 4x100m Relay Final

Men's 800m Final

Men's One Mile Final

Mixed 4x400m Relay Final

Women's One Mile Final

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Stream Shark Week 2026 free via YouTube TV / DirecTV / Hulu + Live TV (US)
• Unlock your stream with Surfshark (save up to 85%)
• Shark Week 2026 starts at 8pm ET/PT on Sunday, July 26

"It's all psychological. You yell barracuda, everybody says, "Huh? What?" You yell shark, we've got a panic on our hands." We're still waiting on Barracuda Week (which we'd definitely tune into), but in the meantime TV event of the summer Shark Week is back to keep you glued to your telly and out of the Amity Island waters.

Anything to keep Mayor Vaughn happy.

Even better – you can stream all 20 specials across seven nights, including Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach, How to Train a Great White and My Strange Shark Addiction, for free.

Here's the trick: Shark Week airs exclusively on Discovery, which you can access with a free trial, and Surfshark will let you watch Shark Week from anywhere. Not only is the aptly named VPN excellent, but it's also heavily discounted for a limited time, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

How to watch Shark Week 2026 for free

Discovery is home to Shark Week 2026. If you don't have the channel on cable, it's available on a streaming basis from several cable alternatives. Best of all, a few of them let new subscribers take advantage of a free trial.

YouTube TV usually costs $82.99 per month but comes with a 5-day free trial and $15 off each of your first five months.

The DirecTV MyEntertainment genre pack costs $42.99 per month after a 5-day free trial, and Hulu + Live TV costs $89.99 per month after a 3-day free trial.

Outside the US? You can use a VPN to watch Shark Week 2026 for free as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch Shark Week 2026 for free from anywhere

Quick start: Using a VPN to watch Shark Week 2026 free

Using a VPN is incredibly simple; just follow these steps.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, Surfshark is the one we recommend.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're visiting the UK and want to view an American service, you'd select the "United States" location from the server list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to your streaming platform of choice and watch Shark Week 2026 just like you would at home.

What to know about Shark Week 2026

(All times ET/PT)

Sunday, July 26
8pm – K-Pop Shark Heroes
9pm – Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach
10pm – Invasion of the Mega Sharks

Monday, July 27
8pm – Bull Shark Dinner Bell
9pm – House of Sharks
10pm – Biggest Mako on Earth

Sunday, July 26
8pm – Jurassic Sharks
9pm – Jaws vs Orca
10pm – Chum Island: Catching a Killer

Sunday, July 26
8pm – Expedition X: Atomic Sharks
9pm – Expedition Unknown: Shark Secrets
10pm – Alien Sharks: Untamed America

Sunday, July 26
8pm – What Shark Attacked?
9pm – How to Train a Great White
10pm – Ultimate Shark Dive

Sunday, July 26
8pm – Secrets of the Great White Kill
9pm – Sharkzilla Takes New York
10pm – My Strange Shark Addiction

Sunday, July 26
8pm – Great White Highway
9pm – Thresher Shark: Stun to Kill

You may also be interested in...

• How to watch Evolution for free
• How to watch UK TV from anywhere
• How access BBC Sounds from anywhere

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Watch Tour de France 2026 free on SBS on Demand (Australia)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)
• Stage 21 start time: Sunday, July 26, 11.50am ET / 4.50pm BST / 1.50am AEST (Mon)

Tour de France 2026 ends today with Stage 21, which finishes on the iconic Champs-Élysées in Paris. The ride into the French capital promises to be a coronation for Tadej Pogacar as the Slovenian closes in on his third Yellow Jersey in a row, and his fifth overall. It will take the UAE Emirates XRG star level with Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain and it is surely only a matter of time before he moves out on his own beyond the legendary quartet.

Today's stage has been shortened from a 132.5km ride down to 89km due to policing pressures on tackling wildfires across France. The steep, cobbled roads up the Côte de la Butte Montmartre are still included and proved an excellent addition to last year's race. The route taking them up the 1km climb (average gradient of 6.5%) three times before they head for home on the Champs-Élysées.

The modified route means the puncheurs and classics riders will have a chance to win this most prestigious of stages, as well as the sprinters, so it should be a fascinating watch. However, all the attention will be on Pogacar, who holds a commanding GC lead over second-place Remco Evenepoel, with team-mate Isaac del Toro third.

Here's how to watch Stage 21 of Tour de France 2026 from anywhere in the world. We've also listed the schedule, route and recent GC winners below.

Can you watch Stage 21 of Tour de France 2026 for free?

Yes. Stage 21 of the Tour de France 2026 is being shown on free-to-air SBS in Australia, with live streaming available through SBS on Demand.

It will also be shown free on S4C with Welsh commentary (UK), France TV (France), RTBF Auvio (Belgium), RaiPlay (Italy), RTVE Play (Spain) and NOS (Netherlands)

Free highlights are available in the UK daily, courtesy of Channel 5 and 5.

Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch Tour de France for free as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch Stage 21 of Tour de France 2026

A VPN is handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to 75% off.

How to watch Stage 21 of Tour de France 2026 in the US

Like every stage of the Tour de France 2026, Stage 21 is being shown live on Peacock and NBC in the US.

The Peacock price starts at $10.99/month or $109.99/year for a plan that carries live sports. However, you can access Peacock virtually for free with a Walmart Plus 30-day trial for $1.

You can access NBC through Sling – specifically the Blue plan, which starts at $45.99/month. It includes NBC, ABC and Fox in select locations, plus FS1, USA Network, FX and more.

Alternatively, NBC is also carried by Fubo, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, each of which offers a free trial to new users.

If you're traveling outside of the US, you can make use of NordVPN to catch the action.

How to watch Stage 21 of Tour de France 2026 in the UK

In the UK, TNT Sports has the exclusive rights to show Tour de France 2026 and will have live coverage of Stage 21.

You can add TNT Sports to your Sky, Virgin Media or EE TV package, or get an HBO Max plan that includes TNT Sports. Prices start at £25.99/month if you commit to a year.

Alternatively, you can catch the best of the action on free-to-air Channel 5, which will broadcast its daily Tour de France highlights show at 9pm BST. Streaming is available via the 5 platform.

If you're out of the UK but still want to tune in, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts from anywhere.

How to watch stage 21 of Tour de France 2026 in Australia

Free-to-air SBS is showing Tour de France 2026 in its entirety in Australia, with live streaming available via SBS on Demand, so that is the place to go to watch Stage 21.

Just create an account, using a valid Australia postcode (e.g. 2042).

Not in Australia right now? You can use a VPN like NordVPN to watch all the action as if you were back home.

How to watch stage 21 of Tour de France 2026 in Canada

Cycling fans in Canada wanting to watch Stage 21 should head to FloBikes, which is showing every stage of the 2026 Tour de France.

A subscription costs CA$49.99/month or CA$216/year.

Visiting Canada from Australia? Use NordVPN to watch free-to-air TdF coverage.

Tour de France 2026 Q&A

Stage 21 Profile

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 Premiere: Sunday, July 26
• FREE stream: TVNZ Plus (NZ)
• Use NordVPN to watch from anywhere

The Walking Dead franchise shuffles on as we return to Dead City (or New York’s Manhattan) for another outing. And this time out, it looks like Maggie (Lauren Cohen) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) may finally have put their differences aside. Read on for how to watch The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 online from anywhere with a VPN — a potentially for FREE

At the heart of season 3 is the new community that Maggie and Negan hope to build, and having both headed up supposed safe havens in the past — to varying degrees of success — the pair seem the perfect survivors for the job. However, when choas erupts and threatens to destroy the burgeoning society, the TWD OGs are forced to question whether a utopia is truly possible in their post-apocalyptic world.

After a patchy first couple of seasons, it certainly sounds like Dead City has found its feet, rebooting Maggie and Negan’s relationship to where it was when the mothership show concluded. With some interesting questions to be asked around the idea of community and responsibility, and some great new additions to the cast, including siblings Renata (Aimee Garcia) and Luis (Raúl Castillo) alongside returning favourites, season 3 could shape up to be the most satisfying stint in apocalyptic NYC yet.

We’ve got all the info on where to watch The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 online and stream every episode from anywhere.

How to watch The Walking Dead: Dead City S3 online from abroad

For those away from home looking to watch The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3, you’ll be unable to watch the show as normal if you're outside NZ due to regional restrictions. Luckily, there’s an easy solution.

Downloading a VPN allows you to stream geo-blocked services online, no matter where you are. It's a simple bit of software that changes your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home. Our favorite is NordVPN – it's one of the best VPNs on the market.

Use a VPN to watch The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 from anywhere:

How to watch The Walking Dead: Dead City S3 in the US

How to watch The Walking Dead: Dead City S3 in Canada

How to watch The Walking Dead: Dead City S3 in Australia

How to watch The Walking Dead: Dead City S3 in the UK

Watch he Walking Dead: Dead City S3 for free in New Zealand

What you need to know about The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3

The Walking Dead: Dead City S3 trailer

The Walking Dead: Dead City S3 cast

• Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan
• Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee
• Logan Kim as Hershel
• Gaius Charles as Perlie
• Željko Ivanek as The Croat
• Aimee Garcia as Renata
• Jimmi Simpson as Dillard
• Raúl Castillo as Luis

The Walking Dead: Dead City S3 release date and episode schedule

Season 3 of TWD: Dead City will premiere in North America on Sunday, July 26 and in Australia and New Zealand on Monday, July 27. A UK release date is TBC. The full release schedule is as follows:

• Episode 1 - "Trillium": Sunday, July 26
• Episode 2 - "Haven": Sunday, August 2
• Episode 3 - "Emigrants": Sunday, August 9
• Episode 4 - "Found/Lost": Sunday, August 16
• Episode 5 – "Imperialis": Sunday, August 23
• Episode 6 – "Genesis": Sunday, August 30
• Episode 7 – "Hourglass": Sunday, September 6
• Episode 8 – "Tenebrae": Sunday, September 13

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Stream Shark Week 2026 on Discovery via YouTube TV free trial (US)
• Unlock your stream with Surfshark (save up to 85%)
• Shark Week 2026 dates: Sunday, July 26 – Saturday, August 1

Findulge your inner child and learn something new along the way by diving into Shark Week, a celebration of one of the natural world's most endlessly intimidating and captivating animal groups, playing out over seven days and 20 specials.

Adrenaline-junkie Molly Carlson is embracing that spirit a little too literally for our liking in Ultimate Shark Dive, by attempting a record-breaking freefall dive from a helicopter into a narrow cage surrounded by reef sharks – some species of which are known to be aggressive and/or a little too curious for comfort.

Yes, one of Shark Week's missions has traditionally been to undo the reputational damage wreaked by Jaws, but with titles like Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach, Bull Shark Dinner Bell, Chum Island: Catching a Killer, What Shark Attacked? and Secrets of the Great White Kill also prevalent on the schedule, you can forgive us for staying out of the water for its duration (and beyond).

