A VPN makes tracking you a lot harder, but it doesn’t make you invisible. It hides your IP address, encrypts your connection, and stops websites from seeing what you're doing online, to some extent. But how well it protects you really depends on who’s trying to track you and how they’re doing it.
For instance, a VPN does a great job of masking your IP and hiding the websites you visit, but it won’t stop cookies from tracking you or browser fingerprinting from recognizing your device. And if you’re logged into accounts like Google, Facebook, or Netflix, those sites can still figure out who you are, even with a VPN on.
In this guide, we’ll help you better understand what a VPN protects you from and what it doesn’t, and who is trying to track you and why.
What a VPN Actually Protects You From
Think of your VPN as a secure tunnel. What’s inside the tunnel is protected. No one can see what you’re doing or where you're headed. Here’s what a VPN actually does for you.
It Masks Your IP Address
A VPN masks your IP address and replaces it with one of its own. This means that when you connect to a website, it sees the IP address of the VPN server, not yours.
This is important because your IP address can reveal your physical location. With a VPN, it’s much harder for websites and ISPs to pinpoint where you’re connecting from.
For example, if you’re in London but connected to a server in New York, they’ll think you’re actually in New York. Although there are some limits to this, like location-based restrictions tied to your account or payment methods.
It Encrypts Your Connection
With a VPN, your connection is encrypted, which means that the VPN scrambles your data into unreadable gibberish. Websites, ISPs, or Wi-Fi owners can only see that there’s encrypted data passing through, but they can’t read it. This makes your online activity harder to track, as anyone trying to monitor your traffic will just see random data, not what you’re actually doing.
It Hides Your Location
Beyond masking your IP, a VPN also hides your geographic location, which is particularly useful for accessing content that’s restricted by region.
You know how, when you're on Netflix, you'll see the catalog of the country you're in, and sometimes, it doesn’t have the movie or show you're looking for? Many people use VPNs to fake their location on streaming sites like Netflix or Apple TV and get access to series that aren’t available in their countries.
It Hides Your Browsing History (Kinda)
A VPN prevents your ISP from logging your browsing history. Kind of. Your ISP can't access the browsing history stored in your browser, VPN or no VPN.
But without a VPN, they can see the websites you visit in real-time, so they get an idea of your browsing habits.
With a VPN, your traffic is encrypted, so your ISP can see that you're using a VPN, but they can't track the specific websites you visit. So, yes, your browsing history remains hidden from your ISP, but that doesn’t mean that a VPN wipes it out altogether.
It Protects You From Public Wi-Fi Threats
Everyone who’s a bit savvy when it comes to using the internet knows that public Wi-Fi isn’t very safe. Public networks are unprotected and can expose your data to hackers.
A VPN protects you from this by encrypting your data, making it unreadable to anyone trying to intercept your connection. So, even if you’re working remotely from Starbucks on an unprotected network, a VPN makes sure that your connection is protected anyways.
The Trust Trade-Off: Your VPN Knows You
When you use a VPN, your VPN provider can see your real IP address. Pretty much, you’re now choosing to trust your VPN provider instead of your ISP. So, choose wisely… and choose a VPN provider with a strong no-logs policy.
But see, not every no-logs policy is created equal, and not every VPN provider that claims they don’t log anything is telling you the entire truth.
Some of it is just pure marketing speak. But some VPNs, like us, have independently audited and court-tested policies.
In fact, we went to court in Greece, and the case got dismissed because we proved that we truly had no logs to hand over.
So, what should you look for? Make sure your VPN is based in a privacy-friendly country (we’re based in Canada), has independent audit reports, offers transparency reports, and has a solid legal track record. That’s how you know your privacy is actually being protected.
How You Can Still Be Tracked (Even With a VPN)
Even with a VPN, some things can still track you online and identify you. While a VPN hides your IP address and encrypts your traffic, there are other ways websites and services can still link your activity back to you.
Logging Into Accounts
Logging into accounts like Google, Facebook, or Netflix while using a VPN pretty much defeats the purpose of staying anonymous. You can't hide your identity if you're logged into an account under your real name.
These platforms track you by account, not IP, so once you're signed in, they know it's you, VPN or not. On top of that, cookies and personalized recommendations based on your past behavior stick around across VPN sessions, linking your activity to your identity.
If you want more privacy, the only real solution is to log out of these accounts and use incognito mode while browsing. Or, if staying logged in is important, you’ll have to accept that anonymity is out the window when it comes to these platforms.
Cookies and Browser Fingerprinting
You know those annoying cookie popups? They’re collecting your data while you browse and follow you around. Then there’s browser fingerprinting: unique details like your screen resolution, fonts, and extensions combine to create a “fingerprint” that can identify you.
While a VPN hides your IP, it can't mask these browser traits. Unless it's Windscribe. Our R.O.B.E.R.T. feature blocks trackers, and our browser extension has specific features that block cookies, rotates your user agent and randomizes your fingerprint data.
The Payment Trail
This is the backdoor to your identity. You can’t stay fully anonymous online if you’re providing your payment information to websites, platforms, or even your VPN provider. If you’re paying for stuff with your credit card or PayPal, the provider of whatever you're paying for can still know your real identity.
