Technology

MAGA’s next wave of influencers saved TikTok

Published

10 months ago

April 29, 2025

MAGA’s next wave of influencers saved TikTok

The death knell for American TikTok should have been on March 13th, 2024, when Congress voted on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis to force its parent company to sell the app or face an outright ban. Rarely do you ever see Republicans and Democrats in agreement over anything, but both sides saw the app as a national security threat and worried that the Chinese government would use it to sow misinformation and secretly harvest its users’ personal data. After the bill was signed into law by President Joe Biden and negotiations with ByteDance dragged on, a ban seemed inevitable, even if his adversary Donald Trump won.

After all, MAGA had always been consistent about hating two things that happen to proliferate on TikTok: the Chinese Communist Party, whom they believed were secretly bankrolling the Bidens; and people who openly support Palestine. And in 2020, Trump signed an executive order attempting to ban TikTok, partially after seeing how TikTok was boosting support for his then-rival Joe Biden.

But months after the law officially kicked in, Trump sits in the Oval Office, TikTok remains online under Chinese ownership, and its fate hinges on whether the US and China can come to an agreement that would end an international trade war that’s already wiped out over $5 trillion. Trump has repeatedly extended a (dubiously legal) pause on enforcing the ban, which could well be pushed back even farther. And this time, you really can blame the kids for this one.

Every old elected official has an army of younger, ambitious staffers supporting them — drafting the bills, filling their schedules, and staying up late to run files up and down the halls. And the day that bill passed, the Republican Hill staffers were glued to the app, binging on aspirational content from right-wing TikTokers as their bosses railed about threats to national security next door. It was those younger, ambitious staffers who eventually got in Trump’s ear as he conducted his alternative media blitz to the White House.

It had taken a few years for them to come around, but young MAGA influencers were less inclined to see the app as a Chinese psy-ops machine. One of the final blows came when a 2022 Washington Post investigation revealed that Meta, a company they widely loathed for its content moderation policies and meddlesome CEO, had been paying a Republican comms firm called Targeted Victory to push a narrative tying TikTok to the CCP. (If there’s anything they hate more than Big Tech, it’s GOP establishment consultants working in cahoots with Big Tech.)

Any lingering hesitations on Trump’s part vanished weeks after the law’s passage. The New York Times reported in May of 2024 that TikTok’s internal metrics revealed users vastly preferred Trump over Biden: there had been 1.29 million pro-Trump posts versus 651,000 pro-Biden posts since November 2023.

“That was a big wake-up call for a lot of us, when we saw that Gen Z was really supportive of President Trump,” a Republican digital operative familiar with the campaign’s strategy told The Verge. Trump soon launched his own account, TikTokers soon started reposting his content, and as the operative put it: “His account just crushed.”

One reelection and 100 days later — after his collabs were served into the feeds of Logan Paul and Aiden Ross’s followers outside the right-wing media ecosystem, after viral trends turned his awkward old-man dances into NFL touchdown celebration fodder, and after he promised to keep TikTok alive in the US in defiance of the Republican olds — Trump’s TikTok presence is now his crucial lifeline to the zoomers, who would have dismissed him as a boomer if he hadn’t packaged his attacks on the press and dehumanization of undocumented immigrants into an account speaking in their language of deep-fried 4Chan memes, aggressive use of emoji in captions, AI-generated images of Trump heroically protecting the border, and pro-Trump content hopping on the latest trending songs. (But in a based and red-pilled way, not a cringe way).

While Congress was passing its TikTok ban, congressional staffers were glued to their feeds

Over its roughly one-year lifetime, according to journalist Kyle Tharp, the campaign account @TeamTrump has garnered 2.8 billion views, the most of any campaign or politician on the platform. In contrast, the Democrats’ TikTok account has roughly 670 million views, while @KamalaHQ, the official account of Kamala Harris’s campaign, has been inactive since December. The momentum has carried past the election, too: since January 1st, @TeamTrump has gained a staggering 230 million views and 16 million likes. That month, Trump posted an infographic on Truth Social showing his performance on the platform and asked: “Why would I want to get rid of TikTok?”

