this post was submitted on 10 Feb 2026
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If so, can you explain the value aside from changing location for streaming?

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[โ€“] LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world 1 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (1 children)

I don't know much about computer networks but all I know is when I go to my friend's house he insists I connect to his Wi-Fi but I use my VPN I don't know why but I always do because I learned from Reddit and Lemmy & YouTube type people that VPNs are a wise thing to use, and it upsets him I think because he cannot spy on what I'm doing. Because he has mentioned in the past some people who lived in his house he spied on all their internet activity because they were doing bad things. So if he could spy on people's internet activity when they are connected to his Wi-Fi in his house, he probably could spy on mine too but apparently he couldn't because I was using a VPN ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ

I don't do anything nefarious or unethical on the internet, but I'd rather not my boyfriend be spying on everything I do. Just like I wouldn't want anybody staring at me constantly all day long, that's creepy. I just use the internet as my leisure time until I fall asleep.

[โ€“] draco_aeneus@mander.xyz 6 points 17 hours ago

If you want a simple explanation why he couldn't spy:

Imagine that your internet traffic is a bunch of letters. HTTP are postcards. You can read the message and destination both. HTTPS are envelopes. You cannot read the message, but you can see the destination.

When using VPN, you stick every letter/postcard in another envelope, addressed to the VPN company's address. They unpack the letter, set themselves as the return address, and send it on.

Your friend could previously look at the outside of your letters, and see who you're sending to, and how much. Now, they can only see you're sending to the VPN company, which isn't helpful. (In theory, they can see the volume of data, but there isn't much they can learn with just that).