Occasionally we get a question on our privacy community about a Wi-Fi hotspot blocking VPNs. Thankfully this doesn’t happen very often, but we decided to write this letter to let companies that do this know why they shouldn’t.
Dear business providing free Wi-Fi but blocking VPN,
First of all, we don’t want to seem ungrateful. Thank you for giving us free internet on your premises. We all appreciate a reliable hotspot to occupy our time while we fight boredom in a hotel room, rest up before evening bingo on a cruise ship, or sip on a Mocacchino at a downtown café before picking up the kids. Data caps on our mobile plans are getting less and less in the way of us enjoying our time online when away from home, and we thank you for helping us avoid this problem.
But what you may not realize is that every public Wi-Fi hotspot is also a golden opportunity for cyber criminals. It’s not your fault, this is just a fact of life we’re trying to live with. Most traffic sent over Wi-Fi is basically out there for the taking, and anyone with a laptop and readily available programs can easily intercept all unencrypted data sent over your hotspot.
There are a few tricks for users to make sure all their traffic stays encrypted and private, but using a VPN is arguably the easiest way. And yes, it is harder for you to monitor or control what VPN users do on your hotspot. But is having that control so important that you’re willing to trade your customers’ security for it?
By blocking VPN on your Wi-Fi, you are actively telling your customers to put their private data at risk while surfing, or to not surf at all. It’s the equivalent of giving people access to a beautiful sandy beach, but telling them they can only use it if they don’t wear sunblock.
Ultimately, it’s your hotspot and your call. But if you care about your customers, don’t be in the minority of businesses that forces them to give up their online security and privacy.
Best wishes,
the FreedomeVPN team.
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