‘You’ll rarely experience spy-movie stealth or the constant frustration of corporate geofences.’ How 24 hours connected to a VPN changed my perspective on personal data security

I’d hoped this article would be a bit more exciting to write. Instead, I've just been left with a sense of safety that's a little dull, but satisfying nonetheless.

Between the House of Lords voting to restrict their use for children and streaming services taking VPN services to court, these tools are often framed as a legislative nightmare. For the average user, though, you’ll rarely experience spy-movie stealth or the constant frustration of corporate geofences.

Instead, you’ll have a tool that you install, turn on once, and forget about.

Don’t believe me? I just spent 24 hours with every device I own connected to a VPN in support of Data Protection Day 2026. Here are some of the most common VPN myths I encountered – and dispelled – throughout the day.

You’re constantly going to be victim to data ...