I don’t know how likely that is. But I was a bit too quick in my judgement, on public networks a VPN does ass significant protection to HTTP connections. Not really on home networks, mobile networks or well-secured public/office networks though.

I honestly don’t know how much risk your data is at after leaving the tunnel. Luckily most things are HTTPS now.

Your data still travels across the internet unencrypted. It only protects you on the LAN level.

While ISPs are in many jurisdictions obligated to log your connections (data retentions laws), VPN providers are not.

It’s not just all about encrypting traffic. Many people connect to the internet over a static IP most of the time from their home network. A VPN provides protection against tracking in this case.

A VPN doesn’t do much to protect HTTP connections.

That, unlike your ISP, isn’t obligated by law to log the connections you make (‘data retention’). Depending on the jurisdictions.

HTTPS, sure. But your ISP can and will create a pretty comprehensive social graph about you using only metadata (server IPs or hostnames). Where I live, all home networks basically have a static IP. Also, besides a commercial incentive, ISPs are also mandated to log your connections. VPNs are not.

Official link to ruling (in Dutch): https://deeplink.rechtspraak.nl/uitspraak?id=ECLI:NL:RBOBR:2024:2069

Snapshot of translation: https://archive.ph/JKdbV

People really do fall for this. I believe this mainly affects the elderly. Not anyone using Lemmy, but it really does exist.

I do, luckily. But I’d rather not use any Meta apps.

I guess I’m at least lucky that marketplace isn’t used here primarily.

Meta

Right. I’m still used to the parent company being named Facebook.

Right. So arguably better than WhatsApp, where each users’ contact books, profile photos, bios, and each group chat name, picture and description is not E2E. But to call it ‘private’ is not logical, looking at the alternatives, of which some are much more private.

Say the US government, in a worst-case scenario in which it constantly monitors all traffic that goes through Signal’s data centers, can ‘only’ see phone numbers, IP addresses and timestamps, right? Or am I forgetting something here?

I want to quit Facebook so badly, but I NEED to use WhatsApp. Family, friends, work even. All informal and semi-formal chats go through WhatsApp where I live.

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Except for charging AirPods