When you’re surfing the web, your ISP knows everything about you. They can see which websites you visit, the apps on your phone, and the devices you use to access the internet. As a result, your ISP can also see that you’re using the internet without being directly observed.
If you’re looking to protect your privacy and anonymity online, you can do a few things to block ISP tracking. This article lists some of the best ways to block ISP tracking for anonymity.
What is ISP?
ISP is an abbreviation for Internet Service Provider. An ISP is a corporation that offers internet access to companies and individuals. Most users associate them with phone or cable providers, although they can also be non-profit organizations, privately or community-owned businesses.
How to block ISP tracking for online anonymity
Most of us spend a significant portion of our waking hours online. Think about this. You go online as soon as you wake up and rely on the internet till the end of the day.
You would not want someone to monitor everything you do in real life, and you do not want anyone to monitor your online activities. Yet, sadly, ISP tracking is commonplace.
Your Internet Service Provider monitors and logs everything you do online (ISP). Internet service providers connect you to the internet and provide you with an IP address. This means they can view your personal information and internet traffic, especially if you visit websites that don’t use HTTPS.
- Unencrypted email chats, webpages, online searches, and downloaded files, including those from P2P systems, can all be monitored.
- Your physical location
- The websites you frequent and the amount of time you spend on each one
- Data from your social media and online conversations
- Everything you do over an unencrypted connection, including bank transactions, passwords, and other sensitive information
- The type of device you’re using
Why is your ISP tracking you?
Data retention is mandated by law.
Depending on your ISP’s location, it may be legally obligated to keep user browsing data. Law enforcement authorities or government organizations can use this data to combat organized crime or prevent terrorist attacks.
However, one major disadvantage of this kind of tracking is that investigative journalists and whistle-blowers have absolutely no possibility of remaining anonymous.
Profit
It is usual for businesses to benefit from selling user information to advertising. However, this is not an illegal practice in countries such as the United States, and there is no way to prevent your ISP from sharing your browsing history.
Bandwidth throttling
Some ISPs will likewise give you “unlimited plans” but then throttle down your speeds. This is known as bandwidth throttling. It could also happen if the ISP tries to grow the number of customers on a network that can’t handle it.
As a result, your ISP may intentionally limit your speeds when visiting particular websites and services, such as P2P and video streaming.
P2p monitoring
P2P file sharing is prohibited in various countries. As a result, downloading illegal content may result in penalties and other legal issues if you don’t use VPNs for torrenting.
How to keep internet activity away from ISPs
ISPs can only block a site because they can monitor your internet use. As a result, if your online activity is hidden from your ISP, you should be able to visit blocked sites without difficulty.
Use a VPN
A VPN is one of the most effective methods for avoiding ISP tracking and getting around website blocking systems. VPN is an abbreviation for virtual private networks. Your internet traffic is routed through a VPN provider’s server when you use a VPN. So when you visit a website, it will look like the traffic came from the server.
In addition to rerouting your traffic, a VPN encrypts the data you get from the internet. This is significant because it stops your ISP from knowing which websites you visit and what you do online.
Because VPNs have servers in several countries, they are also an ideal way to circumvent geo-restrictions.
Use a proxy server
Some internet users may want to route their traffic through a proxy server. A proxy server is a middleman appliance or application that connects your device and the internet. So, if you use a server and try to access a website, traffic travels from your device to the server and then to the web. The traffic is sent to the server when the results are ready before reaching your device.
Proxy servers can enable you to access geo-restricted websites and hide your online activity from your ISP.
On the other hand, proxies do not encrypt your traffic, exposing you to various types of attacks and surveillance.
Using HTTPS
HTTP and HTTPS are two methods for transferring data between a browser and a website. HTTPS is an abbreviation for hypertext transfer protocol secure.
The very least you can do to safeguard your privacy is only to visit HTTPS websites. Websites with HTTPS in their URLs are encrypted, and the fact that the data is encrypted precludes third-party access to the information being transmitted.
There is no way to ensure that every website you visit uses HTTPS. That is the responsibility of the website’s owner. However, as a user, you can always verify if a site you’re visiting employs HTTPS and avoid sites that don’t.
Use the TOR network
TOR is a non-profit organization that promotes internet privacy and anonymity via its eponymous free, open-source software. TOR is a great way to circumvent ISP restrictions. When you use TOR to visit a website, your data is routed through a network of TOR proxy servers. The traffic is entirely encrypted, and no information about your traffic path is stored on the servers.
This implies that when you use TOR, your ISP will not be able to see which websites you are accessing. Even your website can’t tell you where your traffic is coming from. As a result, TOR is a viable alternative for circumventing geo-restrictions and accessing blocked websites.
Tor, on the other hand, isn’t the best option. It is solely useful for browsing. It does not protect you against other applications or files that you download or protect you on other devices.
The biggest issue with TOR is that it is sluggish, particularly when using a low-powered device.
Can an ISP block a VPN?
Yes, an ISP can disable communication ports or block IP addresses linked with a specific VPN provider to block a VPN. Therefore, your ISP may be blocking access if you can’t access the internet when using a VPN. You can resolve this issue using a different port, server, or protocol.
We also advise using NordVPN’s hidden servers, which are intended to circumvent strict restrictions. This is especially useful when accessing from countries where the internet is censored. However, with hundreds of VPN servers spread worldwide, it would be difficult to stop them all.
Best VPNs to block ISP tracking
NordVPN
NordVPN has been active for nearly 8 years and is one of the most popular VPNs. NordVPN is accessible on Android, Windows, Linux, macOS, Android TV, iOS, and mobile devices. You may also manually configure this VPN with your wireless router.
Surfshark
Surfshark is a VPN platform that has won several awards. Surfshark offers several incredible features that set it apart from other VPN providers. This VPN is accessible for both desktop and mobile devices. It works with Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, and Smart TVs. Surfshark is also available as a Firefox and Chrome extension.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is yet another effective VPN service. It is somewhat more expensive than NordVPN, but it is one of the best VPNs for unblocking uncensored websites, and it allows you to view more Netflix geo-location content than any other VPN provider.
This VPN can effortlessly circumvent any country restriction and let you visit any website you want. Furthermore, the VPN server secures your internet activities. It conceals your IP address and encrypts network traffic. As a result, no one will be able to see what you’re up to on the internet.
FAQs
Can you be tracked when using a VPN?
You cannot be tracked if you use a VPN since your IP address is blocked and your traffic is encrypted. This assures your complete online anonymity.
How to download torrents without your ISP’s knowledge
A VPN is the best way to download torrents without your ISP throttling your bandwidth. Several VPN platforms support torrent and PSP. This support comprises servers and protocols that provide lightning-fast upload and download speeds.
What information does my ISP receive when I use a VPN?
If you use a trustworthy and dependable VPN that offers superior encryption and security, your ISP will see nothing. It prohibits ISPs from tracking your internet activities, websites visited, and data downloaded and uploaded at a given website.
Your ISP may see only encrypted data traveling from your device to the internet. Simply put, it can only see nonsensical data from your device to an unknown address on the Internet.
Conclusion
When you visit the web or use any online services, your ISP may see and monitor everything about you. For example, even if you use your credit card on a website that does not use a secure version of HTTP, they will be able to view your credit card information.
There is no such thing as privacy or anonymity. However, you are now aware that there is something you can do to prevent ISP data and privacy breaches.
There are practical methods for blocking ISP tracking and hiding your internet activities. However, one thing is certain: whether you use a VPN, Tor, or other ways described, one thing is certain. You’ll be back in command like it should be.