After all, you never know where Big Rose might be. Here's hoping Dr Neil Hammerschlag and Paul de Gelder manage to track the supersized great white down in Invasion of the Mega Sharks. Expedition X: Atomic Sharks, Phil Torres and Heather Amaro's study of sharks living amongst nuclear waste, and Dr Tristan Guttridge's intelligence-testing How to Train a Great White sound especially fascinating too.

Read on as we explain how to watch Shark Week 2026 from anywhere and potentially for free. Scroll right down to the bottom for the full lineup of specials.

Use a VPN to watch Shark Week 2026 from anywhere

A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country and unlock your usual streaming services. The best VPN right now? We recommend Surfshark – it does everything and comes with up to 85% off.

How to watch Shark Week 2026 in the US

Shark Week 2026 airs on Discovery on seven consecutive nights from Sunday, July 26 to Saturday, August 1. A triple-header of specials will start at 8pm ET/PT each evening, with a double-header to close.

The Discovery channel is available on a streaming basis from several OTT operators, including YouTube TV, which comes with a 5-day FREE trial.

Alternatively, the HBO Max streaming platform will let you stream Shark Week programming too. Plans start from $10.99 per month, or you can pay more to add live sports and bundle in other streaming services like Disney Plus and Hulu.

If you have a subscription but you're away during Shark Week 2026, you can unlock access your usual streaming services from anywhere by using a VPN.

How to watch Shark Week 2026 in Canada

In Canada, Shark Week 2026 airs on Discovery to exactly the same schedule.

Cord cutters can tune in via Discovery+, which starts at CA$5.99/month.

Away from Canada right now? Use Surfshark to access your subscriptions from anywhere.

Can I watch Shark Week 2026 in the UK?

Although Discovery+ is home to Shark Week programming in the UK, they tend to hit the streaming service in dribs and drabs, instead of airing as an event.

At the time of writing, it isn't clear when any of the Shark Week 2026 specials will be available to watch in the UK.

For now, a VPN will help you tune in if you're spending time in the UK from the US or Canada. Surfshark is our recommended provider, and you can find out why with our in-depth Surfshark review.

How to watch Shark Week 2026 in Australia

Shark Week 2026 goes out on HBO Max in Australia from Sunday, August 16.

Prices start from AU$11.99 per month.

If you'd rather not wait that long, a VPN will help you tune in if you're an American or a Canadian spending time abroad. The solution? Try using a VPN.

Shark Week 2026 – Need to Know

Shark Week 2026 trailer

Shark Week 2026 episode guide

Shark Week 2026 comprises 20 specials, which will air in North America on the following schedule:

Sunday, July 26
8pm – “K-Pop Shark Heroes”
9pm – “Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach”
10pm – “Invasion of the Mega Sharks”

Monday, July 27
8pm – “Bull Shark Dinner Bell”
9pm – “House of Sharks”
10pm – “Biggest Mako on Earth”

Sunday, July 26
8pm – “Jurassic Sharks”
9pm – “Jaws vs Orca”
10pm – “Chum Island: Catching a Killer”

Sunday, July 26
8pm – “Expedition X: Atomic Sharks”
9pm – “Expedition Unknown: Shark Secrets”
10pm – “Alien Sharks: Untamed America”

Sunday, July 26
8pm – “What Shark Attacked?”
9pm – “How to Train a Great White”
10pm – “Ultimate Shark Dive”

Sunday, July 26
8pm – “Secrets of the Great White Kill”
9pm – “Sharkzilla Takes New York”
10pm – “My Strange Shark Addiction”

Sunday, July 26
8pm – “Great White Highway”
9pm – “Thresher Shark: Stun to Kill”

(All times ET/PT)

VPN services are evaluated and tested by us in view of legal recreational use. For example:a) Access to services from other countries, (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).b) Safeguarding your online security and making your online privacy more robust when abroad.Future plc does not support nor condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. We do not endorse nor approve of consuming pirated content that is paid-for.

• Leeds vs Wrexham: Sunday, July 26 | 12.30am BST / 7.30pm ET (Sat) / 9.30am AEST
• Stream on Premier Sports (UK) / ESPN Deportes (US) / Stan Sport (Aus)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (try 100% risk free)

Today's Leeds vs Wrexham live streams see the two sides step up their preparations for the 2026/27 season in Tampa, Florida, with the opening game of their respective US tours.

Leeds boss Daniel Farke achieved what he set out to do in the club's first season back in the Premier League, as a strong run of form towards the end of the campaign saw the Whites finish 14th. The German has taken a 30-man squad to the US for their games against Wrexham, Sunderland and Liverpool which includes summer signings Tarik Muharemovic and Harry Wilson.

While this is Leeds' first pre-season friendly, Wrexham already have two under their belt. The Championship side, owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, followed a 0-0 draw against Polish outfit Wisla Krakow by beating Manchester United 1-0 in Helsinki, with striker Sam Smith scoring the only goal. Phil Parkinson's men also face Liverpool and Sunderland during their US trip.

The game takes place at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium, which hosted England's 1-0 win over New Zealand in a FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up match last month.

Read on to find out how to stream Leeds vs Wrexham live and from anywhere in the world.

Use a VPN to watch Leeds vs Wrexham from anywhere

A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, thereby letting you unlock your usual streaming service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with a 75% discount.

It's really straightforward to use a VPN to watch Leeds vs Wrexham.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For example, if you want to watch the Premier Sports stream, select 'United Kingdom' from the listed countries.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to Premier Sports and tune into Leeds vs Wrexham.

How to watch Leeds vs Wrexham live streams in the US

Leeds vs Wrexham will be shown on ESPN Deportes and the ESPN app in the US.

ESPN subscriptions start from $12.99 per month, but you will need the Unlimited plan for $29.99 to access ESPN Deportes. ESPN Deportes is also available on cord-cutters like YouTube TV (free trial), Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

Outside the US? Use NordVPN to unlock your stream of Leeds vs Wrexham.

How to watch Leeds vs Wrexham live streams in the UK

There are several ways to watch Leeds vs Wrexham in the UK.

The game is live on Premier Sports 2, which fans in the UK and Ireland can subscribe to from £12.99 per month (minimum 12-month term).

Virgin TV customers can get access to Premier Sports 1 and 2 for £15.99 per month, while if you have Amazon Prime Video you can add Premier Sports 1 and 2, plus LaLiga TV, for £17.99 per month.

Fans can also watch the pre-season friendly if they buy a LUTV match pass for £5, while match passes cost £4.99 from wrexhamafc.co.uk. Wrexham are offering supporters the chance to buy a three-match bundle for the price of two fixtures if you want to stream all three games of their US tour. Pre-registration is required.

Not in the UK for Leeds vs Wrexham? Use NordVPN to access your usual streams.

How to watch Leeds vs Wrexham live streams in Canada

As mentioned above, fans in Canada can watch Leeds vs Wrexham by purchasing a LUTV match pass.

Use NordVPN to access your Leeds vs Wrexham live streams from anywhere in the world.

How to watch Leeds vs Wrexham live streams in Australia

Leeds vs Wrexham will be broadcast on Stan Sport in Australia.

Stan Sport subscriptions start at AU$32 which includes the base plan ($12) with the sport add-on ($20).

Missing the game because you're outside Australia? Use a VPN to login to your Stan Sport account.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Liverpool vs Sunderland: Saturday, July 25 | 11pm BST / 6pm ET
• Free Stream: All Red Video (14-day free trial)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (try 100% risk free)

Today's Liverpool vs Sunderland live streams signal the start of a new era at Anfield, as Andoni Iraola takes charge of his first game as Reds manager in this pre-season friendly at Geodis Park, Nashville.

The Spaniard was appointed last month following a hugely successful three-year spell at Bournemouth, culminating in a club-record sixth-place finish in the Premier League that saw the Cherries qualify for Europe for the first time. However, expectations are very different at Liverpool, who ended last season one position above Bournemouth but still sacked previous manager Arne Slot, despite the Dutchman leading them to the title 12 months earlier. Iraola's initial 31-man squad for the US tour, which also includes games against Wrexham and Leeds, features new signing Jeremy Jacquet and the 20-year-old centre back could get his first outing in red against Sunderland.

It is also an exciting time for the Black Cats, who finished seventh in their first season back in the Premier League - their highest placing for 25 years - to qualify for Europe for the first time since 1973/74. Sunderland have also made only one summer signing to date, experienced Belgium right-back Thomas Meunier, but the 34-year-old is one of four players who will not travel to the US due to his country's progression to the World Cup 2026 quarter-finals. Regis Le Bris' men warmed up for their trip across the pond with a 5-1 win at York City in their opening pre-season friendly last Saturday. They also take on Leeds and Wrexham in their remaining games.

Read on to find out how to stream Liverpool vs Sunderland live and from anywhere in the world.

How to watch Liverpool vs Sunderland live streams for FREE

Although Liverpool vs Sunderland is not technically available to watch for free, new users on All Red Video - Liverpool's official streaming platform - get a 14-day free trial, enabling them to stream the pre-season friendly at no cost. Please note that this game will not be available on All Red Video in the US.

Fans in Australia can also watch the game on beIN SPORTS Connect, which includes a 7-day free trial.

In the US and want to watch the match on All Red Video? Use NordVPN to access your usual streams.

Use a VPN to watch Liverpool vs Sunderland from anywhere

A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, thereby letting you unlock your usual streaming service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with a 75% discount.

It's really straightforward to use a VPN to watch Liverpool vs Sunderland.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For example, if you want to watch the Stan Sport stream, select 'Australia' from the listed countries.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to Stan Sport and tune into Liverpool vs Sunderland.

How to watch Liverpool vs Sunderland live streams in the US

Liverpool vs Sunderland will be shown on ESPN Deportes and the ESPN app in the US.

ESPN subscriptions start from $12.99 per month, but you will need the Unlimited plan for $29.99 to access ESPN Deportes.

ESPN Deportes is also available on cord-cutters like YouTube TV (free trial), Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

Outside the US? Use NordVPN to unlock your stream of Liverpool vs Sunderland.

How to watch Liverpool vs Sunderland live streams in the UK

As mentioned above, Liverpool vs Sunderland can be streamed on All Red Video in the UK.

The monthly plan includes a 14-day free trial for new users, after which it costs £4.99 per month. You can also buy a season subscription to All Red Full for £42.99, but this does not include the free trial.

You can also watch the game through safc.com, Sunderland's official website. A match pass costs £8, or you can buy a pre-season bundle for £32, which covers four of the Black Cats' pre-season friendlies. Pre-registration is required.

Not in the UK for Liverpool vs Sunderland? Use NordVPN to access your usual streams.

How to watch Liverpool vs Sunderland live streams in Canada

As mentioned above, fans in Canada can watch Liverpool vs Sunderland on All Red Video (14-day free trial for new users), or by purchasing a match pass or pre-season bundle from safc.com.

Use NordVPN to access your Liverpool vs Sunderland live streams from anywhere in the world.

How to watch Liverpool vs Sunderland live streams in Australia

Liverpool vs Sunderland will be broadcast on Stan Sport and beIN SPORTS Connect in Australia.

Stan Sport subscriptions start at AU$32 which includes the base plan ($12) with the sport add-on ($20).

