Strange VPN Question

[Jazz1966]

Hi,
I have a strange VPN question that has me confused.
I use NordVPN which should make me anonymous on the internet.
I assume that every time I log onto my VPN, I am allocated a different IP address.
As someone who loves reading the news, I visited one of my major news sites every day with my VPN connected.
This site told me that I had read over 40 of their news stories (which sounds about right) over the last year and was asking whether I would like to make a contribution to the site.
This has got me completely baffled. How does this site that I have visited 40 times in the last year if I am using a VPN to hide myself?

 

[Nico Albrecht]

Cookies. Also there is plenty of other ways to track you such as mac address and other goodies.
Not sure why you think vpn makes you anonymes it just shifts the log data from your ISP to nord vpn. Vpn connections are easy picked up by any decent site you visit. They might allow it they might block you or payments coming in via vpn

 

[fisicx]

NordVpn even tells you on their site you aren’t anonymous. You need to do a lot more is you want to be fully hidden.

 

[DontAsk]

Personal VPNs like this are a total waste of time and or money, designed to prey on the gullible and spread FUD.

 

[alan1302]

Personal VPNs like this are a total waste of time and or money, designed to prey on the gullible and spread FUD.

Easy way to get to torrent sites easily though...and download them without your ISP knowing.

 

[Jazz1966]

Cookies. Also there is plenty of other ways to track you such as mac address and other goodies.
Not sure why you think vpn makes you anonymes it just shifts the log data from your ISP to nord vpn. Vpn connections are easy picked up by any decent site you visit. They might allow it they might block you or payments coming in via vpn

Thank you, I guess the way around the cookie problem is to browse via 'Incognito' mode.

 

[Jazz1966]

Cookies. Also there is plenty of other ways to track you such as mac address and other goodies.
Not sure why you think vpn makes you anonymes it just shifts the log data from your ISP to nord vpn. Vpn connections are easy picked up by any decent site you visit. They might allow it they might block you or payments coming in via vpn

Another query, if you are using 'Incognito' mode and rejecting all cookies, how would they ever be able to track you as some replies seem to think they can. All they will see will be the VPN IP address and not yours. Unless they get a court order for your VPN provider. So - unless I am mistaken - if I was to use 'Incognito' mode while linked to a VPN, I cannot see how a website would know that I had visited. Or have I completely mis-understood

 

[fisicx]

Sort of. If you are logged into anything you are still being tracked even in incognito mode. And some browsers still track everything you do as they don't rely on cookies (they phone home after every action). Your ISP also knows what you are doing.

It's very hard to be completely anonymous. If you use your phone for anything it's almost impossible.

As an aside, if you are using incognito mode you don't really need a VPN.

 

[Nico Albrecht]

Another query, if you are using 'Incognito' mode and rejecting all cookies, how would they ever be able to track you as some replies seem to think they can. All they will see will be the VPN IP address and not yours. Unless they get a court order for your VPN provider. So - unless I am mistaken - if I was to use 'Incognito' mode while linked to a VPN, I cannot see how a website would know that I had visited. Or have I completely mis-understood

This process has a name: browser fingerprinting. This is when a website gathers data about who you are and how you browse without the need to set any cookies. Private browsing still hands over this data, making it a poor choice for protecting your online privacy.

There is plenty more and just to name a few:

1. LocalStorage: HTML5 uses LocalStorage

2. Canvas Fingerprinting

3. User Behavior

4. Using the ETAG

This is only a fraction of those used to identify each user session.

 

[DontAsk]

This is only a fraction of those used to identify each user session.

Tracking pixels.