
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

I'm a VPN expert, these are these are my top six deals for protecting your iPhone 17 – starting from $1.11 per month
By Olivia Powell, George Phillips last updated
Protecting your new iPhone is a no-brainer, so make sure it stays protected online with one of the best iPhone VPNs

The TikTok ban saga appears to finally be over as reports suggest a deal has been done
By George Phillips last updated
The US and China have reportedly agreed a deal to sure up the future of TikTok, putting an end to the app's uncertain future.

Proton VPN is now $3 per month thanks to the provider's flash end of summer sale
By George Phillips published
Proton VPN is on sale! Until September 24 you can grab Proton VPN for $3 per month. The provider is a privacy champion and boasts some great features.

How to install a VPN on iPhone
By Krishi Chowdhary last updated
VPN Getting your iPhone VPN up and running only takes a few taps. Here's everything you need to know, and a simple step-by-step guide.

'The stakes could not be higher' — VPN providers oppose EU plans to weaken encryption
By George Phillips published
The EU's "Chat Control" bill would weaken encryption for all EU citizens. A group of VPN providers have issued stark warnings and opposes the legislation.

Windscribe brings anti-fingerprinting to its browser extension to protect you from nasty trackers
By George Phillips published
Protect yourself from invasive browser fingerprinting with new anti-fingerprinting features added to Windscribe VPN's browser extension.

VPN Glossary: key terms explained
By River Hart last updated
Kill switches, DNS, geo-spoofing, and more – VPN language can get complicated. I'll walk you through the jargon with bite-sized explainers.

The Tor Project has launched its own VPN – but it's not the finished product yet
By George Phillips published
The Tor Project, famous for the Tor Network, has quietly launched its own VPN app. It's still in Beta and designed for testing but is available to download now.

ExpressVPN brings widgets and Siri shortcuts to its iOS apps – here's how to enable them
By George Phillips published
Widgets, Siri commands, and shortcuts are now available for ExpressVPN iOS users. It's easier than ever to connect to your VPN and here's how to do it.

What is a VPN protocol?
By Shaun Rockwood last updated
Everything you need to know about VPN protocols from what they are to how they work

Does VPN server count really matter?
By Mo Harber-Lamond last updated
VPN Almost every VPN boasts about how many servers it runs, but does it mean anything? Here we explain what really matters.

What is VPN obfuscation and do I need it?
By Chiara Castro last updated
VPN VPN obfuscation is the technology that allows you to circumvent VPN blocking. Here, we explore how VPN obfuscation works and when you need it.

Best iPhone VPN for iOS in 2025
By Olivia Powell last updated
VPN We've tested dozens of VPNs on iPhone to bring you a definitive ranking of the top 5 best iOS VPNs, including ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Surfshark

Mullvad VPN brings the QUIC protocol to WireGuard for improved obfuscation
By George Phillips published
Mullvad has introduced QUIC to its WireGuard protocol. The update, for desktop apps only, aims to improve the provider's obfuscation capabilities.

Proton VPN sign-ups in Nepal rocket to 8,000% over the baseline in response to social media ban
By George Phillips published
Proton VPN sign-ups in Nepal spiked to 8,000% over the baseline as the government blocked 26 social media apps. The ban has now been lifted but anger remains.

Grab Norton VPN for $2.50 per month with Tom's Guide's exclusive deal
By George Phillips last updated
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.

Windscribe's new UI update makes switching protocols simple – here's what's new
By George Phillips published
Windscribe has updated its UI and customizable options. Switching and selecting protocols is easier than ever and you can even add sound effects to your app.

Has ExpressVPN's price change played right into NordVPN's hands?
By George Phillips published
ExpressVPN has overhauled its pricing structure. But it may have lost its USP as a result and could make NordVPN seem more attractive to new users.

Some of these seemingly independent VPNs are all connected – and they pose a threat to your data
By George Phillips published
Researchers have discovered popular VPN apps are not only connected, but have serious security flaws that pose a risk to your data

Norton VPN says its new DCO can double OpenVPN speeds – here's how
By George Phillips published
Norton VPN has launched an OpenVPN DCO for Windows. This boosts speed and performance, while maintaining security.

ExpressVPN price and plans — is it good value?
By Andy Sansom last updated
ExpressVPN is one of the most popular VPN choices around. Here we'll explain the pricing structure to help you find the best deal for your needs.

IPVanish raises its privacy standards by upgrading to RAM-only servers
By George Phillips published
IPVanish has boosted its privacy credentials with the launch of RAM-only servers in 19 locations worldwide. Its Secure Browser has also been added to desktop apps.

ExpressVPN review
By Mo Harber-Lamond, Shaun Rockwood last updated
VPN In our complete ExpressVPN review, we run down this well-known VPN's features, apps and performance, and give our unbiased opinion of the service.
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