Subscriptions to beIN SPORTS cost AU$14.99 per month or AU$149.99 per year, with both options including a 7-day free trial.

Missing the game because you're outside Australia? Use a VPN to login to your Stan Sport or beIN SPORTS Connect account.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Watch Joshua vs Prenga on DAZN (worldwide)
• Undercard start time: Saturday, July 25 at 1pm ET / 10am PT / 6pm BST / 3am AEST (Sun)
• Joshua vs Prenga ringwalks (approx): 5.45pm ET / 2.45pm PT / 10.45pm BST / 7.45am AEST (Sun)
• Unlock DAZN stream with NordVPN (up to 75% Off Right Now)

The Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga live stream is a fight that will carry great significance for the British boxer - for both personal and professional reasons.

It promises to be an emotional night for AJ, who enters the ring for the first time since he was injured in a car crash which killed close friends and team members Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami in Nigeria last December. While no belts are up for grabs in the Jeddah Superdome, a victory in Saudi Arabia would pave the way for his long-awaited Battle of Britain showdown with Tyson Fury later this year, with this serving as a warm-up fight.

Joshua has not fought since beating YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami just days before the crash in Nigeria. Indeed, the former world heavyweight champion has entered the ring just once in the past 22 months after losing to Daniel Dubois in September 2024, when he failed to take his fellow Briton's IBF belt. It is why the 36-year-old needs this fight against Prenga to help him prepare for the clash with Fury, which is reportedly set to take place in November.

However, promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren have warned that Joshua and Fury must both win their warm-up bouts this weekend for the Battle of Britain to remain on track. AJ will have to tread carefully as Albanian fighter Prenga packs a punch, with all 20 of his wins coming via knockout - although the 35-year-old has not claimed any major scalps.

Here's how to watch Joshua vs Prenga live streams wherever you are. We've also got details of the full card, start times and tale of the tape further down the page.

Can I stream Joshua vs Prenga for free?

Unfortunately not, as this is a PPV fight streamed by DAZN worldwide, but there is value to be had for boxing fans.

How to watch Joshua vs Prenga from anywhere in the world

While DAZN is streaming the action across the globe, you may find yourself elsewhere during the fight and wanting to access the correct PPV price for your location. That’s where a VPN comes in handy — it can help you bypass geoblocks to access the correct DAZN stream. Our favourite is NordVPN:

How to watch Joshua vs Prenga live stream in the US

Fight fans in the United States can watch Joshua vs Prenga live streams via DAZN PPV. The price is set at $59.99.

The DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription is available Stateside, with 12 PPVs annually available along with all the boxing, football, golf and tennis action. It costs $44.99 a month over the course of 12 months, and you could save more than $530 a year.

How to watch Joshua vs Prenga live stream in the UK

The Joshua vs Prenga live stream is available on PPV in the UK, setting you back £19.99 on the DAZN PPV platform.

Viewers do not need a subscription to the streaming platform to purchase the pay-per-view.

As we've mentioned above, you can also take out a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription, which gives you access to 12 PPVs a year in addition to the regular 185 fight nights. It costs £24.99 a month, meaning you could save more than £320 a year.

How to watch Joshua vs Prenga live stream in Australia

In Australia, fight fans can watch Joshua vs Prenga on DAZN PPV.

It will cost AU$49.95 to watch the entire fight card. You won't need a DAZN subscription to order this PPV event.

The new DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription is also available Down Under for AU$39.99 a month for 12 months' access, with 12 PPVs included.

The broadcast begins at 2am AEST on Sunday, July 26, with the main event scheduled to get underway at around 8am.

Joshua vs Prenga tale of the tape

Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga full card

• Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga - heavyweight
• Hamzah Sheeraz vs Simon Zachenhuber - WBO super-middleweight title
• Josh Kelly vs Caoimhin Agyarko - IBF super-welterweight title
• Reito Tsutsumi vs Alvino Herrera - super-featherweight
• Jacob Bank vs Pawel August - super-middleweight
• Nishant Dev vs Cesar Diaz - super-welterweight

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

There are some very good and obvious reasons why a VPN should be part of your summer holiday plans.

Anyone who's ever had to rely on crawling hotel Wi-Fi speeds or faced blocks on their regular home streaming services while abroad will understand the frustration, and a VPN is a great solution for both of those.

A VPN will mask your online activities to make sure you can access whatever you like on public Wi-Fi without the network restricting your bandwidth or recording the sites and services you go to.

You can also use a VPN to supply you with an IP address of any country in the world, of course. That means that your device can appear to be connecting from back home and you won't get blocked from accessing iPlayer, Sling or any of your other regular streamers.

All good VPNs offer these things, and for a few dollars a month, it's well worth downloading one for this year's summer vacation.

If you are going to give that a try, then you should have a think about IPVanish. It's a very good VPN – not the best VPN, but a very good one – but the reason it's a good choice for your travels this time is that an IPVanish subscription currently comes with a free eSIM to use for 30 days too.

Compare that to ExpressVPN – the only other recommended VPN company that offers a free eSIM right now. First, ExpressVPN's plans are twice as expensive ($2.19 per month vs $4.49 per month) but, secondly, you only get access to your eSIM for 3 days with ExpressVPN!

Sign up to the IPVanish Essential plan ($2.19 per month) and you'll get 3GB for 30 days. If you go for the Advanced plan ($3.29 per month), then it's 5GB for 30 days.

The other good reason to try Advanced is that it comes with access to a cloud based browser called Secure Browser. This means that you'll do all your browsing and service accessing from IPVanish's cloud servers, instead of your own device, while on shared Wi-Fi networks. There's no way that any restricting network will have any idea of what you're doing and that should mean you're scot-free to access whatever you need with minimal disruptions.

You can read more about IPVanish and Secure Browser here. Have a great vacation and happy travels!

• Recorded Future found an Iran-linked group spreading spyware
• The malware is delivered through fake VPN and media player apps
• Researchers assess that most targets are Iranian users

A new report from Recorded Future's Insikt Group describes a campaign that inverts the whole point of a privacy tool: fake VPN apps built specifically to spy on the people who install them.

Researchers have linked fresh infrastructure to an Iran-nexus threat cluster they track as TAG-182, which is using fake VPN and media player downloads to allegedly deliver a surveillance tool called MarkiRAT. The group is "highly likely" to be targeting Iranians living inside and outside the country, the report says.

It's a blunt reminder that choosing one of the best VPN services is a lot more secure than downloading free, unvetted tools.

Fake apps, real surveillance

Insikt Group identified a cluster of attacker-controlled domains allegedly used to stage downloads of applications that appear nowhere on Google Play or Apple's App Store.

Two names stand out: Pis2ray VPN and a media player branded YESHICA, which was quietly renamed YESHICA YEPlayer in March 2026 after researchers publicly exposed the original.

According to researchers, if you download and run one of these files, you get MarkiRAT, a remote access Trojan. In plain terms, that is software that hands control of your device to somebody else.

Analysts have documented it capturing screenshots and uploading them to attacker-run servers, while disguising itself under believable process names.

It also abuses BITS, the background service Windows uses to fetch updates, to pull down further files. Because that activity looks like ordinary system housekeeping rather than an attack, it tends to slip past routine cleanup.

MarkiRAT is not new. It has previously been used by Ferocious Kitten, a group Kaspersky documented conducting years of covert surveillance against activists inside Iran.

Recorded Future stops short of attributing TAG-182 to any specific Iranian agency, but places it within a broader ecosystem of state-aligned surveillance groups.

Why a fake VPN makes such an effective lure

Distribution runs largely through social media. Insikt Group found Instagram posts promoting Pis2ray VPN in the weeks following street protests in Iran in late 2025, and again around the country's prolonged internet shutdown, which ended with partial restoration of access on 26 May 2026.

The people most desperate for a virtual private network (VPN) in a censored country are exactly the people most likely to install one from a social media link, because the official stores are often the very thing they cannot reach.

Recorded Future considers it almost certain that most targets are located in Iran or tied to anti-government movements in Europe and North America. TechRadar has covered previous Iran-linked fake VPN campaigns, and this one seems to follow the same pattern with better infrastructure.

How to stay safe

Most readers will never be targeted by a state actor, but the underlying lesson travels.

Install VPN apps only from official stores, and check that the provider has a real, verifiable presence outside the app listing.

Treat any VPN promoted through an Instagram post, a Telegram channel, or a direct message as suspect, however polished it looks.

Star ratings are a weak signal, since fake reviews are cheap.

• Windscribe said Bill C-22 won't change its privacy policies
• The bill would require service providers to retain user metadata
• Canada's Senate is set to discuss Bill C-22 in September

A Reddit user recently put a blunt question to Windscribe: is paying for a Canada-based VPN a privacy problem, given the surveillance bill working its way through Parliament?

The company's official support account answered without hedging. Windscribe will keep operating exactly as it has, the account said, with "no changes to our logging or privacy policies".

Canada is bringing in laws that genuinely complicate things for the company, Windscribe added, but that is internal work to sort out rather than something subscribers should expect to feel.

It's a calmer message than the one Windscribe was broadcasting in May, when it said it would sooner relocate its headquarters than start logging users. That put it alongside Signal and NordVPN, and made it one of the sharpest voices among the best VPN providers fighting the bill.

Bill C-22, formally the Lawful Access Act, cleared the House of Commons on June 18 and now sits with the Senate, which won't begin its study until Parliament returns in September.

Windscribe and Bill C-22: what the VPN provider said

Is paying for Windscribe a problem to privacy given they’re based in Canada and the likely upcoming Bill C-22? Would love to subscribe if not for this. from r/Windscribe

Pressed further in the thread, Windscribe drew a line between where the company is registered and where its infrastructure lives.

The incoming laws could see it served with a court order requiring it to start logging users, the support account acknowledged. Its answer is jurisdictional: a virtual private network (VPN) operating outside Canada doesn't have to comply with Canadian law.

That echoes the route the company has been signalling since May, when CEO Yegor Sak told the Globe and Mail he was actively exploring moving Windscribe out of the country.

Windscribe was also careful to separate provider obligations from user liability. No law currently stops Canadians from using a VPN, it pointed out, and the risk it describes only reaches customers if a provider stays put and starts logging traffic.

For anyone uneasy about the paper trail, Windscribe's suggestion was simple: pay in crypto, so neither the government nor a card issuer sees the purchase.

What's next for Canada Bill C-22

Introduced in March by Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, Canada Bill C-22 would let the government compel electronic service providers to retain user metadata and build technical capabilities for law enforcement access.

The House passed it at third reading on June 18 after the government moved to limit debate, and the Senate is set to pick it up on September 21, according to Parliament's own LEGISinfo tracker.

Late amendments cut the maximum metadata retention period from twelve months to six and added a clause stating the act can't be read as compelling decryption, unless the provider already holds the keys.

Still, law professor Robert Diab argues that doesn't go far enough, since ministerial orders could still sweep up the metadata of people under no suspicion whatsoever.

The government has consistently rejected the surveillance framing, insisting the bill builds no backdoors and that authorities still need judicial authorisation to obtain data.

