Why Do People Use VPNs?

 

The Story Behind the Numbers

Survey data shows that people use VPNs mainly for safety and privacy, not just for streaming or bypassing blocks. About 80% say they use a VPN for increased security, and 66% want to protect their personal information. Half of respondents use a VPN on public Wi-Fi, where unprotected traffic is easier to snoop on.

Broader tracking also shows cyber operations are highly concentrated globally, which helps explain why many users default to encryption as a routine habit. VPNs are also a way to gain more control over who sees what you do online. Around 33% use them to mask internet activity, while 30% connect VPN use with two-factor authentication as part of a broader security setup. Smaller groups point to stronger encryption (18%), employer requirements (16%), protecting employer data (6%), or avoiding ads (6%). Together, these reasons show that VPNs are now a mainstream security tool.

Why This Data is Important

When most users choose “increased security” and “protect personal information,” it shows that VPNs have moved from a niche tool to a standard part of many people’s security setup. A VPN routes traffic through an encrypted tunnel, which makes it harder for local snoops, internet providers, Wi-Fi owners, or ad trackers to see what users are doing online. That aligns closely with the strong focus on security, privacy, and safer use of public Wi-Fi in the survey results.

At the same time, many people want more control over how much of their activity can be traced back to them, not just protection from obvious attacks. Masking internet activity and pairing VPN use with two-factor authentication suggest users are building layered defenses. Concepts like VPN fundamentals and IP address masking fit naturally into this pattern, helping reduce the amount of data that can be linked to a single person or device.

Looking Ahead: Future Outlook

As more banking, shopping, and remote work move online, the motivations in this survey are likely to grow stronger. People will still care most about security and privacy, but they will expect VPNs to be fast, simple, and always on across phones, laptops, and routers. That expectation makes sense when the average person now spends hours a day on their phone. Global phone screen time reached about 3 hours 49 minutes per day in 2023, up from about 1 hour 38 minutes in 2013, so “always-on” protection is becoming the default.

That will keep pressure on providers to improve performance. VPNs that already deliver low-latency connections for gaming and streaming, and rank well in independent speed tests such as the fastest VPN comparisons, are likely to be the ones that benefit most from this shift in expectations. Over time, features such as smarter auto-connect, split tunneling, and router-level protection are likely to shift from “nice to have” to standard expectations.

Source & Methodology

All statistics in this article come from a recent survey reported by Forbes Advisor. Respondents could select multiple reasons for using a VPN, so the percentages add up to more than 100 percent. We used the published percentages for each reason directly and did not re-weight or adjust the original figures.