
George Phillips
George is a Staff Writer at Tom's Guide, covering VPN, privacy, and cybersecurity news. He is especially interested in digital rights and censorship, and its interplay with politics. He has long been a trade union activist and political campaigner, so channels this experience into his work surrounding internet censorship and privacy and is well aware of the dangers posed to individual's internet freedoms.
George constantly uses VPNs on all of his devices, very rarely turning them off. He is always aware of his personal data and how he, and VPNs, can protect it.
Before joining Tom's Guide, he completed an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University and has experience writing and producing content for music, education, and wellbeing publications. As well as writing, George is a keen podcast and audio producer.
Outside of work, George is passionate about music, regularly attending gigs, collecting vinyl, and playing guitar. George is also a huge Star Wars fan and holds a 3rd Dan black belt in Shotokan Karate.
Latest articles by George Phillips

Firefox is getting a free, built-in VPN – here's what we know
By Aleksandar Stevanović published
Firefox becomes the latest secure browser to offer a free, built-in VPN – but how will it protect your data?

Hurry! You have one day left to grab ExpressVPN at its cheapest ever price
By George Phillips published
There's only one day left to subscribe to ExpressVPN at its lowest ever price – and there's three tiers of plan to choose from

Is ExpressVPN about to launch Shadowsocks support?
By George Phillips published
An analysis of ExpressVPN's code suggests it may be about to launch Shadowsocks support – here's everything we know so far

US Surfshark subscribers can now get up to $1 million in ID theft insurance
By George Phillips published
Surfshark has become the latest VPN to offer ID theft insurance. Up to $1 million is available, but only for US-based Surfshark One+ subscribers.

We analyzed 24 VPN privacy policies – but only three were "easy to read"
By George Phillips published
We graded how difficult 24 VPN privacy policies are to read to see which ones lay it out clearly, and which are near-impossible to understand.

Surfshark announces Dovydas Godelis as its new CEO – changing its leadership for the first time
By George Phillips published
Dovydas Godelis has replaced Surfshark founder Vytautas Kaziukonis as CEO of the VPN company. Does this mean change is on the horizon?

What is ExpressVPN's Identity Defender?
By Aleksandar Stevanović last updated
How ExpressVPN's cybersecurity feature can help protect your identity online

ExpressVPN's new bargain deal is the perfect companion for your MacBook Neo
By George Phillips published
At $2.27 per month, we've never seen the VPN any cheaper

Online age verification: a complete global timeline
By Aleksandar Stevanović published
Governments worldwide are introducing age checks and social media restrictions for minors. Here's how the global timeline is unfolding.

Grab ExpressVPN at its cheapest-ever price thanks to its new competitive Esports partnerships
By George Phillips published
ExpressVPN is positioning itself as the go-to VPN for competitive gaming. It has announced new partnerships and launched a new gaming social channel.

Can a VPN protect my privacy during age checks?
By George Phillips published
Interest in VPNs has spiked following the widespread introduction of age veriofication laws across the world. But can a VPN protect your privacy during age checks?

Potentially risky VPNs are surging in Australian app stores
By George Phillips last updated
VPNs – including a number of potentially risky ones – are surging up the Australian Apple App Store and Google Play Store. These are the VPNs to choose and avoid.

Mullvad's new GotaTun WireGuard implementation passes its first independent security audit
By George Phillips published
No major vulnerabilities were found

Age verification on X – how does it work and do you need to do it?
By George Phillips last updated
X is one of the sites implementing age verification checks. Some users have been unable to comply, while others look to bypass them – here's how it all works.

IPVanish has a serious security flaw on Mac – and OpenVPN users need to take note
By Sam Dawson last updated
A critical flaw in IPVanish’s Mac app lets attackers run malicious code with full admin access – here's what you need to know to stay safe.

PureVPN's huge server upgrade adds 40+ new locations worldwide
By George Phillips published
PureVPN has added a whopping 40+ new locations to its server network. The upgrade is in response to growing online restrictions and aims to improve VPN performance

Big Norton VPN update addresses a key problem for streaming fans
By George Phillips published
Norton VPN launches two significant platform updates. Fire TV is now supported, while WireGuard has come to Mac. Here's what you need to know.

Spam calls begone – NordVPN launches Call Protection feature for Android users in Europe
By Aleksandar Stevanović published
NordVPN has launched Call Protection for Android users in Europe. It aims to warn people about potential scam calls in real time before they pick up the phone.

ExpressVPN blocks child abuse material in partnership with Internet Watch Foundation
By George Phillips published
ExpressVPN has announced a partnership with the IWF to restrict access to CSAM. The VPN wants to lead the way in balancing privacy and protections online.

Meta recommends Mullvad and AmneziaVPN for WhatsApp users encountering network disruptions
By George Phillips published
In a somewhat surprising move, Meta has recommended two VPNs for WhatsApp users facing network restrictions – here's what it said.

Identity Defender becomes the latest ExpressVPN feature to receive its own app – but only for US users
By George Phillips published
ExpressVPN's Identity Defender now has its own app. Its capabilities have been seriously upgraded and one ExpressVPN subscription now gets you four apps.

73% of Europeans believe they are too reliant on US tech – so here are some privacy-focused alternatives
By George Phillips published
A Proton survey found 73% of Europeans think they're too reliant on US tech. With that in mind, I've put together a list of my favorite, privacy-focused alternatives.

The 'VPN Factory' creating ad-infested apps – how one developer launched 39 cloned VPNs without a working website
By George Phillips published
"VPN factories" are churning out potentially unsafe VPNs, which are carbon copies of one another. We investigated one developer and highlight how to keep your data safe.
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