• Premier League 2026/27 season: Friday, August 21, 2026 - Sunday, May 30, 2027
• Stream select games for free on CazéTV
• Stream the Premier League 2026/27 on Sky Sports & TNT Sports (UK) / Peacock & USA Network (US) / Stan Sport (Australia)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)

The Premier League 2026/27 season is fast approaching, with champions Arsenal kicking off the new campaign against newly-promoted Coventry at the Emirates Stadium on Friday, August 21.

These clubs provide just two of the many fascinating storylines to follow between now and the final day on Sunday, May 30 next year. After finally ending their 22-year wait to win the title, can the Gunners establish themselves as one of the great Premier League sides and go back-to-back? Meanwhile, will Frank Lampard's experience help Coventry hit the ground running in their first top-flight campaign in 25 years, having bounced back from the brink of oblivion during that time?

Elsewhere, three of the 'Big Six' have made intriguing managerial appointments since the end of last season. Enzo Maresca has the daunting task of following Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, while the Italian's former club, Chelsea, have hired ex-Liverpool star Xabi Alonso. Talking of the Reds, they have appointed former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola to replace Arne Slot.

It will also be interesting to see if Michael Carrick can continue his revival of Manchester United and whether Tottenham can kick on under Roberto De Zerbi after very nearly suffering a humiliating relegation last term. Meanwhile, a further five clubs have new managers, including Gary O'Neil at Ipswich, who came up alongside Coventry and surprise Championship play-off winners Hull.

The best part? You can watch it all live in the UK, US and Australia, including ways to stream for free. Abroad? We'll show you how to watch the Premier League 2026/27 season from anywhere with a good VPN – our favourite NordVPN comes with up to 75% off.

How to watch Premier League 2026/27

The Premier League 2026/27 season will be streamed live in many countries around the world, with multiple options in the UK, US and Australia.

UK

Sky Sports is the home of the Premier League in the UK, with at least 215 matches broadcast exclusively live across the season. Sky Sports packages cost £35 per month for new customers, or £22 per month if you already have a new 24-month Sky TV contract.

A further 52 games will be live on TNT Sports and its streaming partner HBO Max. A subscription costs £30.99 per month on a rolling monthly contract, or £27.99 per month for a minimum 12-month term.

US

NBC Universal has the rights to show live Premier League games in the US, sharing coverage of all 380 matches across flagship channel NBC, its streaming service Peacock and cable TV channel USA Network.

Peacock shows roughly half of the Premier League matches every week, with plans starting from $10.99 a month, or $109.99 a year. There is no dedicated streaming platform for USA Network, but it is available on cord-cutters like YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV, many of which carry free trials. You can also get NBC and NBCSN on these cord-cutters.

Australia

In Australia, Stan Sport has the rights to show every single Premier League game across the 2026/27 season. Subscriptions start at AU$32, which includes the base plan ($12) with the sport add-on ($20).

Abroad? You can use a NordVPN (try 100% risk-free) to watch all the action free of charge as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch any Premier League 2026/27 stream

You may also enjoy...

• Premier League Fixtures 2026/27: Discover your team's schedule

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• NordVPN has launched HangUp, a free anti-scam call Android app
• HangUp needs just a free Nord account to get started
• The app is built upon NordVPN's existing Call Protection technology

NordVPN has released HangUp, a standalone Android app designed to identify and block unwanted calls that's completely free to use.

HangUp identifies and categorizes incoming calls, displays caller information, and lets users block entire categories such as scam or telemarketing calls. It's a notable move from a company better known for topping best VPN lists, and it signals another step in NordVPN's shift toward becoming an all-in-one security brand.

NordVPN research says that 2 in 5 Americans feel unsafe because of scam calls, and for many people, dodging fraudulent numbers has become a daily chore rather than an occasional annoyance.

"Scam calls are a basic digital safety problem at this point, and we felt that basic protection shouldn't be behind a paywall," NordVPN's spokesperson told TechRadar, explaining the reason why the company decided to build a free app.

The app is available worldwide on the Google Play Store, and NordVPN confirms to TechRadar that they are working on making it available for iOS soon.

Why a free call-blocking app is needed

The state of spam calls varies depending on where you live, but according to NordVPN's survey, nearly two in five Americans say they feel unsafe because of scam calls.

Plus, according to Hiya's State of the Call 2026 report, Americans receive an average of 10 unwanted calls a week, and nearly 30 million lost money to a phone scam in the past year, with an average loss of $682.

How HangUp works

HangUp is powered by NordVPN and uses caller reputation data to flag potentially harmful numbers before you decide whether to pick up. When a call comes in, the app checks the number, warns you if it looks like spam or a telemarketing attempt, and can sort callers by type so you know what you're dealing with at a glance.

The blocking works at the category level, so rather than blacklisting numbers one by one, you can choose to automatically block entire groups such as scam or telemarketing calls.

HangUp can also handle that blocking for you automatically, and it keeps weekly, monthly, and yearly stats so you can see how many unwanted calls it has stopped.

The provider already offers a Call Protection feature built into the main NordVPN app, which flags suspected scam calls before you answer and requires a premium subscription. That feature was developed in partnership with Hiya and has been rolling out to Android and iPhone users across a growing list of countries.

HangUp, by contrast, is a separate, standalone app that doesn't need a paid NordVPN plan at all. It brings the same core idea, warning you about and blocking dodgy callers, to anyone willing to sign up for a free Nord account.

Getting up and running is straightforward.

Download HangUp from the Google Play Store on your Android phone, sign in with a free Nord account (or create one on Nord’s website if you don't have one), and grant the app the caller ID and spam permissions it needs to screen your calls.

• Fury vs Wach date: Friday, July 24
• Fury vs Wach location: Max Muay Thai Stadium, Pattaya, Thailand
• Fury vs Wach start time (approx): 5pm ET / 2pm PT / 10pm BST / 7am AEST (Sat)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (up to 75% Off Right Now)

The Tyson Fury vs Mariusz Wach live stream is likely to be the Gypsy King's final fight before his proposed Battle of Britain against Anthony Joshua later this year. But before the former world heavyweight champion can think about that long-awaited showdown, he must take care of Polish veteran Wach - and it promises to be a unique bout for several reasons.

Fury has always done things his way and this fight is no different. The event was organised with only three weeks' notice and takes place at the Max Muay Thai Stadium in Pattaya, Thailand, which holds just 1,500 people. Ticket profits are set to be donated to local charities as a gesture of thanks from Fury, who is grateful for the way he has been treated by locals while training in the country. Add in the fact that Fury's bout will be the first on the card, rather than the last, and it is set to be a surreal occasion.

While all eyes are on the 37-year-old's meeting with Joshua, this fight is a chance for Fury to gauge his condition ahead of that expected showdown. The Gypsy King marked his return from his latest retirement by beating Arslanbek Makhmudov via unanimous decision at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April but this is just his second outing since December 2024, when his second defeat by Oleksandr Usyk forced him to take an extended break.

Wach will be a useful test for the Briton, albeit one he should pass. The 46-year-old Pole has lost three of his past four fights, including one against Fury's cousin Hughie, but is a credible opponent that the Gypsy King labelled "a real fighting man". There is some jeopardy, though, as promoters Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn have made it clear that a defeat for either Fury or Joshua in their warm-up bouts - AJ faces Albania's Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia on Saturday - would put paid to the Battle of Britain event.

Here are the streaming details for Fury vs Wach wherever you are. We've also got details of the start time, undercard and tale of the tape further down the page.

Can I watch Fury vs Wach live?

Unfortunately not. Another unusual aspect of Fury vs Wach is that it will not be broadcast live, despite the continued global interest in the Gypsy King ahead of his proposed fight with Joshua.

Footage of the bout is expected to feature in season 3 of At Home with the Furys, the fly-on-the-wall Netflix documentary about the boxer and his family. A release date for the new season is yet to be announced, but it is expected to arrive later this year or in early 2027.

How to watch boxing from anywhere in the world

Although Fury vs Wach isn't being broadcast live, you may want to watch other fights when you're traveling abroad. That’s where a VPN comes in handy — it can help you bypass geoblocks to access the correct stream. Our favourite is NordVPN:

Fury vs Wach tale of the tape

Tyson Fury vs Mariusz Wach full card

• Tyson Fury vs Mariusz Wach – Heavyweight
• Daniel Baer vs Simon Ibekwe – Heavyweight
• Michael Alan Flannery vs TBC – Light heavyweight
• Lucas Dassios vs TBC – Cruiserweight
• Mark Ahondjo vs TBC – Heavyweight
• Arlo Stephens vs TBC – Heavyweight

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Watch Tour de France 2026 free on SBS on Demand (Australia)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)
• Stage 19 start time: Friday, July 24, 8am ET / 1pm BST / 10pm AEST

Tour de France 2026 continues today with Stage 19, the first of two successive summit finishes at the iconic Alpe d'Huez. Just the name conjors images of legendary Tour moments of years gone by, from Fausto Coppi's incredible climb to victory back in 1952, to Tom Pidcock's seat-of-your-pants descent 70 years later. So good that they included it twice in this year's route, the riders will have to do it all again tomorrow (Via a different route) on the day before the finish.

Today's stage is a 127.9km ride from Gap which includes 3,500m of elevation gain, starting with the Category Two Col Bayard, a 4.8km long climb with an average gradient of 7.2%. The riders get some respite with a short descent and a brief flat section, before taking on the Category One Col du Noyer (7.2km at 8.5%) which takes them to the summit. They will be far from finished, though, with 100km still to go which includes the Category Three Col d'Ornon (5.4km at 6.4%) before they tackle Alpe d'Huez with its familiar 21 hairpin bends.

Olympic road and time trial champion Remco Evenepoel has closed the gap on four-time TdF winner Tadej Pogacar to four minutes and 32 seconds, but with just three stages remaining it will take an almighty effort to prevent the Slovenian adding a fifth Yellow Jersey to his haul. That would take him level with legendary quartet Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain, and you wouldn't bet against him passing them in the years to come.

Here's how to watch stage 19 of Tour de France 2026 from anywhere in the world. We've also listed the schedule, route and recent GC winners below.

Can you watch Stage 19 and 20 of Tour de France 2026 for free?

Yes. Tour de France 2026 is being shown on free-to-air SBS in Australia, with live streaming available through SBS on Demand.

It will also be shown free on S4C with Welsh commentary (UK), France TV (France), RTBF Auvio (Belgium), RaiPlay (Italy), RTVE Play (Spain) and NOS (Netherlands)

Free highlights are available in the UK daily, courtesy of Channel 5 and 5.

Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch Tour de France for free as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch stage 19 and 20 of Tour de France 2026

A VPN is handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to 75% off.

How to watch stage 19 and 20 of Tour de France 2026 in the US

Like every stage of the Tour de France 2026, Stage 19 and 20 are being shown live on Peacock in the US.

The Peacock price starts at $10.99/month or $109.99/year for a plan that carries live sports. However, you can access Peacock virtually for free with a Walmart Plus 30-day trial for $1.