Trump is best known as an all-caps microblogger, and he’s several decades older than the vast majority of TikTok’s users. (Roughly 70 percent of American TikTok users are between 18 and 34.) But ever since the 1980s, Trump’s spent his entire adult life shamelessly feeding outrageous quotes and juicy, scandalous stories about himself to New York City tabloids and reality television, two voracious media ecosystems where all attention is good attention. Trump is basically doing the same thing in 2025, just with some technology involved. As a new media consultant might put it, he’s generating nonstop, attention-grabbing content for a social media platform — one that rewards creators who consistently upload content that viewers find engaging enough, whether out of entertainment or anger, to watch for more than two seconds. “TikTok is primarily an entertainment app,” noted the digital operative, “and our usage of it was just significantly more savvy than [the Democrats].”

Say what you will about geopolitical security and trade wars: if your goal is to convince enough Americans that you are a good president, it is absolutely worth keeping TikTok around for that reach alone. (Perhaps in a show of gratitude for swaying Trump and saving their company, TikTok sponsored a glitzy DC party on the eve of the inauguration in honor of MAGA’s biggest content creators.)

America has a long history of right-wing demagogues who grow their power via mass communication, from Father Coughlin on the radio in the 1930s, to Roger Ailes on cable television in the 2000s. The MAGA social media influencers are their digital descendants. They’re building a massive audience, holding their attention, and getting them to vote a certain way or boycott a certain thing — a political skill, no matter how you cut it, just like knocking on doors and kissing babies.

MAGA influencers see TikTok as a relatively stable platform for their work

Granted, they were not the first to the game: Barack Obama famously used Twitter to reach out to younger voters, raise hundreds of millions of dollars, and bypass traditional media. But the Democrats were never able to replicate his success, whereas the Republicans paid attention, studied his tactics, and launched training camps to create their own digital influencer army. By the time of the 2024 Republican primaries, their power was such that Ron DeSantis was actively trying to draft influencers to serve as his online surrogates, and Trump had stacked his war room with his own influencers, who ultimately persuaded him to get on TikTok.

MAGA influencers also view TikTok as a relatively reliable platform to publish pro-Trump content without fear that their accounts will get demonetized, restricted, or worse, deactivated. After the events of January 6th, the MAGA influencer-industrial complex faced an existential crisis when tech companies began clamping down on their accounts: AWS booted the right-wing social media network Parler from its servers, while Facebook and Twitter shut down the accounts of election-denying content creators and influencers — including the ones that belonged to the President of the United States — causing them to suddenly lose their massive follower counts, and in some cases, their livelihoods.

TikTok had adopted the industry’s content moderation best practices at the time, removing QAnon content, vaccine conspiracies, and covid misinformation. Its broader policies around violence and sexually suggestive words helped inspire the rise of self-censoring “algospeak.” But it escaped right-wing scrutiny at the time — there largely were no high-profile MAGA accounts, much less any as high-profile as the President, to deplatform.

This left the door open for pro-Trump influencers to have a fresh start on TikTok, albeit with tempered expectations. The benefits of reaching a new audience began to override suspicions of Chinese interference. “It was a slow burn,” Vish Burra, the executive secretary of the New York Young Republicans Club who’s previously served as a communications adviser for Matt Gaetz and George Santos, told The Verge. “People on the right, especially young people, were appreciative of TikTok for being around and not canceling people and still paying people out.” They also realized that TikTok content could be uploaded to other platforms, whether on purpose or whether it just happened naturally. All good viral TikToks eventually end up on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts — a trend the Trump campaign leaned into by reposting its favorite pro-Trump TikToks to its X account.

Many MAGA creators don’t believe that TikTok labels their political views (regressive as they may be) as hate speech violating its terms of service agreements. “Maybe they take your video down, but they don’t, like, crush your whole channel,” says Burra.

“These fucking people are worthless, and you can’t trust them”

Giving the MAGA influencers access to the app preserves their ability to push Trump’s message to a Gen Z audience, and in turn, gives him more momentum to steamroll over Republicans’ traditional third-rail issues: the China hawks, the pro-Israel officials who believe the app serves up too much pro-Palestine content, the evangelicals who think the app is turning the children into enbies, the business lobby terrified that a fight over an entertainment app for young people could prolong a trade war. It also fits into his biggest brand attribute: being good at deals. (In a Supreme Court filing opposing the ban, the administration bragged about Trump’s “consummate dealmaking expertise” and mentioned, without any specifics, that his first term was “highlighted by a series of policy triumphs achieved through historic deals.”)

