VPN = Privacy? Think again
While I’m not affiliated with this company, I feel compelled to share my thoughts on a relatively-new privacy provider that have impressed me: Hoody.com.
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In 2024, relying solely on a VPN for privacy protection is no longer sufficient. While VPNs can mask your IP and encrypt your traffic, they fall short when it comes to protecting against browser fingerprinting, AI profiling, and other sophisticated tracking techniques, which are now the norm. Moreover, as evident from Google’s Transparency Report, even when using a VPN, your browsing history can be handed over to authorities upon request.
This is where Hoody comes in, offering a ready-made privacy solution that goes way beyond the scope of standard VPNs.
The Alarming reality of Google’s Cooperation with authorities
In 2023 alone, Google shared user’s data of more than 400,000 users.
Each year, Google receives tens of thousands of requests from governments worldwide, seeking information about its users. According to Google’s Transparency Report, the company complies with a significant portion of these requests, handing over user data, including browsing history. What’s even more concerning is that popular browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox and even Brave, they automatically send all visited websites to Google due to the hidden Safe Browsing feature.
This means that even if you’re using a VPN and just 1 browser, your browsing history will be exposed if the government wants to see what you are up to, and believe me, they will, LOOK:
https://transparencyreport.google.com/?hl=en
Containers, Containers, Containers!
It’s essential to containerize your activities. Each task, whether it’s browsing, banking, or messaging, should be isolated within its own environment, with unique fingerprints and IP. This compartmentalization makes it exceptionally difficult for trackers to build a complete profile of your behavior.
Hoody makes it very easy to spawn a unique Browsing Container that has its own IP+Fingerprints. You can choose who you “want to be” and the container will entirely spoof this virtual identity. Websites will truly think that you are based somewhere else, and each website you visit will think you are an entirely different person, no more profiling.
Each App on Windows will also get a unique IP that constantly rotates if you enable Bulletproof mode, which drastically increases your actual privacy.
Hoody addresses most of the privacy flaws of VPNs by thinking further than just hiding your IP.
How does Hoody isolate your Activity?
1. Per-App VPN
- Assign different VPN locations to each app
- Change an App location without having to restart it
- Over 61 VPN locations available (https://hoody.com/locations)
- It works on Windows 10 & 11
2. Bulletproof Mode
- Random IP/Fingerprints for every tabs you open.
- Tor-inspired random exit IPs for deep anonymity
3. Private Browsing Containers
- Based on Ungoogled Chromium
- Unlimited containers with unique browser fingerprints
- Different IP addresses for every browsing container
- Different Fingerprints for every browsing container
4. Hoody AI
- Anonymous access to the best AI models, including OpenAI, Meta, Anthropic, and Google
- Upload images and documents and ask questions about them
- Speak to AI by voice
- Talk to multiple AI models at once
6. Bulletproof Proxies/VPNs
- Double-hop SOCKS5 proxies available in all locations
- WireGuard VPNs with Bulletproof Location mode
No email, no name required
Hoody does not ask for any information during sign-up. Instead, it will generate a cryptographic Key that you must write down, this serves as your username/password.
As any decent Privacy provider, they are based outside EU & US (in the BVI), they also have a super strict zero log policy, as well as running their servers entirely in RAM, so in case of seizure, every current connection to the servers will be lost for good.
Price?
You can create a FREE Account Key. While most features require a Premium account, you can still use Hoody AI, Hoody Privacy Manager and a few other features for free. Premium gives you full access to the Bulletproof Network (All Locations), Per-App VPN, Browsing containers, and even Hoody AI.
By the way, Premium membership is still in promo while they are in BETA, check it out before prices change!
https://hoody.com/pricing/BETAPROMO
See it live, without sign-up:
If you liked this article, please follow my Medium channel, I’ll be posting every week about new privacy providers and scandals, while staying unbiased as possible, no payment, no affiliation, ever.
PS: VPN Giants, I’m coming for you, I’ll expose all your BS.