Uer Privacy in The USA Under Threat
User privacy suffers a major blow after US Senate gives FBI unrestricted access to browsing data The USA is renowned for being one of the worst offenders when it comes to intruding on the public's online and browsing habits thanks to high surveillance and internet service providers (ISP’s) intrusively storing all webdata. Not only can government agencies now freely access your online movements, this can also be shared internationally with other nations. These laws date back to the aftermath of 9/11, <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Patriot Act's</a> original intentions to counter terrorist threats has been controversially expanded into significant data collection. No Warrant needed for the FBI to access your online dataLaw enforcement monitoring by the CIA, NSA and FBI is already widespread and seen as a significant threat by privacy activists. An amendment that would require the FBI to have a warrant to access any user's online history and communications failed to pass by just one vote on May 13th. The bi-partisan attempt to block this intrusion was backed by Senator Ron Wyden & Steve Daines however they failed to get enough support. The voting process itself has drawn criticism with the likes of Bernie Sanders and 3 other senators who failed to vote at all.“Is it right at this unique time when millions of law-abiding citizens are at home, for the government to be able to spy on their internet searches and web browsing without a warrant?” Wyden asked the Senate ahead of the vote.“Should law-abiding Americans have to worry about their government looking over their shoulders from the moment they wake up in the morning and turn on their computers to when they go to bed at night? I believe the answer is no. But that’s exactly what the government has the power to do without our amendment.”Delving into the detail of the law <a href=”https://www.csis.org/analysis/fact-sheet-section-215-usa-patriot-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">section 215</a> permits that no probable cause is needed or suspicion of criminal involvement, instead all online communications of millions of innocent Americans is now at the mercy of this vague and far reaching law which is seen by many as unconstitutional.Protecting online freedom in the USAClearly for anybody who is concerned about their online privacy this news is significant. Cyber-security and privacy experts <a href=”https://www.comparemyvpn.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CompareMyVPN</a> have the following advice for US internet users.Is a VPN the answer?A VPN is the easiest and most effective method of encrypting your online movements and communications which prevents ISP’s and ultimately government agencies from monitoring and collecting your individual data. However, not all VPNs are created equal and require specific privacy measures such as:Military grade AES-256 encryptionSecure VPN protocolsZero logsVPN company located in a safe jurisdiction for privacyThe above key elements mean that a US user can browse in total freedom as their online activities are securely tunneled away from prying eyes onto a secure server. Some VPNs log and store user data so it is important to pick one that doesn’t as in this case the FBI could issue them with a sopena and force them to hand over the same data your ISP would store if you didn’t use a VPN. However, if this isn't stored in the first place there is nothing for the VPN company to handover. It is also important to pick a VPN with high levels of security features and those that are located outside the USA and other regions that are governed by strict privacy laws and online monitoring. The <a href=”https://www.comparemyvpn.com/bycountry/usa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5 best VPNs to use in the USA </a>are all cheap, secure and wont log your data