safing-web/_data/faq.yml

spn:
  - q: Can I use the SPN?
    a: "Yes! Everybody who pays for the SPN can directly enjoy its privacy protections."
    link:
      text: "Look at the current status and capabilities of the SPN"
      url: https://docs.safing.io/spn/alpha/status
  - q: "What does \"Alpha\" mean for the SPN?"
    a: "It means the SPN is available to everyone. But as the SPN is in an early stage, you should still expect bugs here and there, even as a paying customer. We are working hard on making things better!"
    link:
      text: "Check out the current status and capabilities of the SPN"
      url: https://docs.safing.io/spn/alpha/status
  - q: Is the SPN like Tor?
    a: The SPN is heavily inspired by Tor, but the mission is different. Next to tightly integrating with other privacy modules, the main focus of the SPN is easy protection for your whole computer, not just your browser. Additionally it spreads your connections across the globe instead of routing everything through the same circuit.
    link:
      text: Read our comparison blog to find out more.
      url: /blog/2020/01/22/how-the-spn-compares-to-tor/
  - q: How does the SPN compare to VPNs?
    a: The VPN technology was built to securely connect two company locations. However, the SPN was developed from the ground up to protect user privacy. As a result the SPN can easily outperform VPNs in every aspect.
    link:
      text: Read our blog post to read all about the differences.
      url: /blog/2020/01/22/how-the-spn-compares-to-vpns/
  - q: Are all connections routed through the SPN?
    a: Yes, when enabled the Portmaster routes all Internet connections through the Safing Privacy Network. You can easily create exceptions for apps or processes if you so desire.
  - q: Does the SPN route all connections individually? So every connection exits on a different node?
    a: Yes. Every connection is routed separately, giving you a vast amount of identities (IP addresses).
    link:
      text: View this explainer image showing a computer connecting to Steam, ProtonMail and Spotify.
      url: https://safing.io/assets/img/spn-labeled/spn-community.png
  - q: Does the SPN route connections on a per app basis?
    a: No, it routes every connection individually. So as an example, when you open several websites in different tabs in your browser, every connection will be calculated individually.
  - q: Am I totally safe from tracking with the SPN? What do service providers see when connecting through the SPN?
    a: No. This is just one piece of the puzzle. The SPN primarily protects your IP-address from exposure, but there are still many other ways services can track and identify you. These include fingerprinting (mostly in browsers), authentication (when logged in to a service), mouse movements (malicious javascripts), etc...
  - q: Can services still identify me through other methods?
    a: Yes, this is just one piece of the puzzle. There are multiple ways services track you, like browser fingerprinting, malicious javascripts, etc... And if you log into services, such as your Google account, they will mostly still know it is you, even though you protect your IP address.
  - q: Does the SPN only protect my browser?
    a: The SPN reroutes all your computers connections, including those of your browser.
  - q: Can I safely log in to sites via the SPN? Like my bank account etc?
    a: Yes. All serious websites use secure https connections, which encrypts the content of your connection (like login credentials) before the Portmaster wraps them in onion encryption. So no ISP architecture or SPN exit node will be able to manipulate that data. It is protected by https all the way to the destination server.
  - q: What platforms will you support?
    a: Since the SPN is integrated into the Portmaster, we support the same platforms as the Portmaster software. Currently these are Windows and Linux. Mac and Mobile are planned, but are further down the road.
  - q: Is there a free trial version for people interested in the SPN?
    a: No. Providing the network costs us money, so we charge accordingly. However, the Portmaster with its many local privacy features are and will remain free to use.
portmaster:
  - q: How do you make money? What is the catch?
    a: In short, our business model is Freemium. First provide local privacy for free, forever. Then let happy users support us by paying for a powerful VPN alternative. Finally reinvest earnings into making all our products better.
    link:
      text: Learn more about the Business Model
      url: https://safing.io/business-model/
  - q: Since the Portmaster can block ads and trackers, do I still need an ad-blocker for my browser?
    a: Yes, we highly recommend to continue using adblockers, such as uBlock Origin, uMatrix, or similar. They give you more fine grained control over domains. iE you can allow certain domains to allow css files & images while blocking cookies & javascripts. The Portmaster cannot make this distinction.
  - q: What platforms do you support?
    a: Currently we support Windows and Linux. Mac and Mobile are planned, but are further down the road.

# ## The Portmaster can block ads and trackers. Do I still need a ad-blocking web extension?