None of this has translated into actual trust that TikTok will remain friendly, however. Due to its foreign ownership, MAGA users feel the algorithm and content moderation policies are somewhat insulated from American political changes. But given that whoever’s in the White House directly controls whether Google and Apple can keep it on their app stores, that insulation looks threadbare. And TikTok is still theoretically looking to sell to a US owner. Over the past several months, these users have watched tech CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos (who are far less legally vulnerable than TikTok) rapidly restructure their companies’ core values — cutting DEI programs, eliminating content moderation policies, even turning a legacy newspaper into a “free market” mouthpiece — hoping to appease Trump and get tariff exemptions in return. And if a tech CEO can turn MAGA overnight for business purposes, they believe, there’s nothing stopping them from flipping back if a Democrat becomes president.

“The moment a Democrat is in, these fucking people are worthless, and you can’t trust them,” Burra says. “[The CEOs] will just start fucking canceling people and tweaking algorithms once the Democrats come and say, ‘We’re gonna fucking regulate you if you don’t.’”

But TikTok posing a national security threat — the reason that MAGA initially wanted a ban — now seems to be a nonissue. Besides, Burra says, he and his peers grew up under the assumption that some mysterious entity somewhere was already spying on them: a corporation, the CIA, China, whatever. “Everyone has my data except me. At least can’t I enjoy it? Can’t I make some money?”

Related Topics:policy Politics Social Media Tech

Click to comment

Technology

Iran networks suffer losses amid airstrikes, showing digital evolution of conflicts

Published

11 minutes ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Iran networks suffer losses amid airstrikes, showing digital evolution of conflicts

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

When missiles fly, we expect explosions. We expect smoke, sirens and satellite images. What we do not expect is silence.

On February 28, 2026, as fighter jets and cruise missiles struck Iranian Revolutionary Guard command centers during Operation Roar of the Lion, a parallel assault reportedly unfolded in cyberspace.

Official news sites and key media platforms went offline, government digital services and local apps failed across major cities, and security communications systems reportedly stopped functioning, plunging Iran into a near-total digital blackout.

According to NetBlocks, a global internet monitoring organization that tracks connectivity disruptions, nationwide internet traffic in Iran plunged to just 4 percent of normal levels.

That level of collapse suggests either a deliberate state-ordered shutdown or a large-scale cyberattack designed to paralyze critical infrastructure. Western intelligence sources later indicated the digital offensive aimed to disrupt IRGC command and control systems and limit coordination of counterattacks.

For the United States and its allies, the episode offers a stark reminder that modern conflict now blends airstrikes with digital warfare in ways that can ripple far beyond the battlefield.

In a matter of hours, modern conflict looked less like tanks and more like a blinking cursor.

Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report

Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide – free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter

Iran’s national symbols stand in contrast to reports of a sweeping digital blackout that reportedly disrupted communications and critical systems across the country. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Iran internet shutdown: A country offline in real time

Reports described widespread outages across Iran. Official news sites stopped functioning. IRNA, Iran’s state-run news agency, went offline.

Tasnim, a semi-official news outlet closely aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reportedly displayed subversive messages targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

THINK YOUR NEW YEAR’S PRIVACY RESET WORKED? THINK AGAIN

The IRGC, Iran’s powerful military and intelligence force, plays a central role in national security and regional operations. At the same time, local apps and government digital services failed in cities like Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz.

This was not one website defaced for headlines. It appeared systemic. Electronic warfare reportedly disrupted navigation and communications systems.

Distributed denial of service attacks, often called DDoS attacks, flooded networks with traffic to overwhelm and disable them.

Deep intrusions targeted energy and aviation systems. Even Iran’s isolated national internet struggled under pressure.

CHINA VS SPACEX IN RACE FOR SPACE AI DATA CENTERS

For a regime that tightly controls information, losing digital command creates both operational and political risk.

Why cyber warfare matters in the Iran conflict

Cyber operations offer something missiles cannot. They disrupt without always killing. They send a signal without immediately triggering full-scale war. That matters in a region where escalation can spiral fast.

History shows Iran understands this logic. Between 2012 and 2014, Iranian actors targeted U.S. financial institutions in Operation Ababil. Saudi Aramco also suffered a major cyberattack.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HELPS FUEL NEW ENERGY SOURCES

After Israeli strikes in 2025, cyberattacks targeting Israel surged dramatically within days.

