A VPN is software that encrypts your internet connection and hides your true IP address from your internet service provider and third-parties.
Using a VPN in Canada will:
- Hide your IP address to bypass internet censorship.
- Encrypt your web traffic to prevent ISP spying.
- Unblock region-restricted streaming content.
- Secure your connection on public WiFi networks.
Below is a list of the reasons for using a VPN in Canada:
1. Avoiding Mass Surveillance
The Copyright Modernization Act (Bill C:11) requires Canadian Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to log every internet user’s identity and activity for up to six months.
This means your browsing history, messages, and downloads are all being recorded by ISPs like Bell, Access Communications and Cable Axion.
The Canadian Intelligence Services also collect mass surveillance data from citizens for reasons of “national security.”
Since 2015, thanks to the passing of the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has been collecting and storing mass data on citizens.
Canada is also part of the Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance alongside some of the worst spying nations, like the US and Australia.
Virtual private networks hide your IP address and encrypt your internet traffic.
Your ISP, the government, and websites you visit find it much harder to identify and track you when you use a VPN.
2. Bypassing Internet Censorship in Canada
Surveillance isn’t the only issue in Canada – internet censorship is also on the rise.
In 2017, The Supreme Court of Canada approved a corporation’s effort to censor international websites.
Canadian companies like Bell Media and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) also exert pressure to block websites they don’t like. They have even tried to ban VPNs due to ‘copyright infringement.’
In essence, Canadian law is no friend to internet freedom. VPN services assign you IP addresses belonging to their remote VPN server, letting you bypass these content filters.
3. Torrenting and Anti-Piracy Laws
Canada has some of the strictest anti-piracy laws in the world.
Copyright owners are quick to react to alleged infringements, often taking Canadian citizens to court for financial penalties.
In 2016, 1,000 Canadians were sued by copyright holders Headhunter LLC and LHF Productions LLC. These companies won up to $5,000 per case in damages from torrenters of a single movie.
In the same year, Voltage Pictures sued 50,000 Canadians for torrenting The Hurt Locker – a case that even went to the Supreme Court of Canada.
The Copyright Modernization Act (Bill C-11) requires ISPs to retain logs of all your internet activity. If a copyright holder complains, the ISP can forward the complaint and enforce a penalty.
A VPN for torrenting hides your torrent IP address, which is essential for sharing files safely, avoiding copyright trolls, and staying clear of the Canadian courts.
4. Accessing Region-Restricted Streaming Content
VPNs are also great tools for bypassing regional restrictions on international streaming services.
Although Canadian Netflix has over 5,000 titles, its content is very different from US Netflix or Japanese Netflix.
That’s because streaming websites change their content libraries depending on which country you’re accessing them from.
A VPN spoofs your IP address and places your internet connection appear in a different location.
The best streaming VPNs unblock geo-restricted platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, DAZN and more.
5. Browsing Securely on Public WiFi
Most internet users today use public WiFi, which hackers can easily take advantage of.
A VPN protects you from open WiFi threats such as Man in the Middle Attacks (MitM), DNS spoofing, fake hotspots, and session hijacking.
With a VPN, you can protect your data transfers over insecure public WiFi connections, reducing the risk of sensitive data theft.
