Privacy Pleasure Week 2: ISP & VPN Protection

Building digital independence (slowly) in a world where billionaires monetize every click

Author

Amanda Nelson
October 15, 2025

TL;DR: What You Need to Know

🎯 The Big Picture: Your internet provider logs every site you visit, every search you make, every app you use — then sells this data to advertisers. VPNs aren't perfect, but they're essential harm reduction.

🔧 What You Can Do Today: Install a VPN and test it with one website you visit regularly.

🛠️ Tool to Try: ProtonVPN (free tier) or Surfshark ($2.49/month) for comprehensive protection.

🐍 Key Wisdom: Adapt to the tool's true nature — choose VPNs that work with your workflow, not against it.

Full Read time: ~8 minutes

Your ISP Is Selling Your Browsing History 🌐

Hey there, creative friends!

Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) — the company you pay for internet access — sees everything. Every website you visit. Every search you make. Every app you use. They're logging it, analyzing it, and selling it to advertisers and data brokers.

Quick Definitions:

  • ISP (Internet Service Provider): The company that connects you to the internet (Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, etc.)

  • VPN (Virtual Private Network): Software that encrypts your internet traffic and hides your browsing activity from your ISP

Last week we built your password foundation. This week, we're tackling ISP tracking — one of the biggest privacy invasions most people don't even know exists.

The Privacy Pleasure Solution:

Simple VPN protection that makes you invisible to your ISP while keeping your browsing smooth and fast.

The Deep Why: The Data Extraction Machine

Your ISP isn't just providing internet — they're running a data extraction machine.

Every website you visit gets logged and sold. Your browsing habits are worth billions to advertisers, data brokers, and government agencies.

Example: You research ADHD medication. Your ISP logs it. That data gets sold to data brokers. Suddenly you're seeing targeted ads for mental health services, your insurance premiums shift, employers screen you differently.

The Class War Reality:

While you're trying to build your business, billionaires are building surveillance systems to extract every drop of value from your digital life. Your creativity becomes their profit.

Privacy Pleasure isn't just protection — it's refusing to feed the machine.

What Your ISP Actually Sees

Without VPN (Privacy Pleasure Level: Zero):

  • Every website you visit (including full URLs)

  • Exact timestamps of when you visit

  • How long you stay on each site

  • What you search for

  • Which apps you use and when

With VPN (Privacy Pleasure Level: High):

  • Your ISP sees encrypted traffic to one server

  • They can't see what websites you're visiting

  • They can't see your search queries

  • Your browsing data stays private

  • You maintain full control

The Key Insight: VPNs aren't just for tech experts — they're essential tools for digital independence.

Can You Delete Data Your ISP Already Collected?

The Hard Truth: You can't directly delete data your ISP has already sold. Once it's in data broker databases, it spreads.

But You Can Take Action Now:

1. Request Your Data (CCPA/GDPR Rights)

  • If you're in California or the EU, you have legal rights to request what data your ISP holds

  • Contact your ISP's privacy department and request a data access report

  • This won't delete past sales, but shows what they're collecting

2. Opt Out of ISP Data Sharing

  • Most ISPs have opt-out options buried in privacy settings

  • Log into your account → Privacy Settings → Opt out of data sharing programs

  • This stops future collection for marketing (but not legal requirements)

3. Use Data Broker Removal Services

  • Services like DeleteMe or Privacy Bee request removal from data broker databases

  • They can't undo past damage, but they reduce your ongoing exposure

  • Costs $100-200/year but creates real Privacy Pleasure

4. Start VPN Protection Today

  • Every day without a VPN is more data sold

  • Starting now means your ISP sees only encrypted traffic going forward

  • You can't change the past, but you can protect your future

The Privacy Pleasure Mindset: Focus on what you can control. You can't delete yesterday's data, but you can stop feeding your ISP today. Choose your tradeoffs consciously.

The "Gentle VPN" Framework

Step 1: Observe Your Current Setup

  • What's your current internet speed? (Run a speed test)

  • Which devices do you use most? (Laptop, phone, tablet?)

  • What's your comfort level with new software? (Be honest)

Step 2: Choose Your VPN Approach

  • Simple: Browser-based VPN extension (good for testing)

  • Comprehensive: Full-device VPN app (best protection)

  • Advanced: Router-level protection (covers everything)

Step 3: Test Gradually

  • Start with one device you use most

  • Test on websites you visit regularly

  • Notice: Does it create Privacy Pleasure or frustration?

  • If frustration: Try a different VPN provider

Why Meta & OpenAI Tracking Matters

The Platform Control Reality:

As I referenced last week in this TikTok video about communication friction, platforms are making it harder to share information through friction and distrust rather than obvious censorship.

Meta's Data Collection:

  • Tracks you across the entire internet (not just Facebook)

  • Builds detailed profiles of your interests and behavior

  • Uses this data to control what content you see

  • Sells access to your attention to advertisers

OpenAI's Data Usage:

  • Trains on everything you input into ChatGPT

  • May use your creative work for commercial purposes

  • Creates dependency on their platform and tools

  • No clear privacy guarantees for your data

The Privacy Pleasure Solution:

Build systems that work independently of these platforms. Start with VPN protection to secure your browsing, then gradually reduce dependence on Meta and OpenAI tools.