Cyber retaliation lets leaders respond while limiting direct military confrontation. It buys leverage in negotiations. It creates pressure without necessarily crossing a red line.

But there is a catch. Every cyber strike risks miscalculation. And digital damage can spill into the real world fast if critical infrastructure is hit.

As military strikes targeted IRGC command centers, internet traffic inside Iran reportedly plunged to just 4 percent of normal levels. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

If the blackout and strikes mark a turning point, Tehran has options. None are simple.

1) Cyberattacks against U.S. or allied infrastructure

Cyber retaliation remains one of Iran’s most flexible tools. It can range from disruptive attacks and influence campaigns to more targeted intrusions that pressure critical services. Recent expert commentary warns that U.S. cyber defenses and the private sector could face sustained testing.

2) Targeting U.S. drones and unmanned systems

Iran has used drones and electronic interference as signals before. Analysts continue to flag jamming, spoofing and harassment of unmanned systems as a way to raise costs without immediately striking large numbers of personnel.

3) Maritime attacks in the Strait of Hormuz

This risk is rising fast. An EU naval mission official reportedly said IRGC radio transmissions warned ships that passage through Hormuz was “not allowed”. Greece has also urged ships to avoid high-risk routes and warned about electronic interference that can disrupt navigation. Insurers are already repricing the danger, with reports of war-risk policies being canceled or sharply increased.

4) Support for allied or informal armed groups

Iran has long worked with allied forces and militias in the region, and some of those groups could step up attacks on U.S. interests or allied partners in retaliation, widening the clash without direct state-to-state engagement.

5) Limited ballistic missile strikes

Missile strikes remain a high-impact option, but they raise the odds of rapid escalation. Recent expert analysis continues to frame them as a tool Iran may use for signaling, especially if leadership feels cornered.

Tehran’s skyline, including the Azadi Tower, became the backdrop to a crisis shaped as much by cyber disruption as by missiles in the sky. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

The escalation risk between the U.S. and Iran

Here is the uncomfortable truth. Neither Washington nor Tehran likely wants a full-scale regional war. In moments like this, military strikes rarely stand alone.

They often move alongside diplomacy. Leaders send signals. They apply pressure. At the same time, they try to leave room for talks.

But escalation has momentum. Each missile changes the equation. Each casualty raises the stakes. The more damage done, the harder it becomes to step back.

5 SIMPLE TECH TIPS TO IMPROVE DIGITAL PRIVACY

Fear plays a role. So does pride. Domestic audiences demand strength. Leaders feel pressure to respond in kind. That is how limited strikes can spiral into something much larger.

What the Iran cyberattack blackout means for global cybersecurity

This episode highlights something bigger than regional tension. Nation-states now pair kinetic strikes with digital offensives.

Cyberattacks can blind communications, freeze infrastructure and disrupt financial systems before the world even processes the first explosion.

TRUMP TELLS IRANIANS THE ‘HOUR OF YOUR FREEDOM IS AT HAND’ AS US-ISRAEL LAUNCH STRIKES AGAINST IRAN

For businesses and individuals, that reality matters. Modern conflict no longer stays confined to battlefields.

Supply chains, energy grids and online platforms can feel the ripple effects. The blackout in Iran serves as a reminder that digital resilience is now a national security issue.

How to stay safe during rising cyber tensions

When a country’s internet can plunge to just 4 percent of normal traffic in hours, it is a reminder that cyber conflict can escalate quickly.

Even if the disruption happens overseas, global networks are interconnected. Financial systems, supply chains and online platforms can feel the ripple effects.

You cannot control geopolitics. You can control your digital hygiene. Here are practical steps to reduce your personal risk during periods of heightened cyber activity:

Install strong antivirus software to guard against state-linked phishing and malware campaigns that often spike during geopolitical conflicts.

Nation-state actors frequently exploit breaking news and global instability to spread malicious links and ransomware. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com

Keep devices updated so security patches close vulnerabilities that attackers often exploit during global cyber spikes.

WORLD LEADERS SPLIT OVER MILITARY ACTION AS US-ISRAEL STRIKE IRAN IN COORDINATED OPERATION

Use strong, unique passwords stored in a reputable password manager to protect your accounts if cyber retaliation campaigns expand beyond government targets. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on financial, email and social accounts to safeguard access in case stolen credentials circulate during heightened cyber conflict.

