VPNer

A VPNer is an individual who uses a virtual private network (VPN) to route internet traffic through an encrypted tunnel to a VPN server, often to conceal online activity and protect data in transit. The term is informal and used in online communities.

Motivations include privacy protection from network surveillance and advertisers, security on public Wi-Fi, avoiding price discrimination and censorship by masking location, and accessing region-restricted content.

Typical practices involve selecting servers in various jurisdictions, using encryption protocols (such as OpenVPN, WireGuard), enabling features like kill switch or DNS leak protection, and sometimes using split tunneling to route only certain apps through the VPN.

The term generally describes a user rather than a provider; VPNers typically use consumer VPN services, while organizations may deploy corporate VPNs for employees. The relationship to providers is that the VPNer's experience depends on the service's privacy policy, jurisdiction, and technical robustness.

Legal and practical considerations include that VPN usage is lawful in most countries but subject to local regulations; some regions ban or restrict VPNs, while some services may block traffic from known VPN servers. Trust and data handling vary by provider, and a VPN does not make a user invisible to all monitoring.

Related topics include virtual private network, online privacy, and encryption.