Honest question. Why would I want need a vpn?

Thank you

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I don't really do anything in apps that need privacy.

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People like you are why I'll always have a job in infosec.

Why you should care about your privacy

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Why should I care?¶
“I HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE. WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT MY PRIVACY?”¶
Much like the right to interracial marriage, woman's suffrage, freedom of speech, and many others, our right to privacy hasn't always been upheld. In several dictatorships, it still isn't. Generations before ours fought for our right to privacy. Privacy is a human right, inherent to all of us, that we are entitled to (without discrimination).

You shouldn't confuse privacy with secrecy. We know what happens in the bathroom, but you still close the door. That's because you want privacy, not secrecy. Everyone has something to protect. Privacy is something that makes you human.

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Three reasons you might need a VPN

1) Getting around geography restrictions that some sites impose. It's rare but you'll come across it here and there. I remember one YouTube channel I came across a while back didn't allow American IP addresses. I thought it was strange but that's the message I got.

2) Keeping your ISP from seeing which sites you visit.

3) Keeping the website itself from knowing your IP.

I have no need for any of these, so I don't use VPNs. I am pro privacy but I also am logical about it. I don't care if my ISP knows I visit TD and I don't care if my bank knows my IP. When I do web searches I use DDG who doesn't log anything (or so they claim). Even if they do, I don't care really.

Where I care about privacy is when I communicate with friends or family. In those cases, I use encrypted messaging which is pretty much the norm today for most messaging apps. Of course, you have to trust your app really does what it says which is beyond the scope here.

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However, they are important in open wifi at coffee shops and the like.
Never trust open wifi.

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True, but most every website nowadays is encrypted anyway, so even if Wifi spies on you, it would do them no good.

VPN does almost nothing for security. Your connection to websites are already encrypted end-to-end. You'll get a stern warning/alert if they do a man in the middle attack.

For privacy.. it does help some but the big players still know who you are because their identification/tracking process is a lot more complex than just IPs.

VPN is great for getting around restrictions and laws.

Based on the Twitter files, I wouldn't be shocked if these VPN companies are shell companies for nefarious purposes - be it the CIA, a foreign intelligence service, or just dystopian assholes in general. One of the owners of NordVPN is also the owner of a data harvesting company.

You only need it to skirt around laws and rules.

google still knows who you are, and VPN gives unknown people access to your data by consenting to give them a "man in the middle" attack on your computer that can technically decrypt all private traffic that would normally be encrypted had you not had a VPN.

In short, if you need to watch pr0n in Louisiana or do something illegal then you need a VPN or TOR. If you are just interested in security then it basically does nothing.

Privacy? maybe, maybe not.