Watching porn is quite obviously one of the most personal ways of using the web. That’s not to say it needs to be watched alone or that people don’t watch it in public. Everyone’s seen someone getting a quick clip or two in on the bus or in the library. if you haven’t, you’re lucky.
But for something so personal, there are a lot of governments that like to have a say in what you can and can’t find arousing. Let’s be honest, it’s to be expected from countries like North Korea and Saudi Arabia, but it might come as a surprise that some western countries like the UK feel the need to restrict it.
Pornhub, the longstanding, lifesaving, titan-of-the-porn-industry powerhouse, has been a favorite amongst husbands, brothers and porn lovers since it started its mission 12 years ago. In an attempt to make its services more widely available and combat the censorship of adult entertainment, they put out VPNhub, a free VPN.
A virtual private network or VPN passes all your online traffic through one of their servers around the world in order to encrypt your traffic and hide your identity and location. In the process it makes your traffic appear as if it’s been accessed from the location of the VPN server, whether it’s in Amsterdam or New York. It’s the sort of privacy and security tool that viewers of adult video websites need.
Maintaining Privacy and Security
It’s not just religious countries that censor pornography, and the way that it’s censored isn’t always as black and white as straight-up prohibition. Countries like the UK, Australia, and Russia offer up ambiguous laws that make possession legal but the production, viewing, and sale of online and offline pornography limited by their own discretion.
The reason they’re limited is that governments feel obliged to dictate what porn is tasteful and what isn’t. What’s right for consumption and what needs slinging out.
The specifics of the laws against watching porn depend on the country, and the line between what’s legal and what isn’t isn’t usually clear. It can come with varying degrees of punishment and again this depends entirely on where you’re based, but also the type of porn you watch.
Watching gay porn might be more dangerous in a state where homosexuality is outlawed, for example. Even if you’re based in a place like the US, where making and watching porn are totally legal, you don’t want to let your ISP monitor your behavior, nor be at risk of all the third-party advertisers that take up the majority of a porn site’s web pages. Ads on these sites can be used to track your online activity and infect you with adware.
If you plan on bypassing these laws you’ll need a VPN, otherwise, you’re wide open to the government, your ISP and hackers. A lot of porn sites exist entirely for malicious purposes and are able to get access to your information with just a few clicks.
It’s worth noting that anyone risking their freedom to watch porn in a country where it can cause them trouble should do so at their own risk, but should always use a VPN. Be sure to keep in the loop with your region’s laws and regulations on pornography.
VPNs don’t just have to be used for porn, as they have a host of benefits for entertainment, security, and anonymity. When choosing one, there are some basic factors you should always take into account.
The provider should offer fast and reliable download speeds, optimized servers and features for streaming, powerful encryption and a vast server network. By using a shared, anonymous IP through your VPN, your ISP would find it near-on impossible to track your online activity.
VPNhub: A Closer Look
VPNhub, while it was set up with the best intentions, isn’t necessarily one you should trust for porn, especially if you live in a country where it’s banned. We don’t recommend free VPNs because they come with little or no encryption, and they tend to keep logs.
And if it has any involvement from third parties then this can be a cause for concern for users. In fact, Pornhub didn’t play much of a role in the software’s development, as it was created and is maintained by AppAtomic, a US-based company.
They don’t own their own server network either. That means it operates under the same logging policy as AppAtomic and this makes you wonder about how it handles its users’ private data.
VPNhub’s free service can only be used on mobile but it does offer a premium membership and a one-week free trial.
For $13.99 a month and $83.88 a year, users get AES-256 encryption, an automatic kill switch, DNS leak protection and multiple protocols available. Both the premium and free versions come with unlimited bandwidth but you get very limited speeds and hit with a ton of ads on the free alternative. While VPNhub has over 800 servers, it doesn’t have that many worldwide locations which can limit streaming.
If you just want a free VPN for watching porn on your phone it’s an alright choice, but not if you’re watching from a country where it’s banned. It’s not all that transparent on its logging policy and outsources the maintenance and server housing to other companies, so it shouldn’t be relied upon.
Our top Five Recommended VPNs for Watching Porn
1.ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN has long been trusted as a provider that can keep its users safe and their browsing locked down. It’s headquartered in the British Virgin Islands and as a result, the provider doesn’t store any logs of user data or have to hand over any logs due to government pressure.
ExpressVPN comes with 256-bit AES encryption for keeping your data under wraps, as well as zero-knowledge DNS, a network-lock killswitch and split tunneling for even further protection.
As for performance, it has more than 3000 servers worldwide in 94 different countries, making streaming and gaming and other activities fast. With ExpressVPN, you can avoid ISP throttling because they offer unlimited bandwidth and server switching. Plus, anyone who isn’t sure about the service can make use of their risk-free, 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. NordVPN
NordVPN has invested a lot in its infrastructure over the years and is a reliable choice for keeping your porn activity to yourself. It comes loaded with security tools like a military-grade 256-bit AES encryption, CyberSec, Double VPN, DNS leak protection, Onion over VPN and an automatic kill switch. Just like ExpressVPN, NordVPN has a zero-logging policy, so it doesn’t store any compromising data on its users.
NordVPN is well equipped for all sorts of streaming and helps you avoid random throttling from your ISP. It has over 5000 servers spread across 60 countries, all of which are optimized for streaming and with their SmartPlay technology for enhanced encryption while watching your favorite shows. Even porn.
3. IPVanish
IPVanish is there to keep your porn watching to yourself, whether you’re at home or in a free Wi-Fi zone. It comes with all the decent trappings for streaming like a ton of servers throughout the world, unlimited bandwidth, and zero traffic logs, and it can give you the access you need to censored apps and websites.
It also provides unlimited server switching which is imperative to avoid any surges of activity on your chosen server.
IPVanish uses 256-bit AES encryption, multiple VPN protocols like OpenVPN and IKEv2, and doesn’t keep any logs on activity. Users can install their subscription on up to 10 simultaneous devices and should you experience any issues, IPVanish has 24/7 customer support.
4. VyprVPN
VyprVPN has been a favorite for privacy on the web for the last 10 years. As one of the few providers that owns and operates its own infrastructure, VyprVPN offers secure and premium services throughout the globe that are optimized for streaming, security and more.
No third-party involvement means VyprVPN’s free to focus on providing great service, and it uses a number of exclusive tools to do so, like its Chameleon technology. It’s designed to help you access blocked websites, apps, and streaming services while avoiding government restrictions. Vypr also uses a kill switch, automatic public Wi-Fi protection, 256-bit AES encryption, and VyprDNS.
With servers in 70 countries, VyprVPN can offer high-speed streaming that’s well encrypted and optimized. It can be used on up to five simultaneous devices and trialed with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. PureVPN
PureVPN is home to anyone who expects decent streaming and privacy. It’s based in Hong Kong which means it isn’t forced to store any data on its users.
It comes with 256-bit military-grade encryption for security, as well as additional, essential features like an internet kill switch, split tunneling and even P2P protection that can spot viruses and malware in files before you open them.
It has over 2000 servers around the world with the majority of them based in North America and Europe — two pornography hotspots of the world. It can be used on all platforms and devices and comes with up to five multi logins.