
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

Norton VPN launches a new 2-year plan in line with its rivals – and it's exclusive to Tom's Guide readers
By George Phillips last updated
Norton VPN has launched new two-year deals, exclusive to Tom's Guide. It brings the VPN in line with its competitors and doubles its device limit.

VPN usage soars in Uganda as internet access returns – but privacy tools may be under attack
By George Phillips published
Uganda's internet access is returning and VPN usage has soared as social media remains restricted. However, authorities are now monitoring VPN usage, with bans possible.

I spent 6 hours trying to get cheaper flights with a VPN – and I'm underwhelmed
By George Phillips last updated
Using a VPN is often thrown around as way to save money on flights. But is this actually true? I spent a day trying to find out if it really is a money-saving hack or simply an urban myth.

Attention Proton VPN users running OpenVPN – update your configs now
By George Phillips published
Proton VPN is recommending users of old manual OpenVPN configurations to update them or switch to using WireGuard – here's why.

Surfshark now supports post-quantum encryption – here's what we know
By George Phillips published
Surfshark is the latest VPN to implement post-quantum encryption. Android, Mac, and Linux are the first platforms to receive support, with iOS and Windows coming soon.

NordVPN launches 30 new virtual server locations – but what does this actually mean?
By George Phillips published
NordVPN has launched 30 new virtual server locations, taking its total to 79. But what does this actually mean for you?

ExpressVPN launches ExpressVPN for Teams – a business VPN targeted at small and growing teams
By George Phillips published
ExpressVPN has launched ExpressVPN for Teams. It's designed for small and growing teams and gives admin easy management and flexible plans.

VPN sign-ups surge in Egypt following Discord ban
By George Phillips published
Sign-ups to Proton VPN have reached 300% over the baseline amid reports of an ISP-led Discord ban – here's what we know.

Authorities impose 2-month VPN ban in Jammu and Kashmir in response to suspicious online activity
By George Phillips published
A 2-month VPN ban has been imposed in the region of Jammu and Kashmir. There are reports of police checking people's phones and concerns the ban could be extended.

Iran's total internet shutdown impacts millions – and VPNs are powerless to help
By George Phillips published
Iran's government has completely shutdown the country's internet. Millions have been affected and even VPNs can't help bypass restrictions.

The most secure VPN in 2026
By George Phillips last updated
VPN I've compared hundreds of services to find the 5 most secure VPNs on the market. Here are the providers that made the cut.

20 million ChatGPT logs are to be shown in court – is there an answer to AI's vast data collection?
By George Phillips published
OpenAI has been ordered to hand over 20 million ChatGPT logs. AI chatbots don't have no-logs policies, so is there an answer to this vast data collection?

Make securing your online privacy a New Year's resolution with NordVPN's January deal
By George Phillips published
Securing your online privacy is an ideal New Year's resolution and NordVPN's January deal allows you to do just that.

Surprise VPN blocks have caught Pakistani users off guard – here's what we know
By George Phillips last updated
Surprise VPN blocks have impacted Pakistani VPN users. Here's what we know so far and how to bypass the blocks.

NordVPN claims alleged data breach is 'false' and that user data is safe
By George Phillips published
Hackers claimed to have breached a NordVPN development server but the provider has said this is false and your data is safe – here's what we know.

We asked 3 VPN experts for their 2026 predictions – here's what they said
By George Phillips published
We asked 3 VPN experts for their 2026 VPN predictions. From increased censorship to innovative products, here's what they said.

Windscribe updates bring anonymised accounts and server upgrades
By George Phillips published
Windscribe have announced anonymous accounts and 10 Gbps server upgrades, bringing improved performance and privacy to users.

Mullvad's new WireGuard implementation brings faster speeds and improved performance – and it's available now on Android
By George Phillips published
Mullvad VPN has adopted WireGuard written in Rust to improve performance and reliability. It's available now on Android and supports privacy enhancing features.

ExpressVPN's massive price cut spreads holiday cheer – it's even cheaper than NordVPN
By George Phillips published
ExpressVPN's holiday sale sees the provider drop to its lowest ever price outside of Black Friday 2025. It undercuts major rivals so grab it while you can.

Dedicated IP arrives on Surfshark's Linux apps – but how does it compare to its rivals?
By George Phillips published
Dedicated IP support has come to Surfshark's Linux VPN app, meaning all its major platforms now offer the feature. Here's its benefits and how to purchase it.

Split tunneling finally comes to Mac as ExpressVPN overhauls its desktop apps
By George Phillips published
ExpressVPN has overhauled its desktop apps to bring advanced features, uniformity, and some huge upgrades.

'If we can't uphold our privacy policy while based in Canada, we will not be based in Canada' – here are the key takeaways from Windscribe's Reddit AMA
By George Phillips last updated
Windscribe boss Yegor Sak just ran a Reddit AMA. From new features to fighting censorship, here's what he discussed.

'Our goal is to be the VPN for the masses' – inside Norton VPN's big push to simplify privacy
By George Phillips published
Tom's Guide sat down with the Norton VPN team to chat all things VPN and hear why they want Norton VPN to become "the VPN for the masses."
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