VPN and Security

[RandomGuy7]

I have an iPhone 8 Plus and take my privacy moderately seriously, and want to keep my information away from google and sketchy websites. I can’t get a VPN but want to download ProtonVPN (free version) and would like to know what settings I can make / add to my gmail to keep google from tracking me. Any tips?

 

 (Also got to keep things secret to parents like gmail and YouTube and Linus forum accounts because they’re like that and think I don’t need it)

[Spotty]

1 minute ago, RandomChild said:

what setting I can make my gmail to keep google from tracking me.

The setting is don't use gmail. Use a different email provider. Since you're using ProtonVPN why not use ProtonMail as well?

[captain_to_fire]

Tweak your Google account settings to decrease ad personalization, and don’t forget to to update to iOS 14.6 which enables app tracking transparency. 

[dalekphalm]

People kind of have this perception that a VPN is some magic privacy/security thing - it's not magic.

 

And frankly, in my opinion, the privacy and security benefits are massively overstated.

 

If you use Google Services, no VPN will prevent them from tracking you - especially if you're logged into any of those services.

[Quackers101]

privacy and security is often overblown.

its a bit about trust as well, how much do you trust random VPNs and what they could do?

 

Sadly LTT and other youtubers push some close to false statements over having a sponsor and following the sponsors word.

like "this can help you with malious software" when it likely couldn't, or "stay protected with this" which is maybe not true enough. Anti-virus would be more protection and a good firewalls etc, updating your wifi points or software? Also phones, while iphones would have less of this issue, being stayed behind in older operating systems that may be less secure. Also very unsure how good anti virus is on the phone, could be all fake nonsense to say "you are all clear" when you are not with apps that may do way more than they should. As with google's app store, being just full of apps with some shady/malious ones, might be less of that on the iphone though.