Is Psiphon A VPN?
When we talk about online privacy and security; the first thing that springs to mind is VPN. The market is pretty saturated with all kinds of VPN applications available for the users. Out of which some of them really cost you a fortune while others are free of any charges. Using a VPN is not rocket science. You just need to install the application on your phone, accept their terms and conditions, and Voila! you’re good to go. If you’re also a fan of free VPNs, you must have heard about Psiphon. But if you’re still wondering that “Is Psiphon a VPN software?” we’ll easily you of your quizzical thoughts. So let’s dive into the topic and learn about what is Psiphon and what it has to offer.
What is Psiphon?
Psiphon is basically a free censorship tool that provides its services in the form of apps available for your Windows desktop, iOS, and Android devices. It is a kind of proxy server that is designed to unblock all the geographically restricted content in various countries including China.
Psiphon is free of cost circumvention tool that is highly effective against walled garden Internet access. It believes in full internet freedom and strives to provide this freedom to all of its users free of any changes. But in terms of providing online security, it is a weak option as compared to all the other massive VPN software ruling the markets. Let’s learn a little more about what Psiphon has to offer its users.
What Psiphon Has to Offer?
With all the other leading groups ahead in the game, Psiphon brings its own list of features and services into the battle. There are multiple benefits of using Psiphon describes as follows:
1. Free of Cost Service:
Psiphon provides its services absolutely free of any changes so you don’t have to spend even a single penny from your pocket to use it. Psiphon is totally free software available for your devices. You can simply watch ads and in exchange use Psiphon’s services on your mobile phones.
2. No Account Details:
For using the Psiphon app, you don’t need to create an account since you don’t have to pay for its services. No email address or any other account details are required by the app when you install it on your device. You just download the app, agree to its terms and conditions and you’re good to go.
3. Variety of Servers:
Psiphon consists of a variety of server locations. It has servers located in more than 22 different countries at this moment and looking forward to increasing its network. This offers a variety of servers to choose from while establishing a connection.
4. Internet Freedom:
The long list of available servers to choose from makes it easy for the users to unblock all the content that has been put under restrictions by the higher authorities. It is very easy to bypass most of the geo-blocked sites and enjoy full internet freedom
Fast Connection:
The Psiphon app works very fast and saves your time. You don’t have to wait for minutes or hours to have it connected to the desired servers. It only takes a total of fewer than 3 seconds to establish a connection to the servers on an average speed test.
What Does Psiphon Lack?
With all the benefits come some disappointing realities that can’t be ignored. Psiphon lacks in some ways that are described below:
1. Jurisdiction:
Psiphon service comes under the jurisdiction of Canada and as we’re all aware of the fact that Canada is one of the top 5 countries that are considered as spying masterminds. They are well-known for their strong surveillance systems used for keeping an eye on everything.
2. Zero Privacy:
If you’re using Psiphon, you should be aware of the fact that all your data information is being logged by the servers and it is under strict monitorization. So there’s absolutely no privacy of your data that you send to the servers.
3. Slow Speed:
The final speed that is received by the users after a well-established connection is slower than your remote connections. You only get approximately one-tenth of the initial speed while being on the network.
4. Limited Device Options:
Psiphon only offers its services for only a limited number of devices. There is no application available for the users of macOS or Linux. Nor you can use the connection with your home routers.
5. No Disconnecting Option:
The Psiphon app only has a button to establish a connection to the servers but there is no option to kill that connection. If you have opted to connect to the app, you are bound to using the services and there’s no going back.
Psiphon VPN Services
Psiphon’s main goal is to bypass the censorship and get past those harsh limitations and bans that the government puts on specific sites and webpages. Psiphon openly accepts that it is designed only to provide unrestricted Internet access and cannot increase the level of online privacy. So if you’re using it, you shouldn’t be expecting anything more than what it has to offer. Psiphon is simply not an online security tool.
There are many other VPN software and applications out there, designed especially to provide online security and privacy. However, Psiphon is used by a number of people in China for its proxy services.
One of the important reasons that the Psiphon app is so popular among the people living in countries like China is due to its proxy services. The users can easily access and download the desired software from countries that have blocked their VPN websites.
Conclusion
Comparing to all the other competitive VPN applications and software, is Psiphon a VPN? The answer is No! The app is suitable and recommended only for its proxy services but it fails to provide any type of online security and privacy. Your data is not protected or hidden from the potential spies and can easily be viewed and used against you.