Stage 20 will also be available to watch live on NBC, which is available through Sling – specifically the Blue plan, which starts at $45.99/month. It includes NBC, ABC and Fox in select locations, plus FS1, USA Network, FX and more.

Alternatively, NBC is also carried by Fubo, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, each of which offers a free trial to new users.

If you're traveling outside of the US, you can make use of NordVPN to catch the action.

How to watch stage 19 and 20 of Tour de France 2026

In the UK, TNT Sports has the exclusive rights to show Tour de France 2026 and will have live coverage of Stage 19 and 20.

You can add TNT Sports to your Sky, Virgin Media or EE TV package, or get an HBO Max plan that includes TNT Sports. Prices start at £25.99/month if you commit to a year.

Alternatively, you can catch the best of the action on free-to-air Channel 5, which will broadcast its daily Tour de France highlights show at 7pm BST. Streaming is available via the 5 platform.

If you're out of the UK but still want to tune in, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts from anywhere.

How to watch stage 19 and 20 of Tour de France 2026 in Australia

Free-to-air SBS is showing Tour de France 2026 in its entirety in Australia, with live streaming available via SBS on Demand, so that is the place to go to watch Stage 19 and 20.

Just create an account, using a valid Australia postcode (e.g. 2042).

Not in Australia right now? You can use a VPN like NordVPN to watch all the action as if you were back home.

How to watch stage 19 and 20 of Tour de France 2026 in Canada

Cycling fans in Canada wanting to watch Stage 19 and 20 should head to FloBikes, which is showing every stage of the 2026 Tour de France.

A subscription costs CA$49.99/month or CA$216/year.

Visiting Canada from Australia? Use NordVPN to watch free-to-air TdF coverage.

Tour de France 2026 Q&A

Stage 19 Profile

Stage 20 Profile

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• NordVPN has begun a server-by-server upgrade until the end of 2026
• Every machine gets a newer Linux distribution, kernel, and IP address
• App users should notice little beyond the occasional reconnection

NordVPN has kicked off a months-long overhaul of the software running its VPN servers, a rollout that started in July and will continue, one server at a time, until the end of 2026.

Despite the scale, this isn't a feature update. TechRadar's best VPN pick is replacing the foundations beneath its network: every standard VPN server is moving to a newer Linux distribution, picking up an updated kernel, and getting a reworked software stack.

The one change users can actually see is the addressing. Every upgraded server is issued a new IP, which is harmless if you use the NordVPN app, but a headache if you don't.

A new Linux base for every server

NordVPN frames the work as maintenance rather than a redesign, and is explicit that it won't add features or change how the service behaves. The stated payoff is a more flexible environment for its engineers to automate, maintain, and scale.

Four things are changing: a newer Linux distribution carrying current security fixes, newer kernels, an optimised software stack aimed at server efficiency, and a different IP address on every upgraded machine.

Each server needs a brief reboot to get there, which is less disruptive than it sounds given NordVPN runs a diskless, RAM-only fleet on hardware it owns and colocates in third-party data centres. That architecture has been examined repeatedly in the provider's Deloitte no-logs audits.

What you'll actually notice

Very little, for most people. NordVPN says app users don't need to do anything, and the client will reconnect automatically if the server you're on drops out mid-session. Expect a short interruption while that happens.

Recent releases were built with this in mind. The provider's July Linux release notes describe the app switching you to another server in the same country, city, or group when yours goes offline, with the kill switch standing guard during the handover.

There should be an upside once the dust settles: steadier performance at peak times, more traffic capacity per server, and fewer disruptions down the line.

That builds on April's milestone, when the network passed 100 Tbps of aggregate capacity across 211 locations in 135 countries, with servers deliberately run at roughly a third of their limit to leave headroom.

The exception: manual setups

If you connect manually, using OpenVPN config files on a router, a NAS, or a bare Linux box, your setup will stop working once the server it points at has been upgraded.

The fix is easy but not automatic — download replacement config files from the manual setup area of your Nord Account once the server is back online, then swap out the old ones. NordVPN says the new files carry a "Verified" badge so you can tell which are current.

"A circuit breaker." "Bring back hope." "Do better." That was Andy Burnham's promise to the nation on Monday as he became Britain's seventh Prime Minister in a decade. The digital rights community was watching closely — and they didn't have to wait long for action.

Before even stepping into Downing Street, on the previous Saturday, Burnham scrapped the controversial national digital ID plan. On day one, he sent fresh shockwaves by dismantling the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) entirely and merging it with the Business Department.

The question now is whether Burnham’s impetus for change will address the issues at the heart of the digital privacy debate.

According to the Policy and Campaigns Officer at Liberty, Anna Cardoso, the newly-formed cabinet is a prime opportunity for a "human-centred approach" to tech and privacy. "One that puts people, privacy and fundamental rights at its core," Cardoso told TechRadar.

But what does that actually look like in practice — and can the new government truly deliver?

Does Andy Burnham mean an end to Digital ID cards?

Keir Starmer’s BritCard was an unpopular policy among privacy-conscious citizens. Opponents to the programme then welcomed with excitement Burnham's decision to finally send the UK digital ID to the grave.

"We’ve done it," wrote Big Brother Watch's Director, Silkie Carlo, in a celebratory post on X, while Akiko Hart, Director at Liberty, called the move "a victory for civil liberties in the UK."

But Burnham's motivations to kill the proposal don't exactly come from privacy concerns. His decision was one of economics. Axing the BritCard means freeing up an estimated £600 million a year — from a policy no one wants — and using it for something citizens desperately desire, such as more support with the cost-of-living crisis.

In fact, Burnham told the Financial Times that he's not "arguing against the principle”. After all, he was a supporter of Tony Blair’s Identity Cards Act back in 2006.

"I think there’s a risk of an opportunity-cost situation here where something can consume a huge amount of time and actually doesn’t come through," he told the newspaper.

Does this mean that another form of BritCard be brought back when the time is right? Possibly.

Some commentators are already speculating that online ID checks may find a way to stick around.

Speaking with Al Jazeera, Alan Miller, co-founder of the campaign group Together, argues that other online government systems could evolve into a "de facto digital ID through creeping expansion".

Cardoso from Liberty agrees that killing one proposal isn't enough to sweep away all the concerns about digital forms of identification. Yet, she still considers it a huge step in the right direction. She told TechRadar:

"Whether or not digital ID returns in another form, any future proposal would need to demonstrate a clear public benefit, strong privacy protections, meaningful safeguards and robust democratic scrutiny. Those principles should apply regardless of who is in government."

Will Burnham really scrap Palantir's NHS deal?

The government's £330 million contract with Palantir to build the NHS's new Federated Data Platform (FDP) has also been a concern for Britain’s privacy-conscious citizens. Whether the wave of division on the subject has been one of geopolitics, morality or technical usability, data protection is at its core.

Some reports suggest that Burnham is already considering scrapping Palantir’s NHS contract. Something that, according to Palantir UK CEO Louis Mosley, "would be a terrible mistake".

While nothing is as yet confirmed, the Head of Tech and Data at Good Law Project, Duncan McCann, sees the political reshuffle as the best chance for the group’s campaign to remove Palantir from the UK's healthcare system to succeed, commenting to TechRadar that Burnham now represents "a beacon of at least an opportunity".

Burnham's track record in this area looks hopeful, too. During his almost decade as Mayor of Greater Manchester, municipal or public health departments did not award any contracts to the US surveillance tech giant.

And while McCann explains that Burnham may not necessarily be the one to credit for the decisions the city's public sector took on Palantir, it is an opportunity for hope of change at a national level.

As reported by Al Jazeera, Manchester’s NHS leaders spent six years building their own analytics infrastructure instead of adopting Palantir's FDP system, something that for Palantir critics became proof that effective NHS data management can be achieved without the help of the American company.

"It offers some real opportunity to show Manchester as an innovation hub," explained McCann, saying that the Good Law Project remains hopeful that this could fit well on Burnham's political agenda.

"It proves that we can do it ourselves and save money by doing that, while creating new jobs."

The Prime Minister's press office has already confirmed to reporters the guiding principle remains "getting value for money for the taxpayer" alongside the "need to be safeguarding people’s data and British interests", both of which fit neatly into McCann’s hopes.

As with the BritCard, then, it could be the financial angle that leads the digital rights community to have their concerns on Palantir and patients' privacy finally addressed.

Don’t expect much change to the UK’s approach to children's online safety

Keir Starmer dropped a digital rights bombshell in his last days of governance — an upcoming under-16s social media ban that privacy experts have already dubbed "a cybersecurity disaster waiting to happen".

But don’t expect Andy Burnham’s rise to power to change much here.

In an interview with The Times in April 2025, Burnham talked about the urgency to regulate social media platforms for teens. A concept he reiterated more recently, when he backed the Tories' call for a ban on under-16s from social media last January — as reported by The Guardian.

According to Policy Manager at the Open Rights Group, James Baker, that’s a clear sign that policies on social media will most likely remain unchanged.

"However, I'm not convinced it's going to work because it doesn't tackle the underlying root cause of what makes these platforms harmful," Baker told TechRadar, adding that evidence coming from Australia shows that young people can easily circumvent restrictions.

Baker argues that to really reassure British parents over their children’s online safety, we need a complete shift in policy.

"We need to tackle structural causes for harm instead, like the advertising business model causing platforms to come up with harmful loops that keep people online as long as possible," Baker told TechRadar.

That said, it also looks unlikely that Burnham will address privacy advocates’ concerns on mandatory age verification.

Back in 2016 — during the discussions around the controversial Investigatory Powers Act — Burnham took a strong stance against what he defined as "simplistic loyalties to the security or privacy lobbies", arguing that "such debates are pitched as a clash between two absolutes of privacy and security, where there can be no compromise and only one winner".

Baker agrees that the new Prime Minister probably isn't going to be a huge supporter of privacy causes. But he remains hopeful.

"So much time and energy has been spent trying to solve online safety with policies that haven't actually worked. Perhaps he will take a more pragmatic look and consider other, more cost-effective measures."

Again, economics may prove to be the deciding factor, shifting the conversation away from policies that experts fear will threaten digital freedoms.

So, what can we expect for Burnham on digital privacy?

By binning the digital ID proposal and the entire tech ministry within his first 36 hours of leadership, Andy Burnham proved he isn't afraid to move fast and break things. But as digital rights experts have made clear, a true 'circuit breaker' requires more than just stopping bad policy.

"Liberty wants policymakers to move away from a ‘technology first, questions later’ approach and instead place human rights at the heart of decision-making," Policy and Campaigns Officer Anna Cardoso told TechRadar.

She said that the real tests are yet to come on whether the government will be "willing to grapple seriously with the risks posed by surveillance technologies, AI and large-scale data collection."

Whether it comes from genuine concerns for digital privacy or a pragmatic way for closing the gap between politics and the public, it doesn’t much matter at this stage. If Burnham’s administration can weave privacy protections into his broader economic agenda, he might just deliver the positive vision for tech that advocates are desperate to see.

Until then, the digital rights community remains cautiously optimistic — holding its breath for the next move. As Baker from Open Rights Group puts it:

"We’ll try to give him a chance. Maybe he can do things a bit better."

• Premiere: Thursday, July 23
• Free Stream: TVNZ+ (New Zealand)
• Global stream: Paramount Plus
• Use NordVPN to watch Paramount Plus from anywhere

As Star Trek: Strange New Worlds continues its journey toward The Original Series, the USS Enterprise crew returns for another set of galaxy-spanning adventures. Season 4 will be the show’s penultimate season, bringing the story closer to the events of the iconic 1960s series, with the tagline promising fans it will go “one step closer to where it all began.”

Paul Wesley’s James T. Kirk is set to return as the series moves closer to his eventual command of the Enterprise, adding another chapter to the character’s evolution before he takes over the captain’s chair. Wesley has already put his own spin on the legendary role, following in the footsteps of William Shatner and Chris Pine.

The main crew is also back, including Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Ethan Peck as Spock, Rebecca Romijn as Number One, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Martin Quinn as Montgomery Scott, and Carol Kane as fan-favourite Commander Pelia.

While full season details remain secret, fans can expect more classic Star Trek exploration, with the Enterprise crew facing new dangers, meeting new characters, reconnecting with familiar faces, and continuing their mission to discover the unknown.

The TOS prequel series is a great balance of the philosophical fun of the original and the sci-fi spectacle of the modern movies, so read on for how to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 online and from anywhere.

Watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 for free

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is available to watch for free on TVNZ+.

All you need is an account and you can stream.

Outside New Zealand? Watch from anywhere with NordVPN.

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S4 from anywhere

For those away from home looking to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, you may be unable to watch the show like you normally would due to annoying regional restrictions. Luckily, there’s an easy solution.

Downloading a VPN allows you to stream online, no matter where you are. It's a simple bit of software that changes your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home.

Use a VPN to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 online from anywhere:

How to watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S4 around the world using Paramount+

What you need to know about Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 trailer

• Episode 1: "Valles Marineris" — Thursday, July 23
• Episode 2: "The Griffin Incident" — Thursday, July 30
• Episode 3: "Human Best Friend" — Thursday, August 6
• Episode 4: "A Case of Chiaroscuro" — Thursday, August 13
• Episode 5: "Level-Five Transporter Accident" — Thursday, August 20
• Episode 6: "Off-Hour" — Thursday, August 27
• Episode 7: "Like Chronitons Through the Hourglass" — Thursday, September 3
• Episode 8: "Orders of Magnitude" — Thursday, September 10
• Episode 9: "Once La’an a Time" — Thursday, September 17
• Episode 10: "Tomorrow’s Enterprise" — Thursday, September 24

Who is in the cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4?

• Anson Mount as Capt. Christopher Pike
• Rebecca Romijn as Number One
• Ethan Peck as Spock
• Jess Bush as Christine Chapel
• Christina Chong as La’An Noonien-Singh
• Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura
• Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas
• Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M’Benga
• Martin Quinn as Montgomery Scott
• Carol Kane as Commander Pelia
• Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• ExpressVPN has launched passkey sign-in for passwordless logins
• Passkeys are more resistant to phishing, but passwords remain a backup
• The feature arrives as part of a redesigned ExpressVPN+ dashboard

One of the best VPN providers is retiring the password, at least as a requirement.

ExpressVPN has added passkey sign-in, giving users a way to get into their account without typing anything at all.

Instead of a password, you sign in using the screen lock already on your device, such as a fingerprint or face scan. That means nothing extra to remember and nothing to key in each time.

The change was announced on Tuesday (July 21) and is part of a wider redesign of the ExpressVPN+ dashboard, which the company is turning into a single home for your entire subscription.

What is new in ExpressVPN+

ExpressVPN+ now supports passkeys, so you can reach your account without entering a password. The company notes this can make life easier when you are setting the VPN up on a new device.

The redesigned dashboard sits behind that login. Rather than hopping between separate apps and account pages, you get one view of what is protecting you, which products you have set up, and anything that needs attention.

Depending on your ExpressVPN plans and regions, ExpressVPN says it can pull in insights from tools like ExpressKeys and Identity Defender, and you can also buy and manage holiday.com travel eSIMs from the same place.

How passkeys work, and why they are safer

A passkey swaps your password for a pair of cryptographic keys. The public key lives on the service's server while the private key stays locked on your device, and no shared secret ever travels across the network for an attacker to intercept.

That design is what makes passkeys resistant to phishing: there is no password to trick you out of, and the credential only works on the genuine ExpressVPN sign-in page.

It is an approach Apple, Google, and Microsoft have all backed, and one ExpressVPN has already brought to its ExpressKeys password manager.

To enable one, sign in to your ExpressVPN account, select your profile in the top-right corner, choose Account & Billing, and follow the prompts to add a passkey.

If you use ExpressKeys, you can save the passkey there alongside your other logins. And if you would rather stick with what you know, your password will keep working as another way in.

• Commonwealth Games 2026 run from Thursday, July 23 to Sunday, August 2
• FREE streams: 7Plus (Australia) / CBC Gem (Canada)
• Stream on TNT Sports (UK) / beIN SPORTS (US)
• Use NordVPN to watch from anywhere

Watch Commonwealth Games 2026 live streams as Josh Kerr, Emma Finucane and Adam Peaty headline a star-studded cast ready to shine across 11 days in Glasgow.

More than 3,000 athletes from 74 nations will compete for 215 gold medals across 10 sports (16 disciplines, including para sports), with the opening ceremony at the OVO Hydro indoor arena kicking off the festivities.

Keep reading to discover how to watch Commonwealth Games 2026 online from anywhere – starting with those FREE options.

Today at the Games

(All times BST)

10am – Athletics (Men's shot put F55-57, Men's triple jump, Men's 1500m T53/54, Women's 10,000m race walk, Men's discus, Men's 400m, Women's 400m, Women's 200m T37/38 finals)

11am – Boxing (Women's bantamweight 54kg, Women's featherweight 57kg, Women's welterweight 65kg, Men's bantamweight 55kg, Men's welterweight 65kg, Men's light-middleweight 70kg, Men's heavyweight 90kg finals)

3pm – Track cycling (Men's tandem B sprint, Women's tandem B 1000m time trial, Women's 25km point race, Women's 1000m time trial, Men's sprint, Men's 10km scratch race finals)

4pm – Judo (Men's -73kg, Women's -63kg, Men's -81kg, Women's -70kg, Men's -90kg finals)

4.30pm – Boxing (Women's flyweight 51kg, Women's lightweight 60kg, Women's light-middleweight 70kg, Women's middleweight 75kg, Men's lightweight 60kg, Men's light-heavyweight 80kg, Men's super-heavyweight +90kg finals)

7pm – Athletics (Men's pole vault, Women's long jump, Women's 400m T54, Women's javelin, Men's 5000m, Men's 4x100m relay, Women's 4x100m relay, Men's 800m, Men's 1-mile, Mixed 4x400m relay, Women's 1-mile finals)

• 🇦🇺 Australia: 7Plus
• 🇨🇦 Canada: CBC Gem 
• 🇳🇿 New Zealand: ThreeNow (some events free)
• 🇬🇧 UK: Channel 5 (daily highlights)
• Outside these countries — use NordVPN (75% Off)

Abroad during the games? You can use NordVPN (try 100% risk-free) to watch all the action free of charge as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch any Commonwealth Games 2026 stream

Taking place from July 23 to August 2, Commonwealth Games 2026 coincides with peak summer vacation season. Unfortunately, you may find that your usual streaming options are geoblocked while you’re away.

That’s where a VPN comes in handy – not only does it let you access your home streaming services from anywhere, but it also protects you from potential online threats. We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and will unblock any free streaming service for you to watch the action.

Using a VPN is incredibly simple:

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting the US and want to view your usual Australian service, you'd select an Australia-based server from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to your usual local streaming service and watch the games.

How to watch Commonwealth Games 2026 live streams in the US

Live streams of Commonwealth Games 2026 are on beIN SPORTS in the US.

Fans in the US can watch every second on beIN SPORTS CONNECT. This will also give you access to the main beIN Sports channel which will have key action live.

beIN SPORTS subscriptions are available from $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year.

Outside the US during the Commonwealth Games? Use NordVPN to access your beIN SPORTS streams.

How to watch Commonwealth Games 2026 live streams in Canada

CBC has the rights to broadcast Commonwealth Games 2026 for FREE.

You can watch some events on TV via the free-to-air CBC Sports or, for much more comprehensive live and on-demand coverage, head to its CBC Gem streaming platform.

If you aren't in Canada for the games, simply use a VPN to tune in from overseas.

How to watch Commonwealth Games 2026 live streams in the UK and Ireland

Coverage of Commonwealth Games 2026 in the UK and Ireland will be provided by TNT Sports.

TNT Sports are the live broadcast partner of the games in the UK and Ireland and will show every event on its streaming partner HBO Max.

Plans start at £25.99 per month, with rolling subscriptions available at £30.99.

If you just want to watch highlights, these will be free-to-air on Channel 5 every day.

Make sure to use NordVPN if you're out of Blighty or Ireland during the games.

How to watch Commonwealth Games 2026 live streams in Australia

Fans in Australia can watch live coverage of Commonwealth Games 2026 for free on Channel 7 and its streaming website 7Plus.

If you're currently out of Australia but want to watch free Commonwealth Games live streams, you'll need to get yourself a VPN as per the instructions above.

Commonwealth Games 2026 Preview

Kerr arrives in Glasgow fresh from breaking the men's mile world record in London last Saturday, in a time of 3mins 42.66secs. The Scot goes for gold in the return of the historic Commonwealth Mile, as he aims to add another medal to his World Championship gold in 2023 and Olympic silver two years ago.

The track and field line-up also includes England's Zharnel Hughes in the 200m, global superstars Shericka Jackson and Andre De Grasse representing Jamaica and Canada respectively in the 4x100m relays, and a highly-anticipated javelin showdown between India's Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, the two most recent Olympic champions.

Welsh rocket Emma Finucane is one to watch in the track cycling, with the 23-year-old aiming to add Commonwealth glory in the women's sprint to her Olympic, world and European golds. There will also be plenty of attention on Matthew Richardson, who claimed gold in the sprint and team sprint for Australia in Birmingham four years ago but has since switched allegiance to England, the country of his birth.

In the pool, Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Adam Peaty goes in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events as he looks to make waves for England. Meanwhile, South Africa's Chad Le Clos - who beat Michael Phelps to 200m butterfly gold way back at London 2012 - needs one medal to become the most decorated male athlete in Commonwealth Games history, having already stood on the podium 18 times.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Proton VPN's Stealth protocol is now available in beta for Linux GUI users
• The obfuscation feature disguises VPN traffic to better evade censorship
• It is currently supported on Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora distros

In a major win for open-source enthusiasts, Proton VPN has officially launched its proprietary Stealth protocol in beta for Linux. Known for being one of the best VPN services on the market, the Swiss provider is continuing its push to bring the Linux experience up to par with its Windows and Mac counterparts.

Announced on its official Reddit account, the release introduces powerful obfuscation capabilities to the platform. In simple terms, the Stealth protocol makes your VPN connection look like regular, unencrypted internet traffic, allowing you to bypass aggressive internet blocks and firewalls in highly censored regions.

