VPN usage is skyrocketing right now in the UK and the US

NordVPN being used on a smartphone
Ute efter bästa gratis VPN-tjänst? Här är vår uppdaterade topplista med alternativen som är bäst i test just nu. (Image credit: Future)

VPNs have now become mainstream at least in the US according to a new survey that compared VPN usage in both the UK and US.

Wombat Security surveyed 1,000 users in both countries to gauge how recent developments such as the Investigatory Powers Act in the UK and new ISP rights in the US have affected consumer opinion regarding using a VPN to access the Internet.

The results of the survey revealed that 65 per cent of respondents in the US had used a VPN on either a corporate or a personal device, while only 44 per cent of those surveyed in the UK said that they had used a VPN (including free VPNs).

23 per cent of UK respondents said that though they knew what a VPN was, they still chose not to use one which is also higher than 16 per cent in the US. 

 

Surprisingly as many as 33 per cent of UK respondents did not even know what a VPN was compared to 19 per cent in the US.

The Internet is not private nor is it a safe space and whether you like it or not your activities online will be visible to others without the added protection and security of a VPN.

Some of the most popular uses for a VPN include staying safe on public Wi-Fi, shopping online securely, protecting oneself against government snooping or ISP tracking, avoiding having your bandwidth throttled now that net neutrality has been revoked and removing geo-restrictions and blocks when traveling.

Recent events worldwide and increased cyber threats are quickly turning VPNs into a household name among both businesses and consumers.

Desire Athow
Managing Editor, TechRadar Pro

Désiré has been musing and writing about technology during a career spanning four decades. He dabbled in website builders and web hosting when DHTML and frames were in vogue and started narrating about the impact of technology on society just before the start of the Y2K hysteria at the turn of the last millennium.