
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

The TikTok ban saga appears to finally be over as a deal is completed
By George Phillips last updated
The US and ByteDance have completed a deal to sure up the future of TikTok, putting an end to the app's uncertain future.

It's Data Privacy Day and ExpressVPN is still cheaper than NordVPN
By George Phillips published
Celebrate Data Privacy Day 2026 by subscribing to ExpressVPN. It has three tiers of plan available and is currently cheaper than its two biggest rivals

Data Privacy Day 2026: 4 ways to reclaim control of your personal data
By George Phillips published
It's Data Privacy Day 2026 and there's no better time to start protecting your online data – here are four steps you can take to do just that.

Attention TunnelBear Free users – you can no longer use these features
By George Phillips published
TunnelBear is removing access to split tunneling and country selection for its free VPN users. Here's everything you need to know about why.

Independent audit confirms Surfshark's infrastructure 'aligns with the highest security standards'
By George Phillips published
An independent audit has confirmed Surfshark's infrastructure maintains high security standards. Here's everything you need to know about SecuRing's assessment.

ExpressVPN axes support for legacy apps – updating is mandatory for continued access
By George Phillips published
Users of ExpressVPN's legacy apps will need to update their apps by March 31, 2026, to keep VPN access. Here's everything you need to know.

VPN Deal of the Week: Proton VPN drops its first deal of 2026 – and it's cheaper than NordVPN
By George Phillips published
Proton VPN has launched its first deal of 2026, with a two-year plan costing $2.99 per month. Its cheaper than NordVPN and all features are included in all plans.

UK Lords vote to ban VPNs for children as pressure on the privacy tools increases
By George Phillips published
VPNs are under fire in the UK as the House of Lords vote to ban VPNs for children and a government consultation will "address concerns" about VPNs.

AdGuard VPN's obfuscated TrustTunnel protocol goes open-source – here's what you need to know
By George Phillips published
AdGuard VPN has made its proprietary TrustedTunnel protocol open-source. Here's what you need to know about the protocol and how to use it.

4.6 billion people were affected by internet censorship in 2025 – with Asia continuing to lead the way
By George Phillips published
4.6 billion people were affected by internet censorship in 2025, with the highest number of cases in Asia. But why is this happening, and how can VPNs help?

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.
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