Speaking directly to TechRadar, the Proton VPN team confirmed the rollout, noting the strong demand from the open-source community. "Our Linux community has been vocal about their desire to receive Stealth protocol support, and we're pleased to now make this a reality," a Proton spokesperson said.

Being a beta release means that users may encounter instability and bugs. That's why Proton encourages users to report any issues. "We welcome as much user feedback as possible," Proton told TechRadar.

Proton also confirms that Stealth is only available on the Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora distros at the moment, with more coming by the end of the summer. If you are looking to test the feature today, it is worth noting that it is currently limited to the Proton VPN Linux GUI (graphical user interface) app.

Flying under the radar: Why Stealth matters for Linux

Authoritarian governments, restrictive internet service providers (ISPs), and strict workplace network administrators frequently use a technique called Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) to detect and block VPN traffic.

Standard VPN protocols, like OpenVPN and WireGuard, have distinct cryptographic signatures. Even if your data is securely encrypted, DPI can analyze the metadata of your connection, spot those signatures, and immediately cut your access to the broader web.

Obfuscated servers, like those utilized by Proton's Stealth protocol, strip away this identifying metadata. By wrapping the connection to make it look like standard HTTPS web traffic, Stealth effectively hides the fact that you are using a VPN in the first place.

As Proton notes, "Linux users now have an effective, straightforward way to disguise their VPN traffic. The Stealth protocol helps avoid Deep Packet Inspection, and makes it harder for a VPN to be detected and blocked."

Stealth protocol is now available in beta on Linux from r/ProtonVPN

The Stealth beta release is part of a much broader strategy to revamp Proton's offerings for Linux.

Over the past year, we have seen the provider promise a complete Linux makeover, bringing parity across its desktop clients. Since then, the company has delivered official one-click installs to the Snap store, introduced better stability updates, and most recently, expanded its capabilities with a new split-tunneling feature.

Bringing Stealth to Linux fulfills one of the major promises Proton made earlier this year. It also reaffirms that users running open-source operating systems aren't left behind when it comes to vital anti-censorship tools.

While CLI (Command Line Interface) users will have to wait a little longer, this GUI beta is a massive step forward for digital freedom.

Beware of low-price or early stock Samsung Galaxy pre-orders after the July 22 Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event. They might be too good to be true.

Scammers will be praying on those looking for stocks of the just-announced Flip 8 and Fold 8 handsets and anyone looking for a cut-price deal or an early release unit should watch where they browse.

There will be fake shops out there ready to take your money, your identity and maybe drop you some malware all at the same time.

There are some simple things you can do before you buy, though. Check the URL of the store you're in. It may look like one you know but AI has made it incredibly easy to create and clone pages that look legitimate.

If you don't recognise the store and it's offering a Samsung Galaxy deal or Flip and Fold 8 stock that you can't find anywhere else, then it's very likely a scam.

There are free tools you can use, such as link checkers from the likes of Google and NordVPN. These will, analyse the page before you have to click on the link, and will let you know if the page has been compromised in any way, i.e. if there is any malware or phishing attacks waiting on the other side.

They're excellent in any situation where you're not sure about a link you're looking at or have been sent.

To keep yourself super safe, though, an extra layer of protection is advisable. There are browsers that can keep your more secure but it's hard to beat a browser that isn't even on your device in the first place.

IPVanish is a VPN that comes with a unique feature called Secure Browser which does just this. It's cloud-based software that you connect to from your device and then use to go online.

Because the browser isn't actually on your phone or laptop, it means that any site or service you access has no knowledge of you or your device at all. It can't follow you with trackers or cookies and it can't upload any malware or nasty code because it can't see you at all.

Combine that with the link checker and you'll avoid getting taken in by the fake shops and scams.

IPVanish is one of the VPNs we recommend. It's cheap, at $2.19 per month, and comes with a fast and wide spread server network which means you'll get good internet connection speeds when using it, and will be able to use an IP address that makes you appear to be in almost any country in the world.

There are more high spec, and more expensive, VPNs out there but you won't find any with a feature like Secure Browser too.

Do take a look at IPVanish if you want to add a little more safety to your surfing, and please be careful when you're searching for deals at any big events like Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026.

• NordVPN releases a free-to-use AI tool that evaluates suspicious content
• NordBot aims to stop users from falling victim to social media scams
• It integrates directly with WhatsApp, Telegram, X, Instagram, Messenger

We all know the feeling of receiving a text about a missed delivery fee or a bizarre link from a friend's hacked Instagram account. As phishing tactics grow increasingly sophisticated, the maker of TechRadar's top-rated best VPN has launched a new tool to give you a much-needed second opinion before you click.

Today, NordVPN announced the launch of NordBot, an AI-powered agent designed to detect suspicious content across social media and messaging apps.

Developed by NordLabs, the company's experimental innovation hub, the tool allows users to quickly verify messages, URLs, and images directly within their favorite platforms.

Attackers constantly impersonate brands, support teams, recruiters, and even friends, often relying on urgency to push victims into sending money or clicking malicious links. The goal is to intercept scams where they are most prevalent.

"Scams follow you everywhere now, and they blend right into places you already trust. They show up in your DMs, your group chats, and the comments under a post you were just scrolling past," says Domininkas Virbickas, Product Director at NordVPN.

By evaluating content on the fly, NordBot aims to stop users from falling victim to fake giveaways and AI-generated imagery.

How NordBot works

Unlike standalone security apps that require you to copy and paste the suspicious content into a separate browser window, NordBot is designed to live where the conversations happen.

It currently supports Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, X, and WhatsApp (via the number +1 940-616-6302), with Reddit integration reportedly coming soon.

Using the tool is straightforward. Whenever you spot a suspicious delivery notice or an unfamiliar link, you simply share the content with NordBot via a direct message or tag it under a public post — depending on the platform.

NordBot only checks the specific content you send it — analyzing the data before replying with a quick safety verdict — to return one of four clear signals.

Safe if the content shows no clear signs of danger. Suspicious means it contains elements that deserve caution. Dangerous when it appears likely to be harmful or deceptive. AI-generated is reserved for content that looks created or heavily altered by AI.

However, the company warns that the bot isn't foolproof.

Because any AI tool can occasionally miss risky content or flag harmless messages, NordBot should act as an extra safety signal rather than a total replacement for good digital hygiene or NordVPN’s built-in next-gen antivirus.

Users are still urged to never share sensitive information, such as passwords, payment details, or one-time codes, with unknown senders.

NordLabs' trackrecord in fighting scams

NordBot is the latest project to emerge from the NordLabs initiative. Other releases include experimental tools like an AI voice checker to spot audio deepfakes and a dedicated link-checking tool.

Virbickas confirmed to TechRadar that NordBot is built on the same scam-detection technology and link-checking engines that power its existing NordLabs tools. What's new is NordBot's capability of detecting AI-generated images, which works by extracting and analyzing any text found in images.

"So, it's a combination of proven, battle-tested detection technology and new capabilities, delivered where people need it most," added Virbickas.

As with any other NordLabs release, NordBot is also completely free for anyone to use and does not require an active NordVPN subscription.

• Surfshark's study puts total recorded deepfake fraud losses at $3.7 billion
• Social media is the leading origin point, accounting for 47% of losses
• 2025 and 2026 alone are responsible for 89% of the damage

Deepfakes have graduated from an internet curiosity into a serious financial threat.

New research from Surfshark finds that people have now lost at least $3.7 billion to deepfake fraud, and the pace of that damage is accelerating sharply.

The study also traced where these scams tend to begin, and one channel stands out above all others. Social media is the single largest origin point, accounting for 47% of all recorded losses.

Running the best VPN will encrypt your traffic and hide your IP address, but it cannot stop a convincing fake video of a celebrity or a cloned voice on the phone from talking you out of your savings.

Social media is the biggest source of deepfake fraud

The scale of the problem has changed almost overnight.

According to Surfshark's data, losses totalled just $83 million between 2020 and 2023, then climbed to $335 million in 2024, surged to $2.5 billion in 2025, and had already reached $764 million in the first half of 2026. Together, 2025 and 2026 account for 89% of all recorded losses.

Most of these losses come from criminals using deepfakes of celebrities and public figures to push fraudulent investment schemes on social media.

"A single deepfake video can go viral in hours, reaching millions of potential victims before it's detected or removed. No other channel offers that kind of reach at zero cost," explains Luís Costa, Research Lead at Surfshark.

Not every viral fake causes harm, though. Costa points out that an innocent deepfake of a footballer during the World Cup might rack up millions of views without costing anyone a penny, while a fake government post promoting a dubious investment scheme can drain thousands of dollars from a single victim.

The threat is spreading beyond your feed

Social media is only part of the picture. Impersonation fraud, where criminals use deepfakes to pose as real people or bypass identity checks, is the second-largest category at $911 million — or 25% of losses.

Fake job candidate schemes, in which AI-generated interviews are used to infiltrate hiring processes, added a further $100 million. These scams are expected to rise, too. As TechRadar previously reported, a 39% spike in "deepfake-as-a-service" chatter on the dark web could end up fueling the next wave of "fake boss" scams.

Everyday communication channels are increasingly in the firing line as well, contributing $174 million between them: phone calls ($71 million), video platforms ($62 million), and messaging apps ($41 million).

The FBI's latest Internet Crime Report also logged $893 million in AI-related losses for 2025, with AI-assisted investment fraud alone accounting for $632 million.

A separate Surfshark experiment found that nearly half of people cannot reliably tell a bot from a human online.

How to stay safe

As Costa puts it, "awareness is the only effective defense when a familiar voice or face can no longer be trusted implicitly".

For personal calls and messages, he suggests setting up a family "safe word" you can use with loved ones to confirm identity when a request feels urgent or out of character.

On video calls, a "glitch test" can help too. Ask the other person to wave a hand in front of their face, as deepfakes often blur or distort when facial features are obscured.

TechRadar has more advice on catching convincing AI images and deepfakes if you want to sharpen your eye.

• VPN providers aren't liable for copyright infringement, said the EU Court
• The Court explicitly recognized VPNs as "lawful technical tools"
• The case centered on the copyright battle involving Anne Frank's diary

In a major victory for digital rights and common sense, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has officially categorized Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) as "lawful technical tools" while establishing new boundaries for online copyright disputes.

The landmark judgment — handed down in July 2026 — stems from a complex legal battle over the online publication of Anne Frank's historical manuscripts. At its core, the case forced Europe's top judges to answer a highly technical question: if a publisher actively tries to block visitors from a specific country, are they still breaking the law if a user sneaks past the digital border using circumvention software?

According to the CJEU, the answer is no. As long as a website employs "state-of-the-art" geo-blocking technology, the publisher cannot be held liable for copyright infringement simply because a determined reader decides to fire up the best VPN to bypass the restrictions.

The ruling sets a massive precedent. It confirms that copyright holders cannot point to the mere existence of VPNs to claim a website's security measures are completely ineffective.

More importantly for privacy advocates, the court firmly pushed back against the demonization of privacy software, cementing the legitimate status of VPN providers across the European Union.

