If I don’t have a need for accessing geo-restricted content and I’m using iCloud private relay (which masks my IP from websites), is there a benefit to using a VPN 24/7 for privacy otherwise?
Also, if a public wifi network is password-protected, does that also mean a VPN is unnecessary since the connection is encrypted?
Not only can your ISP legally spy on you, record everything you do, they can also legally SELL that information, and they are.
Using a password protected WiFi network only means that you get on that network with a password, traffic from there onward can be unencrypted as well.
Also, any other device on that WiFi network (we are talking public WiFi) you can consider hostile.
However, if you use VPN on your device it will make your traffic unreadable/encrypted even for devices nearby/connected to that public WiFi as well as for the internet service provider for all practical purposes.
So if your question is if you are better off with or without an active VPN connection (be it a public WiFi but also even your home network, as long as you consider any other connection except yours a hostile one or you have a zero trust policy) - the answer is: yes, you are better off with a VPN connection. These days speed tends not to be an issue (streaming, downloading, etc) - so if you have a VPN subscription it is recommended to use it unless you have a reason not to (in these cases you can also add exceptions per use case).
edit for small addition: privacy is a broad concept, a VPN alone is not a solution for that. Think of privacy as a gradient and matching solutions to cover it. But again, if the question is if it helps to be 24/7 or not to be on a VPN for privacy - the answer is, well, if you take away part of the gradient it will obviously lack it, so, unless you have a reason not to and it does not make your online/browsing life harder - do use a VPN all the time even for privacy. Just be aware that it is not the golden bullet for it.
Can’t whatever vpn service do the same?
This is a fantastic link right here and it is something everybody should be aware of.
I guess the likelihood of your WiFI traffic being intercepted from someone’s router is probably quite low but if you wanted to be ultra-safe, a VPN is a good idea when connecting.
When you say your traffic from the WiFi network can still be unencrypted from there onwards, do you mean if the website is not using a HTTPS connection?
If someone is connected to the same WiFi network as myself (let’s say it’s a public network), are you saying they could read my traffic even if my connection is encrypted?
I think your last paragraph is a very good point: a VPN is not a bulletproof privacy/security tool but it adds an extra layer of protection. Thanks.
Yes, VPN could sell your info. But it’s easy to sign up for VPN without giving any real ID. Whereas ISP will know your home postal address, and almost certainly your real name, maybe phone number, etc.
If you sign up for VPN with no ID, and use HTTPS, the data a VPN could sell is minimal: just IP addresses.
So it’s best to use a VPN, thus splitting your data between ISP and VPN, instead of letting ISP have all of it.
When you say your traffic from the WiFi network can still be unencrypted from there onwards, do you mean if the website is not using a HTTPS connection?
Precisely so.
If someone is connected to the same WiFi network as myself (let’s say it’s a public network), are you saying they could read my traffic even if my connection is encrypted?
Yes, they can read it (as for example you can read this: blahegoobblydabtesmeh) but since your connection is encrypted (and assuming they don’t have the encryption keys to your traffic) they can’t make sense of it just as you can’t make any sense of the example (not that the text in the example would actually have any meaning otherwise but I think you get the point).
Last point: yes, exactly. It’s like the safety devices in a car, there are more layers (bumper, controlled deforming structure, windshield that will not shatter on impact, airbags, seat belt and so on) - and these together offer a certain degree of safety in certain conditions.
The VPN connection adds the benefit of you connecting with your desired destination in such a way that diverse carriers of that signal will see the traffic but can’t exactly now what’s in it.
Thanks for your help, that makes sense.