VPN privacy guide
A VPN can be a useful privacy tool, but it is not an invisibility switch. Understanding what changes when you connect makes it easier to judge whether the service is doing what you expect.
What a VPN changes
A VPN normally encrypts traffic between your device and the VPN server and replaces the public IP seen by destinations with the VPN server's address. This can also change the apparent network operator and approximate IP location.
What the VPN provider can see
Using a VPN shifts part of the trust relationship away from the local network or ISP and toward the VPN provider. The exact information available to a provider depends on the service design, protocol, application, and provider practices.
DNS and browser leaks
A healthy VPN setup should be evaluated beyond the public IP. DNS may take an unexpected route, IPv6 may behave differently from IPv4, and browser technologies such as WebRTC deserve separate checks.
A VPN is not anonymity
Logging into personal accounts, accepting tracking cookies, browser fingerprinting, malware, and information you submit can identify you regardless of the IP address being used.
How to verify a VPN connection
Test before connecting, record the visible IP/network and DNS results, connect the VPN, then test again. Look for coherent changes across several signals. NetPrivacyScan uses cautious wording because no single browser-side check can prove complete anonymity.