The Anne Frank dispute explained

The legal tug-of-war began when a coalition of Dutch and Belgian academic institutions published a free, scholarly online edition of Anne Frank's manuscripts.

Because copyright laws are not fully harmonized across Europe, the legal status of the famous diary varies by territory. In Belgium and roughly 60 other countries, the writings entered the public domain years ago. However, in the Netherlands, parts of the text remain protected by copyright until 2037.

To respect this territorial divide, the publishers hosted the site in Belgium and used geo-blocking to prevent access from Dutch IP addresses. Visitors from the Netherlands were met with a notice explaining why they couldn't enter the site.

The Anne Frank Fonds, which holds the Dutch copyright, sued. They argued that because standard VPNs easily allow users to mask their true IP address and spoof a Belgian location, the scholarly website was effectively communicating the protected work to the Dutch public.

The CJEU ultimately rejected this argument. In its judgment, the court noted that while geo-blocking measures can inevitably be circumvented, "the possibility of such circumvention cannot, in itself and in all circumstances, be a decisive factor in finding those measures to be inadequate and, therefore, ineffective."

Why this matters for the internet and VPN users

For everyday internet users, the "So What?" of this ruling is deeply reassuring. It validates that using a VPN to encrypt your online traffic, hide your IP address, or bypass digital borders is a legitimate use of consumer technology.

The judges explicitly shielded VPN companies from collateral damage in piracy lawsuits, a topic that has sparked intense debate among European ISPs and rightsholders. The court specifically argued that the provider of a VPN or similar services is not liable for users bypassing restrictions.

By placing the legal burden on publishers to maintain "state-of-the-art" digital fences, rather than demanding absolute, impossible perfection, the EU has drawn a pragmatic line in the sand.

Publishers aren't expected to build unhackable walls, and VPN providers aren't responsible for the actions of users who climb over them. Ultimately, this ruling proves that the borderless internet can still coexist with territorial copyright laws, provided everyone uses the right technical safeguards.

• World Matchplay Darts 2026 runs from Saturday, July 18 to Sunday, July 26
• Watch free on VTM (Belgium) / L'Equipe (France)
• Streams: Sky Sports (UK) / ESPN (US) / Fox Sports, Kayo Sports (Aus)
• Use NordVPN to watch from anywhere

World Matchplay Darts 2026 is well underway at Blackpool's Winter Gardens, with Luke Littler aiming to add yet more silverware to his trophy cabinet as he looks to retain the crown he won for the first time 12 months ago.

World No. 1 Littler headlines the bill as the top 16 players in the PDC World Rankings and the top 16 in the PDC ProTour Order of Merit do battle across nine days in one of the eight major events on the calendar. The 19-year-old, who beat James Wade in the 2025 final, is already one step closer to adding a second crown after seeing off Niko Springer 10-6 in the first round.

However, there has already been a shock in the opening round, with Littler's closest rival, Luke Humphries, defeated at the first hurdle. The Leeds-born star lost 10-7 to Cameron Menzies.

Littler will still face plenty of competition, though, with the likes of Michael van Gerwen, Gian van Veen, Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton all eager to upset the 19-year-old.

You won’t want to miss any of the action, so read on to discover how to watch World Matchplay Darts 2026 online from anywhere, including free streams.

Can I watch World Matchplay Darts 2026 for free?

World Matchplay Darts 2026 is free-to-air in select countries.

L'Equipe is providing free broadcast to darts fans in France, while VTM is showing live coverage in Belgium at no cost.

Abroad? You can use a VPN to watch all the action free of charge as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch World Matchplay Darts 2026 from anywhere

A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, thereby letting you unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with a 70% discount.

Using a VPN is incredibly simple:

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favourite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting the US and want to view your usual UK service, you'd select a UK-based server from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to your usual local streaming service and watch the darts.

How to watch World Matchplay Darts 2026 live streams in the UK

World Matchplay Darts 2026 is broadcast by Sky Sports in the UK. Subscribers can watch every session live on Sky Sports Darts and Sky Sports Main Event.

Sky Sports packages start from £20 per month, or you can use a more flexible streaming option, Now (formerly Now TV). Now Sports Memberships start at £14.99 for a day pass.

Away from the country and want to access the Sky Go app or Now? We recommend NordVPN to unblock your stream.

How to watch World Matchplay Darts 2026 live streams in Australia

Fox Sports has the broadcasting rights to World Matchplay Darts 2026 in Australia, which means cord-cutters can live stream the action on the brilliant streaming service Kayo Sports.

A subscription starts at $29.99 per month, though you can pay $45.99 per month for simultaneous streaming on two devices. Whichever plan you choose, new users get a free 7-day trial.

Remember: Use a VPN to access Kayo when outside of Australia.

How to watch World Matchplay Darts 2026 in the US

You can catch all the World Matchplay Darts 2026 action on ESPN Select in America, with ESPN2 also showing the final session on Sunday, July 26. Prices start from $12.99/month, or $129.99/year.

In the US this week and want to access the live streams you'd normally watch at home? Try NordVPN risk-free.

World Matchplay Darts 2026 - Need to Know

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• The Hundred 2026: Tuesday, July 21 – Sunday, August 16
• Stream The Hundred 2026 free on BBC iPlayer (UK)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)

Now in its sixth year, The Hundred returns bigger and better than ever before after some significant investment into the unique 100-ball tournament. There’s a host of new owners, three teams have changed their names and a brand new combined men’s and women’s trophy is up for grabs.

This brand new innovation sees a trophy awarded to the Hundred team performing best across both the men’s and women’s competitions. Every win, whether in the group stage, eliminators or the final, will be worth four points, with the totals added up to deliver a combined score for each franchise.

In addition to these changes, teams are now allowed to have four overseas players in the playing XI. The tournament also held a player auction for the first time, with England white-ball captain Harry Brook the most expensive signing after staying with SunRisers Leeds (formerly the Northern Superchargers) for £460,000.

MI London (formerly the Oval Invincibles) are going in search of a fourth straight men’s title and have retained some key players in Sam Curran and Will Jacks, as well as adding Afghanistan leg-spin maestro Rashid Khan. Reigning women’s champions SunRisers also made a big statement of intent by securing England all-rounder Dani Gibson for a huge £190k in the auction.

Read on below for a complete guide to where to watch The Hundred 2025 live streams online, on TV and potentially for free.

Can I watch The Hundred 2026 for free?

The Hundred 2026 will have select games free to watch on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer., including the opener and final.

Find the full BBC schedule at the bottom of the page.

You'll need a VPN to prevent you from getting geoblocked if you're abroad right now. We recommend NordVPN.

How to watch any The Hundred 2026 live streams using a VPN

A VPN is handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to 75% off.

How to watch The Hundred 2026 live streams in the US

Willow TV is the place to watch The Hundred 2026 in the US.

Sling TV's Desi Binge Plus or Dakshin Flex plans are the easiest way to access the channel. Prices start from $10 per month.

Abroad? Use NordVPN to watch The Hundred around the world.

How to watch The Hundred 2026 live streams in the UK

Sky Sports will broadcast The Hundred in the UK.

Prices start at £20 per month at present if you are an existing Sky subscriber with new customers pricing starting at £35/month.

BBC Two and on BBC iPlayer will also have 16 of the matches across the tournament. Remember to create an account and have a valid TV license and UK postcode.

Traveling abroad this summer? Use NordVPN to access your preferred coverage of The Hundred.

How to watch The Hundred 2026 live streams in Australia

The Hundred 2026 is available on Fox Cricket via Foxtel in Australia, with live streaming available via Kayo Sports.

Kayo Sports offer a 7-day free trial with packages starting at AU$29.99/month.

Those traveling outside of Oz can Use NordVPN to watch The Hundred.

The Hundred 2026: FAQs

What is The Hundred fixture list?

What games are on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer?

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• A digital rights group unveils a new version of its free, open-source VPN
• FreeSocks v2 adds Xray-based pluggable proxy to evade VPN blocks
• Post-quantum encryption has also been added for maximum security

With state-sponsored internet blocks growing more sophisticated worldwide, ordinary citizens are finding it increasingly difficult to stay connected. Now, one privacy-focused non-profit is fighting back by completely rebuilding its popular censorship circumvention tool.

Unredacted, a US-based non-profit dedicated to internet freedom, has launched the second generation of its free VPN service, FreeSocks. First released in 2023, the original service successfully issued over 60,000 access keys to users trapped behind digital firewalls.

However, as Unredacted noted in a blog post, censors have refined their blocking skills and become more efficient in blocking VPN and proxy protocols designed to circumvent Internet censorship. "We realized we needed to build FreeSocks from the ground up via a highly flexible system," the group explains.

Today (July 20), Unredeacted announced the new version of the app, adding that "It's now time to punch more holes in the closed Internet."

FreeSocks v2 is now live and promises to provide an incredibly powerful, fully anonymous alternative designed specifically for high-risk environments.

Unredacted’s mission against a closing web

Why the urgent need for a censorship-resistant VPN? 2025 was the worst year on record for internet shutdowns, and state censors are deploying increasingly advanced deep packet inspection (DPI) to identify and block traditional proxy traffic.

Unredacted’s stated mission is to "Operate with absolute transparency, morality, and empathy to directly benefit users and citizens globally." As governments crack down, everyday users, like Iranians overcoming unprecedented internet censorship, are forced into a daily struggle to access outside information.

This mirrors global trends where VPN providers have radically adapted how they dodge blocking technology. Rather than relying on easily identifiable connections, modern circumvention demands dynamic VPN obfuscation technology.

Unredacted embraces this approach by shifting away from the easily blocked Outline (Shadowsocks) protocols to a new primary backend running Xray.

By supporting pluggable proxy backends, FreeSocks v2 can instantly pivot if censors catch on. This ongoing cat-and-mouse game continues to pose a broader question to the industry: is the future of censorship-resistant VPNs no VPNs at all?

Upgraded privacy, hardware, and post-quantum encryption

Beyond evading blocks, FreeSocks v2 offers aggressive privacy guarantees. Users don't need an email or password to sign up. Instead, solving a proof-of-work challenge generates a random 32-digit account number. Furthermore, Unredacted explicitly confirms: "The application never stores a client IP address anywhere – not even hashed."

Security is also heavily bolstered by hybrid post-quantum encryption. FreeSocks v2 adds X-Wing, a hybrid protocol that combines classical X25519 and post-quantum ML-KEM-768 algorithms. In simple terms, it ensures that your data remains secure even against hypothetical future quantum computers designed to break modern encryption.

Crucially, Unredacted is cutting ties with third-party hosting, too. "FreeSocks v2 is launching fully on hardware that we own, colocated in Kansas City, MO," the team confirmed. This hardware ownership prevents upstream providers from interfering with user traffic or handing over server logs.

While the core service remains free, users can purchase an optional $5 monthly membership to remove traffic limits. Unredacted also accepts cryptocurrency and fiat donations.

In a unique philanthropic twist, every donation made to the platform directly funds a shared bandwidth bonus that is automatically split across all free users on the network every month.