
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

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.

Suspect free VPNs rocket to the top of UK App Store in response to age verification laws – which ones are safe?
By George Phillips published
Many are downloading suspect free VPNs following the introduction of UK age verification laws. Here's which providers to avoid and why.

VPNs appear to get around the UK's age verification law – but are they necessary?
By George Phillips last updated
Age verification laws have just taken effect in the UK. They come with cybersecurity and privacy risks and VPNs can be used to bypass checks. But is it necessary?

Major VPN provider sees a huge spike in sign ups as age verification law comes into effect in the UK
By George Phillips published
A major VPN provider has seen its UK sign ups spike to more than 1,000% over its baseline as people look to avoid the privacy risks of age verification checks.

Norton VPN's feature drive makes it a serious VPN option – and the ex-ExpressVPN Head of Product has now joined its ranks
By George Phillips published
Norton VPN is staking a claim to become one of the best VPNs. It has released an array of new features and upgrades in the last year – let's run through them.

Russia passes restrictive VPN law and sets its sights on a WhatsApp ban
By George Phillips published
Russia has now passed its restrictive VPN law, with fines being handed out for advertising VPNs. WhatsApp is also in the firing line with

ExpressVPN fixes a bug which could have disclosed user IP addresses
By George Phillips published
An ExpressVPN user altered the provider to a bug which could've exposed user's real IP address. It's now been fixed but here's what you need to know

Political turmoil and military tensions see 24 internet restrictions imposed so far in 2025
By George Phillips published
2025 has already seen countries impose 24 internet restrictions, exceeding the first six months of 2024 – here are the countries in question.

Cloudflare blocks VPNs from accessing pirate streaming sites – but only in the UK
By George Phillips published
Cloudflare's geo-blocking means your favorite streaming site might not be working. Here's what you need to know.

Russia looks to expand penalties for VPN usage as 'risks will grow for users'
By George Phillips published
The use of VPNs in Russia is potentially becoming riskier as the government moves the criminalize the accessing of "extremist materials."

NordVPN is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card with 4 months of free VPN in this exclusive deal
By George Phillips last updated
NordVPN's Amazon gift card deal just got even better. All two-year plans now come with four extra months of VPN protection for free. Here are the deals for your region.

Grab Norton VPN for $2.50 per month with Tom's Guide's exclusive deal
By George Phillips published
You can save 70% on one-year Norton VPN plans thanks to Tom's Guide's exclusive deal. It isn't yet a VPN big hitter, but Norton VPN has undergone some significant improvements.

NordVPN is still giving away $50 Amazon gift cards – plus a massive 4 months free on all plans
By George Phillips last updated
Receive up to $50 in free Amazon gift cards thanks to NordVPN's limited time deal. Read on to see how to sign up and what plans are on offer.

BulletVPN shuts down and cancels lifetime subscriptions – but Windscribe is here to help
By George Phillips published
BulletVPN has shut down. But Windscribe is on hand to offer affected users a free 6 month subscription to Windscribe Pro. Here's everything you need to know.

ExpressVPN launches servers in every US state – here's why you should care
By George Phillips published
ExpressVPN now has a server in every US state. Very few VPNs offer this feature, so here's everything you need to know.

Proton VPN Free review
By Aleksandar Stevanović last updated
VPN Proton VPN Free is seriously powerful, and its unlimited data cap is unrivalled. However, there are some limitations to be aware of.

Amazon Prime Day scams – how to avoid them
By George Phillips last updated
Amazon Prime Day is a goldmine for scammers. Here's how to stay safe on the final day of deals.

Tom's Guide's exclusive NordVPN deal has been extended – but not for long
By George Phillips published
Tom's Guide's exclusive NordVPN deal has been extended and there's still time to grab a free Amazon gift card and bonus months of NordVPN. Here are the details.

Proton VPN announces a big summer update – with even more new features on the horizon
By George Phillips published
There's new feature announcements, as well as hints for the future, in the latest update to Proton VPN's roadmap. Here's what's new.

You won't see better deals until Black Friday – grab a VPN this Amazon Prime Day
By George Phillips published
There are some great VPN deals to be had this Amazon Prime Day. You won't see better deals until Black Friday so now is an ideal time to protect your new tech.

This is the last chance to get your hands on our exclusive NordVPN deal
By George Phillips published
The Tom's Guide exclusive NordVPN deal is almost over. Today is your last chance to get the best VPN out there, 4 extra months of protection, and an Amazon gift card.

Protect every smart device in your home with ExpressVPN's Aircove router Amazon Prime Day deal
By George Phillips published
ExpressVPN's Aircove routers are 30% off this Amazon Prime Day. It's the perfect time to protect all the smart devices in your home.

ExpressVPN becomes the latest VPN provider to be embroiled in an auto-renewal lawsuit
By George Phillips published
ExpressVPN has become the second VPN provider in recent months to face legal action over its auto-renewal subscription tactics – here's what we know.
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