No, you don’t need a VPN—unless you’re doing these 4 things

When you’re reading online about PC privacy, you’ll almost always see experts recommend you buy a subscription to a VPN (virtual private network).

And, while it’s true that commercial VPNs, like the ones we review at PCWorld , do work to provide a deep level of personal privacy, a little-known fact is that most people engaging in just casual online browsing don’t necessarily need one.

There are two main reasons for that: First, most people aren’t undertaking activities that would warrant using one. And second, websites use a lot more encryption than they used to, so most offer a satisfactory level of personal privacy and safety.

That being said, there are definite circumstances where a VPN is warranted. Here’re four that come to mind.

1. You’re trying to get around geofences

You can