If you’re concerned about the sort of behavior tracking being carried out by companies like NebuAd and Phorm, then AnchorFree has a deal for you. Download and run their Hotspot Shield application (for either Windows or OS X), and you can surf anonymously. In return, though, AnchorFree will claim the top 90 pixels of your browser window to show you ads from their sponsors.
Hotspot Shield works by setting up a VPN between your computer and their servers in California. Encrypted traffic goes from you to California, making it impossible for anyone at your wireless hotspot or ISP to tell where you’re actually surfing; they just see a meaningless stream going to a single address. In turn, you appear as a visitor from California when you go to a site. I talked with AnchorFree, and they say that they do not collect or save any information on your activities or traffic. In cases where you’re extra concerned about preserving your privacy, this is a simple solution with a low price.
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