We’ve written plenty about why you should always use a VPN when connecting to an unfamiliar wireless network. Whether you’re in a hotel lobby, on a plane, sitting at a coffee shop, staying in an Airbnb, or walking around a theme park—if you’re using public Wi-Fi, you’re also potentially exposing yourself to all sorts of digital threats.
While public networks are great for staying connected, they’re also playgrounds for bad actors looking to steal your personal information. Passwords, emails, financial data, and even work documents can be compromised if you log into the wrong network without protection.
That’s why we searched for a VPN that was easy to set up and worked on all our devices. We landed on TunnelBear, and we’ve been happy with the service.
That’s not to say we haven’t had bumps along the way—like occasionally getting kicked off a network when the VPN connected. But I eventually figured out there’s a setting to fix that (pro tip: check your app settings or support page if you experience something similar).
Should You Trust a Third-Party VPN?
I hadn’t thought much about trusting VPN services until someone commented on one of our posts. In short, they argued that you should never use a third-party VPN because, under a court order, those companies are required to turn over user data to the government. In their opinion, the only truly secure VPN is one you run yourself.
That was news to me. I didn’t even know it was possible to host your own VPN. Turns out, it is—and it’s not even that hard to set up. But for most people, it’s not practical.
The biggest downside? Running your own VPN routes all traffic through your home internet connection. Unless you have really fast upload speeds, it can seriously slow things down. Plus, you become responsible for keeping your VPN updated with the latest security protocols. That’s a lot of pressure for the average user.
No-Log Policies: A Reasonable Middle Ground
Digging deeper, I learned that many VPN companies address the “government access” issue by implementing a strict no-log policy—meaning they don’t store any data about your browsing activity. If they don’t collect it, they can’t turn it over.
A quick check confirmed that TunnelBear has a no-log policy.
No! TunnelBear does not keep logs. This means we do not collect any information regarding what you ‘bear’owse while connected to our secure and private VPN.
TunnelBear’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service go into more detail. They even publish independent security audits to show how seriously they take user privacy. That transparency matters.
Honestly, how concerned you are about government access depends on what you’re doing online. I’m not worried—my goal with a VPN is to keep my data safe from hackers, not to hide from government surveillance.
Traveling to Countries That Censor the Internet
One exception is when you’re visiting countries known for blocking or monitoring internet access—China being a prime example. In those cases, a VPN might be your only way to access the open internet. There are plenty of guides on how to choose and set up a VPN that works in those environments, but be aware that not all VPNs work everywhere, and some are actively blocked.
Be Careful With Free VPNs
One last warning: Be very cautious when using free VPN services. Some of them make money by logging your browsing data and selling it to advertisers. Even if it’s not your personal info, your activity is still being tracked. That’s another reason to choose a provider with a clear, independently verified no-log policy.
Final Thoughts
After educating myself more on VPNs and the different options available, I’m still confident in the choice we made. If you’re already using a VPN, take a moment to review their privacy policies—especially their data logging practices. The companies doing things right don’t hide this information.
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