Tool Spotlight: VPNs That Create Privacy Pleasure

ProtonVPN (Free tier available)

  • Swiss-based with strong privacy laws

  • Simple interface that doesn't overwhelm

  • Good free tier for testing Privacy Pleasure

  • No logs policy (they literally can't track you)

Surfshark ($2.49/month)

  • Unlimited devices on one account (protect everything)

  • Clean, intuitive design that feels natural

  • Great for creative professionals on multiple devices

  • 30-day money-back guarantee (test risk-free)

Browser Extensions (Free)

  • Good starting point for testing

  • Easy to install and try (5 minutes)

  • Limited to browser traffic only

  • Better than nothing while you decide

My Recommendations: I suggest ProtonVPN or Surfshark for most people because they're beginner-friendly and create immediate Privacy Pleasure. (I personally use NordVPN, Tor, and DuckDuckGo's VPN, but those aren’t the most user firendly.)

The Elephant in the Room: VPN Servers Live in Data Centers Too

Here's the uncomfortable truth I need you to understand: When you use a VPN, your traffic still goes through servers. Those servers live in data centers. And those data centers? They're owned by the same billionaires running the surveillance economy, building new data centers near our homes.

The Reality:

I've been thinking about this a lot since watching this Bloomberg video on the data center industry. Data centers are a dark industry of their own — massive energy consumption, concentrated ownership, and the same profit-extraction model we're trying to escape.

The Question: Are we just shifting which billionaire profits from our data?

My Honest Answer:

Yes and no. Here's the difference:

With Your ISP:

  • They see EVERYTHING you do

  • They're legally required to cooperate with surveillance

  • They actively sell your browsing data

  • You have no choice — you need internet access

With a VPN:

  • They CAN see your traffic (if they log it)

  • You choose a provider with no-logs policies

  • Swiss/Icelandic companies operate under stronger privacy laws

  • You're adding a layer between your ISP and your activity

The Solution Isn't Perfect:

VPNs don't solve the billionaire problem. They're harm reduction, not revolution. You're trading your ISP's guaranteed surveillance for a VPN provider you choose to trust.

What I'm Doing About It:

I use multiple VPNs for different needs. I choose providers in countries with strong privacy laws. I accept that I can't fully escape the system while participating in it. And I keep learning about alternatives like Tor (which has its own tradeoffs).

The Privacy Pleasure Mindset:

Perfect privacy doesn't exist under capitalism. But reducing your attack surface matters. Every barrier you add makes mass surveillance harder. Choose your tradeoffs consciously. This is about Pleasure, not Perfection.

The Creative Connection

How VPNs Support Your Creative Work:

Research Freedom: I research competitor sites and new tools without my ISP logging those searches and triggering targeted ads that distract me. My research stays private, my focus stays clear.

Client Privacy: When I'm working from coffee shops, VPN protection means client project information stays encrypted. I'm not broadcasting sensitive work over public WiFi.

Inspiration Without Influence: I see content without algorithmic manipulation based on my browsing history. My inspiration comes from what I choose to seek, not what algorithms think I should see.

Peace of Mind: I focus on creating, not worrying about who's watching.

The Goal: Technology that serves your creativity, not corporate interests — even when that means accepting imperfect solutions.

Personal Update: My VPN Journey

I used to think VPNs were complicated and would slow down my internet. I was wrong about the complication part, but I've learned the control part is more nuanced than I initially thought.

The difference was immediate — that feeling of taking back SOME control of my data? That's Privacy Pleasure, even when it's imperfect.

My Current Setup:

  • NordVPN: I use this personally (though I don't regularly recommend it to clients — it's what I had and what )

  • Tor Browser: For maximum privacy when researching sensitive topics

  • DuckDuckGo's VPN: Simple, clean, integrates beautifully with their privacy ecosystem

What I've Learned:

  • Different VPNs serve different needs — there's no one perfect solution

  • The setup took me 5 minutes, not hours

  • The peace of mind is worth every penny, even knowing the limitations

  • Tor is slower but gives me confidence for sensitive research

  • I've accepted I can't fully escape the system while participating in it

  • Harm reduction is still valuable, even when it's not perfect

The Surprise: Once I started using VPNs, I noticed how many sites track you. Seeing those blocked tracking attempts? Shocking how much surveillance happens in the background.

My Commitment: I won't browse without VPN protection anymore. It's as essential as locking my front door.

Why I Recommend ProtonVPN and Surfshark: They're more user-friendly for beginners than my personal setup. Start simple, then experiment as you get comfortable.

What's Coming: Platform Independence

Next week, we'll explore how to reduce dependence on Meta and OpenAI while maintaining your creative workflow. We'll build practical alternatives that give you control without sacrificing functionality.

Remember: Your browsing data belongs to you, not your internet provider.

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With excitement for your growing Privacy Pleasure,

Amanda

Pythoness Programmer

P.S. Have you tried a VPN before? What was your experience? Reply and let me know!

Further Reading

If you’re ready to explore the philosophy and practice of Privacy Pleasure more deeply, here are a few meaningful starting points: