The Benefits of Using Proxies (and Possible Disadvantages)

Using a proxy for accessing some content may be a great idea. But, like any Internet technology, this one has its limitations. Let’s now see why using a, say, Japan proxy service without a special need is not always about benefits.

Why You Benefit from Using Proxies

There are certain benefits you get when you connect through a proxy. Let’s list just some of them.

  • Connection security. Your ISP will not know what sites you visited. If someone tries to investigate it, ISP won’t be able to inform. Neither will the sites you open know your real location and other IP-related data.
  • Easy to switch between locations. Just change the country in your proxy settings, and you are visiting your social media from Brazil, next Indonesia, and then Kenia. If you run an international ad campaign or a site that looks different from different countries, it’s precious.
  • Harder to track you. Trackers on the sites you visit won’t be able to access your cookies.
  • Easier to bypass the restrictions imposed by your authorities. If Facebook is banned in your country, using a proxy can help you access your feed or read the comments to your statuses.
  • Easier to access sites with restricted locations. For example, the famous HomeDepot doesn’t let buyers from other countries visit its American or Canadian sites. With a proxy of the country you need, you can access them.
  • Sites load faster. A proxy caches contents from the sites you visit. So when you revisit it, you only have to fetch the updated content from the original site. The static part loads from the proxy, and the entire process is quicker.
  • If you wish, you can rent a private proxy and create your long-time virtual identity, It can be useful in a long-run project.

These are the benefits of using proxies that make them worth it. On other hand, sometimes, it is better to keep from using it.

What Problems Proxies Can Bring

Usually, a proxy is a protector and an assistant worth its salt. But you need to use it carefully, because using a proxy can cause some problems.

First, the very fact of using proxies can compromise your accounts. Either you share an IP address that has been used by someone else for inappropriate behavior and then banned (and so are you). Or Cloudflare and other protection services know the pool of IP addresses used by proxies and thus recognize you as a robot.

Second, for some operations, you still have to use your real identity. For example, imagine the next situation. Someone wants to try Spotify before it is available in the person’s country. To install the app and register, the person uses a Dutch proxy. The free version of the service may work well. But when Spotify starts operating in person’s own country, the user could not subscribe with the bank card because its details didn’t match those of the registration. Of course, it’s rather about impatience than a proxy. Anyway, when it comes to payments and stuff that deals with your citizenship or Bank ID, you better not hide behind it.

To Use or Not to Use?

The most logical answer to this question is to use your proxy wisely. Often it’s irreplaceable, especially if you need to bypass restrictions or to look at your projects from abroad. You need to know when your actual digital identity needs to be hidden and when to be confirmed and shown like a license.