Be cautious with urgent headlines or alerts about international conflict, since attackers frequently mimic breaking news.

Monitor financial accounts for unusual activity in case broader disruptions spill into banking systems.

When tensions rise, phishing campaigns often rise with them. Threat actors exploit fear and confusion. Staying disciplined with basic security habits makes you a harder target if malicious traffic increases.

Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?

Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here: Cyberguy.com

Kurt’s key takeaways

The reported cyber blackout inside Iran may signal a new chapter in modern conflict. Jets and missiles still matter. But so do servers, satellites and code. Leaders may try to contain the damage while showing strength.

Still, history shows how quickly careful plans can unravel once pressure builds. War today runs on electricity and bandwidth as much as fuel and ammunition.

When networks go dark, the impact does not stay on a battlefield. It spills into banking systems, airports, hospitals and the phones in our pockets. That is what makes this moment different.

If an entire nation’s digital systems can be disrupted in hours, how prepared is your community if something similar ever hits closer to home? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide – free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

Soundcore new Space 2 promise improved ANC and sound

Published

12 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Soundcore new Space 2 promise improved ANC and sound

We finally have an update to the Soundcore Space One that launched two and a half years ago. At MWC 2026, Soundcore has announced the Space 2, which will be available in the US on April 21st in three colors — linen white, jet black, and seafoam green — for $129.99. That’s $30 more than the Space One’s original price.

According to Soundcore, the Space 2 have had a full-band noise cancellation upgrade with the focus of those improvements on the low-frequency sounds we all generally use ANC headphones to block — things like airplane, train, and bus engine sounds while traveling. The Space 2 use the same number of microphones as the Space One for noise canceling, instead relying on optimized mic placement and structure and materials improvements for the boost in performance.

Redesigned 40mm drivers incorporate dual layers in their design. There’s a silk diaphragm with metal ceramic that supposedly results in faster transient response — the driver’s ability to respond to sudden sound quickly and accurately — with better balanced sound reproduction. The Space One had great sound performance for the price, but I’m all for any improvement to sound performance accuracy. Like the Space One, the Space 2 will support LDAC high-res audio.

The headphones connect wirelessly over Bluetooth 6.1, although they do not support Auracast transmissions — an unfortunate exclusion. There’s also a 3.5mm jack for a wired connection.

Battery life has been increased to up to 50 hours with ANC and 70 hours with ANC off. This is up from 40 hours with ANC and 55 hours without ANC with the Space One headphones. With a five-minute charge the Space 2 get an additional four hours of listening.

The Space 2 will include many of the features found on the Space One. You can use HearID 3.0 to go through a series of sound samples to tune the headphones’ sound to your preferences. It worked well for me on the Space One to get them closer to a sound I liked, with a bit of the edge taken off the higher frequencies. There’s also a sensor that detects when you remove the headphones and stops playback so you don’t miss any of your music or podcast. They once again come with a cloth bag that matches the color of the headphones instead of a case, which is one change I wish Soundcore had made, as the cloth bag doesn’t offer as much protection if you tend to throw your headphones into your backpack or bag.

The Soundcore Space One were among the best budget ANC headphones when they came out, and still hold up to more recent releases. But with the bump in price to over $100 for the Space 2, there’s a bit more expectation on them. ANC performance continues to improve — and products get cheaper — across manufacturers, so the Soundcore Space 2 has some competition from companies like Sony, EarFun, and JLab. If the ANC on the Space 2 stands up to current budget headphones and they still sound as good and are as comfortable as the Space One, you can expect to see the new Soundcore Space 2 on many recommendation lists.

Technology

Tired of websites blocking your VPN? A dedicated IP fixes that

Published

12 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Tired of websites blocking your VPN? A dedicated IP fixes that

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

If you have ever turned on your VPN and suddenly could not log in to your bank, email, streaming service or work portal, you are not imagining things. In fact, this is one of the most common frustrations VPN users face today.

However, the issue is not that VPNs stopped working. Instead, websites have become far more aggressive about blocking traffic that looks suspicious.

As a result, the way your VPN is built now matters just as much as whether you use one at all.

Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide – free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter

Shared VPN IPs often trigger red flags, which is why banks, email providers and streaming sites sometimes block access. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Why websites block many VPN connections

Most VPNs give you a shared IP address. As a result, hundreds or even thousands of people can appear online from the same address at the same time. From a website’s perspective, that traffic pattern raises red flags. When platforms detect too many logins, rapid location changes or unusual activity tied to one IP, they step in quickly. In many cases, they respond by:

Blocking access
Triggering captchas
Requiring extra verification codes
Temporarily locking accounts

Meanwhile, you did nothing wrong. Instead, you end up dealing with restrictions caused by other users sharing that same IP address.

What a dedicated IP does differently

With a dedicated IP, you get an address that belongs only to you. Unlike shared VPN connections, no one else uses it.

Each time you connect, you use the same IP address. As a result, you avoid sharing traffic, rotating locations or competing with random users whose activity could trigger blocks.

Because of that consistency, your connection looks much more like a typical home or office internet setup. And that simple difference can dramatically reduce website suspicion and login headaches.

NEW YORK HALTS ROBOTAXI EXPANSION PLAN

A dedicated IP gives you a consistent address that looks more like a normal home connection, reducing captchas and login alerts. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

What a dedicated IP can do that shared VPN IPs usually can’t

That consistency does more than reduce suspicion; it improves how smoothly you access the sites and services you use every day.

Access more websites without blocks

Banks, government portals, healthcare sites, and streaming services are far less likely to block a dedicated IP because it does not show heavy or erratic traffic patterns.

Reduce captchas and security challenges

Those endless “prove you’re human” messages are usually triggered by shared IP abuse. A dedicated IP dramatically reduces them.

Make banking and email logins smoother

Financial institutions and email providers often flag constantly changing IP addresses as suspicious. A dedicated IP stays consistent, so login alerts and lockouts happen far less often.

Support remote work and secure systems

Some employers only allow access from approved IP addresses. Shared VPN IPs cannot be approved. Dedicated IPs can.

Improve streaming reliability

Shared VPN IPs are often the first to get blocked when streaming services crack down. Dedicated IPs are less likely to be flagged because traffic looks normal and predictable.

What a dedicated IP does not do

A dedicated IP:

Does not remove encryption
Does not expose your identity
Does not weaken your privacy

Your traffic remains encrypted, and your real location stays hidden. You simply get a connection that websites trust more.

Who benefits most from a dedicated IP

A dedicated IP is especially helpful if you:

Use online banking regularly
Travel and access sites from different locations
Work remotely
Stream often
Get tired of captchas and blocked pages
Want a VPN that feels normal to use

GOOGLE DISMANTLES 9M-DEVICE ANDROID HIJACK NETWORK

With fewer blocks and smoother logins, a dedicated IP helps your VPN work quietly in the background instead of getting in your way. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How to choose a VPN that offers a dedicated IP

If you want these benefits, look for a VPN provider that offers a dedicated IP option built directly into its service. Some providers include it in premium plans, while others offer it as an add-on. Either way, the process should be simple. You should be able to select your dedicated IP inside the app without advanced setup or manual configuration. Before signing up, check that the provider also offers strong speeds, reliable uptime and clear privacy policies. A dedicated IP improves access, but overall performance still matters.

What to look for beyond a dedicated IP

A dedicated IP reduces blocks. However, a quality VPN should also deliver strong security and smooth performance.

Fast, stable connections: Speed matters for streaming, video calls and everyday browsing. Look for providers known for consistent performance.

Wide server coverage: More server locations give you flexibility when traveling and help reduce location errors.

Clear privacy practices: Choose a VPN with a strict no-logs policy and independent audits when possible.

Secure server technology: Modern VPNs often use RAM-based servers that automatically wipe data on reboot.

Easy-to-use apps: Protection should feel simple, not technical. Clean apps across major devices make daily use effortless.

For the best VPN software, see my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com

Kurt’s key takeaway

If your VPN keeps getting blocked, the problem may not be the VPN itself. It may be the shared IP address behind it. Websites are increasingly aggressive about suspicious traffic. When hundreds of users share the same IP, banks, email providers and streaming platforms take notice. That is when the captchas, verification codes and account lockouts start. A dedicated IP changes that experience. You still get encryption. You still protect your real location. But your connection looks stable and predictable, which helps you avoid constant interruptions.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Should protecting your privacy really mean fighting with your bank, email, and streaming apps? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide – free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter