
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

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.

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

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."

This VPN is harvesting your AI conversations – and 6 million people are using it
By George Phillips published
This popular VPN browser extension is harvesting your AI conversations. Here's everything you need to know to keep your data safe.

'Comply with the law' – UK Government takes aim at VPNs during Online Safety Act debate
By George Phillips published
A debate over the UK's Online Safety Act has seen VPNs come under fire. MPs have called for VPNs to be examined further, implement age checks, and collect user data.

'Insulting' or 'necessary?' – Australia's social media ban sparks passionate debate and divides a nation
By George Phillips published
Australia's social media ban has sparked passionate debate among supporters and critics. But what is each side saying?

NordVPN price and plans – costs and deals in 2025
By Mo Harber-Lamond, George Phillips last updated
NordVPN is one of the biggest and best names in the VPN game. Here's a full breakdown of every subscription plan it offers.

NordVPN passes infrastructure audit with flying colors – but 'security work never ends'
By George Phillips published
NordVPN has completed independent assessments of its apps, core features, and infrastructure. No critical vulnerabilities were found – here's what you need to know.

Australia's social media ban for all children under 16 is live — here's what you need to know
By George Phillips last updated
Australia's social media ban is live, and children under 16 will be banned from having an account on certain social media platforms. Here's what we know so far.

'Grossly disproportionate' and 'discriminatory' — why Australia's social media ban risks creating more problems than it solves
By George Phillips published
Australia's social media ban is here. But there are still numerous privacy concerns, leaving us wondering if it creates more problems than it solves.

Proton VPN's best ever deal ends today – this is your last chance to grab it for $2.49 per month
By George Phillips published
Proton VPN's $2.49 per month deal ends today. Don't miss out on the chance to pick up the privacy-focused VPN at its lowest ever price.

Meta shuts down Australian teens' social media accounts ahead of the country's 'world-first' ban
By George Phillips published
Meta has started shutting down thousands of social media accounts in Australia ahead of the country's "world-first" under-16 social media ban

Missouri's age verification law is now in effect – here's what you need to know
By George Phillips last updated
Age verification laws are now live in Missouri. Here's everything you need to know.

Adult site provider fined £1 million for failing to comply with UK's Online Safety Act
By George Phillips published
Ofcom has fined AVS £1 million for its failure to comply with the UK's Online Safety Act. This is accompanied by further fines and VPN investigations.

I use Proton Unlimited every day – and its Cyber Monday VPN deal is the best I've seen
By George Phillips last updated
Proton Unlimited is the ultimate privacy-focused suite of apps. You can grab it at a huge discount this Cyber Monday.

These four VPN privacy suites are heavily discounted this Cyber Monday – and I use one of them every day
By George Phillips last updated
Looking for total cybersecurity protection? These Cyber Monday VPN bundles are for you

How to install a VPN on Amazon Fire Stick
By Mo Harber-Lamond last updated
vpn Installing a VPN on Fire Stick might seem daunting, but with our step-by-step guide, you'll be up and running in minutes.
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