The short version
More people can see your internet activity than most of us assume: your internet provider, Google and ad networks, the VPN app you installed to stop them, your smart TV’s manufacturer, and the data brokers who buy from all of them. Each one sees something different, and each needs a different fix. This guide maps who sees what, links to our deep dive on each, and shows which single change covers the most ground.
We’ve spent 15+ years building VPN routers, and the most common thing customers tell us is some version of “I assumed incognito mode handled this.” It doesn’t. Privacy at home isn’t one problem with one switch — it’s a handful of different watchers, each looking through a different window. Here they are.
Who can see what you do online?
Start with the row that worries you most, then follow the link.
| Who | What they can see | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Your internet provider | Every domain every device in your home connects to. In the US they can legally sell it. | ISP browsing history → |
| Google and ad networks | Your IP address, which Google now uses to identify devices for ads — a tracker you can’t clear like a cookie. | Google IP tracking → |
| Free VPN apps | All of your traffic. Some popular free VPNs have undisclosed owners and weak encryption. | Are free VPNs safe? → |
| VPN apps in general | More than they should. Researchers testing 281 Android VPN apps found DNS leaks and device IDs sent to advertisers. | The 281-app study → |
| Your smart TV’s maker | What’s on your screen — including cable, antenna and game consoles — through ACR tracking. | What is ACR? → |
| Websites and streaming services | Your location — and not only from your IP address. | Location beyond IP → |
| Data brokers | Whatever the others sell them, stitched together into a profile. | The data economy → |
Does incognito mode hide my activity?
Only from other people using the same browser. Incognito stops your browser from saving history and cookies on the device. Your internet provider, your network, Google and the websites you visit still see the same things they always did.
Your smart TV deserves its own section
TVs are the most-watched devices in the house and the least protected. They can’t run a VPN app, they phone home constantly, and most ship with viewing-data collection switched on.
- How to turn off smart TV tracking on Roku, Samsung, LG and Vizio
- Who owns your smart TV? — and what that means for your data
- How to use a smart TV as a “dumb” TV
- Should your smart TV be on a guest network?
What’s the one change that covers the most?
A VPN router. It encrypts traffic from every device before it leaves your home, so your internet provider stops seeing what you visit and websites see a shared IP address instead of yours. It covers the devices apps can’t reach — TVs, consoles, smart speakers — and it removes the guesswork of trusting a different app on every phone.
It isn’t everything, and we’d rather you know the limits up front:
- It can’t stop tracking that happens inside an account you’re logged into, or in your browser itself — here’s what router-level blocking misses.
- It only protects devices on your network. Your phone on cellular data is on its own — see Android VPN apps vs router-level protection.
- It’s only as trustworthy as the VPN provider behind it, and you need to know what happens when the VPN disconnects.
How are privacy laws changing?
Age-verification and VPN laws are spreading, and they change what happens to your data when you go online.
- Utah’s VPN law and what it means for router-level privacy
- UK age verification and household privacy
- Australia’s VPN surge and why app-based privacy isn’t enough
Close the biggest window first
Privacy for every device, set up once
Privacy Hero 2 covers your whole home with easy guided setup that takes minutes — including the TVs and consoles a VPN app can’t reach.
See Privacy Hero 2 →Prefer to pick your own VPN provider? Browse the 30+ VPNs we support →
Frequently asked questions
Who can see my internet activity at home?
Your internet provider sees the domains every device connects to. The websites and apps you use see your activity on their own services and your IP address. Ad networks like Google use your IP address and cookies to recognize you. Smart TV makers can see what’s on screen through ACR. A VPN router hides your activity from your provider and replaces your IP address for every device at once.
Can my internet provider see my history if I use HTTPS?
HTTPS hides the pages and content within a site, but your provider can still see which sites you visit and when. A VPN encrypts that too, so your provider only sees a connection to the VPN server.
Is a VPN router better than a VPN app for privacy?
For home use, usually yes. A router covers every device — including those that can’t run apps — and you choose one trusted provider instead of trusting each app separately. An app is still useful on a phone or laptop when you leave home.
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