Even VPNs with strict no-logs policies can see your identity if you use your credit card or PayPal to pay. Plus, law enforcement can subpoena payment processor records if needed. The most private solution is to use cryptocurrency and an anonymous email.
If you're paying for a VPN, choose one with an independently audited, strict no-logs policy. That’s why at Windscribe, you can pay for your Pro plan with crypto or a prepaid gift card bought with cash.
DNS and WebRTC Leaks
Another thing that can make you easy to track online and reveal your data are DNS and WebRTC leaks. A DNS leak happens when your device bypasses the VPN and asks your ISP’s DNS server for the website you’re trying to visit.
This exposes the sites you’re visiting to your ISP. A WebRTC leak happens when your browser uses the WebRTC protocol to reveal your real IP address, even if you're connected to a VPN.
Plus, if your kill switch fails and your VPN disconnects unexpectedly, your traffic might flow unprotected without you realizing it.
At Windscribe, we’ve got solutions to prevent this. Our firewall blocks all non-VPN traffic, and our browser extension blocks WebRTC leaks to keep your connection secure.
Who Is Trying to Track You? (And Can They Succeed?)
Are you really being tracked online? The short answer: yes. But who’s behind it, and why? From advertisers to hackers and even governments, many parties have a vested interest in tracking your online activity. Let’s break down who’s tracking you and whether they can actually succeed.
Can Your ISP or Wi-Fi Owner Track You?
Yup! Your ISP and Wi-Fi owners are actively monitoring your online activity. Without a VPN, they can see every site you visit, the DNS requests your device makes, and how much data is being transferred. But with a VPN, they can’t see any of that. All they know is that you're connected to a VPN server and the data volume, nothing more.
Can the Government or Police Track You?
They can, but not in the way you may think. Neither the government nor the police can intercept or decrypt live VPN traffic when you’re connected to one. They can, however, request logs from your VPN provider (if any exist), ISP records, payment records, and so on.
Some court orders can also compel VPNs to start keeping logs, so jurisdiction matters. For instance, countries like Switzerland, Panama, and the British Virgin Islands have stronger privacy laws. Still, if your VPN provider truly doesn’t keep any logs, there’s nothing to hand over, no matter what.
For high-value targets, like journalists, activists, or individuals under investigation, advanced surveillance techniques like timing correlation attacks are possible. However, unless you fall into one of these categories, this isn't something you need to worry about.
Can Your Employer Track You?
That depends on what type of VPN you’re using. If you’re using a business VPN, then yeah. These are designed to monitor your activity while you’re at work, and your employer can see everything you’re doing.
If you're using a personal VPN on a company device, your employer can't see everything, but they may still be able to capture some activity through Mobile Device Management (MDM) or monitoring software. However, if you're using a personal VPN on your personal device, your employer cannot see anything, as they don’t have access to your device.
The thing here is that device ownership matters more than the type of VPN. If your employer controls the device, assume they can monitor what you're doing. And be aware that if you’re using a VPN to bypass work restrictions and get caught, you could face disciplinary action.
Can Websites and Advertisers Track You?
Well, that depends. Websites and advertisers can track some things while you're connected to a VPN, but not everything. For example, they can't see your IP address because it’s masked by the VPN. However, they can still track you with cookies, fingerprinting, and account-based tracking.
FAQs
Can police track a VPN?
Police can’t track your live traffic when you’re using a VPN, but they can request logs from your VPN provider if they exist. If the VPN provider keeps logs, they could potentially hand over information, so it's important to choose a provider with a strong no-logs policy like ours.
Can my employer see what I do on a VPN?
It depends on what VPN you're using and who owns the device. If you’re using a business VPN on a company device, your employer may be able to monitor your activity. But if it’s a personal VPN on your own device, they can’t see what you're doing unless they have monitoring software installed.
Does a VPN hide my location?
Yes, a VPN hides your location from websites by masking your IP address. However, it doesn’t affect your GPS or any account-based data that may still reveal your real location, like when you’re logged into accounts that track your region.
Can Wi-Fi owners see my history with VPN?
No, if you’re using a VPN, the Wi-Fi owner can’t see what you’re browsing. All they can see is that you're connected to a VPN server and how much data you're using, but the content of your activity remains encrypted.
Can Google track me with VPN?
If you’re logged into your Google account while using a VPN, then yeah, they can tell it’s you. Even with a VPN, Google links your activity to your account, not your IP address. To maintain privacy, make sure you log out of your Google account while using a VPN.
Can my IP be traced through VPN?
No, your real IP address is hidden when you use a VPN. Only the IP of the VPN server you’re connected to is visible, so websites see that instead of your actual location. This makes it harder to trace back to you.
Does using incognito mode with VPN make me anonymous?
Well, it’s better than using a VPN alone, but it’s not foolproof. Incognito mode doesn’t stop websites from tracking you via cookies or fingerprinting. It just prevents your browser from saving your browsing history. For better privacy, you’ll need a combination of tools and awareness.
