How to Use a VPN on YouTube – How to Protect Yourself Online

YouTube is massively popular, with over a billion monthly active users. It’s regularly reported that Google searches on the platform increase by over 50% after major events such as the US 2020 presidential election and the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic. Whether you’re making videos for fun or for profit, there’s an audience for everything.

While most people use YouTube to get useful information, save favorite clips, and watch entertaining content, there’s another side to the platform. If you share videos of yourself singing or performing, there’s a chance someone could claim you as their intellectual property and demand money. Or if you’re a politician, you could find your video uploaded without your knowledge by a political extremist group and face serious consequences. Or if you’re a talk show host or a comedian, you could find your interview uploaded without your knowledge and have it go viral. In all these cases, the rights owner could claim ownership of your work and try to monetize it. These are just a handful of the many potential issues that you, the video creator, could face.

While there are many benefits to creating and sharing videos on YouTube, it’s also one of the most dangerous platforms out there. Because of its massive popularity, it’s not always easy to know where to turn when you’ve been affected by copyright infringement or another form of online abuse. That’s where virtual private networks (VPNs) come in.

Why Use a VPN on YouTube?

If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either a content creator yourself or know one and are curious about how to protect yourself on the platform. Or maybe you’ve even been affected by copyright infringement and want to know what tools exist to help combat this issue. Whatever the case may be, it’s important to remember that YouTube is a restricted area and you need to take some extra measures to protect yourself. That’s where a VPN comes in.

A VPN works by encrypting all of your Internet traffic and routing it via a secure connection to a remote server. This encryption process makes your data anonymous and secure, protecting you from hackers and intruders. It also prevents copyright holders from identifying and charging you for content that you’ve posted. Ideally, a VPN would allow you to retain ownership of your content while also giving you complete control over who sees it. This can be a very handy tool for anyone who creates content for a living, especially if that content is likely to be subject to takedown requests or costly lawsuits. (For more on this, check out this informative article from The New York Times.)

How Do I Use YouTube With A VPN?

If you decide that a VPN is right for you, the next step is to set up your account and begin using it. (You can choose from several reputable VPN providers, such as NordVPN and PrivateVPN, at the time of this writing.) To get started, visit youtube.com/privacy and click on the button that says “Allow location access” (the green button).

Then, in the URL bar, type “nordvpn” (without the quotes) and hit ENTER. The URL will change to nordvpn.com. (If you don’t see the sign-up button at the top, try opening a new tab or searching for the site again directly from your phone’s browser.)

After you sign up (or log in if you’ve already done so), click on the gear icon in the upper right corner of your screen and select “Settings.” You’ll see a list of all the apps and websites that you’ve previously given access to. If you want to continue using the VPN, select the checkbox next to “nordvpn” and then click on the “OK” button. (If you’ve already checked the box, just click on the “OK” button to confirm.)

The Many Benefits Of Using A VPN On YouTube

Let’s discuss some of the many ways in which using a VPN can help you protect yourself on YouTube.

Increased Anonymity

One of the primary purposes of a VPN is to increase your anonymity on the Internet. You’re not supposed to be identifiable on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, and you certainly don’t want your real name out there for all to see. A VPN gives you an additional layer of protection and allows you to take your pick from a range of anonymous IP addresses that will route all of your data through a secure connection to a remote server.

Protect Your Real Name

One of the biggest concerns when sharing content online is the fear of retribution. If someone finds out who you are, you could face threats and abuse because of what you’ve shared. If you don’t want your real name out there for the world to see, you can use a VPN to conceal it when needed. You can always use a fake name online, but why would you want to do that when you could be using a VPN? (For more on this, check out Google’s Tips For Better Digital Safety.)

Protect Your Personal Information

Your personal information, such as your mobile number and email address, can be very valuable to hackers and other malicious actors. If you keep that information in a secure place (e.g., a password-protected phone), you can rest assured that it will remain private. A VPN gives you an additional layer of security and prevents people from stealing your personal information.

Unlimited Data

Data caps, throttling, and overages are things of the past when it comes to Internet service. Thanks to advanced encryption and the wonders of modern technology, data no longer flows like water but instead is stored and accessible from anywhere. Your 4G or 5G Internet service provider may have restricted your data in the past, but that’s no longer the case. Your Internet connection is now a finite resource, which you’ll use up regardless of how much data you transfer. This isn’t to say that you can eat up all of your monthly data allowance in a few days, but the point is that you’ve got limited Internet access regardless of your data cap. A VPN allows you to access as much data as you can handle without running up bills that will break the bank.

Access Websites And Apps That You Can’t Reach Without A VPN

Thanks to the wonders of open-source software and online communities, it is possible to create tools that allow you to access blocked websites and content. (Check out our favorite free VPN services below.) However, sometimes these tools can be a little tricky to use. If you can’t reach a website or an app you need for work, you’ll have to either wait for it to be unblocked or find an alternative way to get what you need. A VPN gives you an additional layer of protection and allows you to take your pick from a range of blocked addresses that provide you with an IP that is not subject to any restrictions. This means that whether you’re in an area that is or isn’t signed up for the benefits of the SafeLink VPN, you’ll always be able to access the content you need.

Access To The Services You Need

If you’re a business owner, you might want to consider using a VPN to access websites that help your business conduct its day-to-day operations. You might want to reach out to your Internet service provider and ask about the possibility of getting a VPN module installed on your network. Or if you want to connect to a specific website that is blocked by your Internet service provider, you can use a VPN to access it. Once you’re connected, you can browse the Internet anonymously and securely, preventing any nasty surprises from hackers. (For more on this, check out our favorite VPN services below.)

More Efficient Productivity

If you’re out and about on your laptop, you might want to consider using a VPN to connect to a free Wi-Fi connection whenever you can. This can help you save a lot of time and enable you to quickly access the data you need without having to connect to a network every few minutes. You can use a VPN on the go to connect to a server and get your Internet connection speed increased without worrying about whether or not you’re going to be charged for the time that you spend online. (For more on this, check out our favorite VPN services below.)