Forget region-locked content, you'll need a VPN to even go to America soon

I've been writing about VPNs for years. Usually I say things like, "Woah, you can use them to access the streaming libraries in other countries!" or "Now the massive corporations of the world won't know about all the private medical symptoms you Googled." I never anticipated that I'd eventually be saying that they'd be a useful tool for anybody who wanted to visit America in person.

No, NordVPN hasn't started teaming up with governments to offer fast-track passport services (I wish that was what this story was about). I'm referring to the new American VISA requirements which say that "ESTA applicants [are required] to provide their social media from the last 5 years." On top of that, you need to provide phone numbers, IP addresses, and much, much more. We don't know exactly what would be enough to get your VISA declined, but if you've ever posted anything in opposition to legal attacks on trans people, shared clips from South Park that send up Donald Trump, or lightly suggested that the best path for our species is one of love and compassion, it's not unreasonable to think that you might be declined.

So, that's why a lot of people are going to start reaching for the best VPN services. If you're torn between wanting to visit America but also don't want to stop posting about social or political subjects that are important to you, here's what you need to do: first, go through your existing accounts and see if you've got any potentially sensitive posts on them. Sadly, it's probably best if you delete them because with things like The Heritage Foundation pushing for trans people and allies to be labelled as terrorists and extremists, even content that is purely loving and supportive could potentially get you banned from the country.

But, fear not, you can continue to be vocal about the issues that matter to you. What you need to do now is make an account that has no obvious tie to you as an individual. This is where the VPN comes in, because it is possible that you could be identified on an "anonymous" account due to the shared IP address, so you need to have your VPN on the whole time you write about any of these subjects on your separate account. It would be best to go for a well-known and established VPN like NordVPN, Proton VPN, Surfshark, CyberGhost, or ExpressVPN instead of something more obscure. This is because a lot of smaller VPN brands are often not as private as they'd have you believe.

Our top recommendation is our partner, NordVPN. Not only does it thoroughly encrypt your data, but it has safety measures like a kill switch, which severs your connection immediately if the VPN goes down to stop any data leakage whatsoever. There's a reason it's been such a popular choice for over a decade.

Whether or not you choose to go for a VPN, it's just a good idea to think carefully about the information about yourself and the opinions you share online. The internet is becoming an increasingly less-private place. Gosh. I'd probably be banned from America for writing this. Whoopsie.