Sometimes you need to surf the web anonymously. It may be that you’re in a foreign country that and want to access American websites or that you want to research information for a novel that is questionable. Whatever the reason, a proxy site can allow you to surf the internet anonymously. The question remains whether or not you should use this method.
What Is a Proxy Site?
Basically, a proxy site serves as a middleman when surfing the internet. You’ll be able to see websites, but the people who own the website won’t be able to view your IP address. To be more specific, you are not connecting to the websites you view, the proxy site is. This means that you remain completely hidden.
Why Would You Use One?
There are different reasons why someone would use a proxy site. As mentioned above, people may want to search for information anonymously. Another reason is that people may want to protect their identity. Yet another reason is to protect your computer from spyware, cookies, and malicious software. Those in foreign countries find proxy sites useful because it allows them access to banned sites. When accessing a website through a proxy site, the user’s location is hidden which will allow access.
When Shouldn’t You Use One?
As you can imagine, a proxy site will allow you to do a number of illegal or questionable activities. People can use a proxy site to stalk or harass other internet users. There are also those that use proxy sites to distribute pirated content. Another illegal activity that people may use proxy sites for is to view content that isn’t lawful in their country.
How Do You Use One?
The easiest way to use a proxy site, like Hotspot Shield, is to download software to access the site. Once you launch the software, enter your desired location and view the website. You can also visit proxy site websites and choose a proxy server to surf through. However, this can be risky.
A proxy site can be a great way to anonymously surf the web. The act of using a proxy site is legal. American citizens have the right to privacy. However, there are illegal activities that should never be done. Just because a proxy site will block your IP address from a website, if you cause trouble, the authorities can contact the proxy site and demand your information. In other words, this is not a foolproof method. If the acts you plan to do are considered illegal you will still be taking a big risk. Be careful what you do online and always abide by the law.
