Using a VPN to Secure GDPR Protection Outside the EU

There are ways to take advantage of the protections offered by GDPR while outside of the EU. Here, we show you how.

The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR as it is more commonly known, came into force on 28th May 2018 with the intention of protecting the data of individuals within the European Union (EU).

GDPR is an EU law, which means that the benefits are focused on protecting the privacy of citizens of the European Union. Although some organizations have stated that they will roll out similar protections for users worldwide, currently, the legislation only applies to people who are browsing in the EU region.

This means that if you are outside of the EU, even temporarily, the same protections do not apply. This is because websites determine the geographical location of their visitors based on their IP addresses, which are usually associated with the server or network that your computer (or mobile device) is connected to.

It is possible to change this IP address by using a VPN, which means that if you are traveling outside the EU, you can connect to an EU server using the VPN to assign a new IP address, meaning you will be treated as an EU citizen by websites.

To ensure you are protected under GDPR, you will need to:

• Sign up with a trusted VPN service – such as ExpressVPN
• Download the VPN and launch the application on your computer or mobile device
• Select a server to connect to – this can be anywhere across the globe, but will need to be in the EU in order to enjoy GDPR protection
• Connect to a server in order to be assigned a new IP address
• Browse the internet with added protections

Additional benefits of using a VPN

Using a VPN can also have numerous additional benefits, including encrypting your web connection and hiding your web traffic data. This means they are able to provide protection by blocking websites and ISPs that collect your data.

In addition, you will also be able to browse websites that were previously blocked in your country, but are available in the EU.

VPN tools are also considered to be extremely effective in keeping malware off your mobile devices.

Contact us

Speak to Gibson & Associates today about your GDPR queries by calling us now on +353 1 264 5555 or complete our Online Enquiry and we’ll be delighted to help you.