What is What Does My ISP See?
A breakdown of exactly what information your internet service provider can monitor about your online activity, and what tools prevent this surveillance.
Your ISP has a privileged position — all your internet traffic passes through their network.
Without Protection (No VPN, No DoH)
Your ISP can see:
- Every website you visit (via DNS queries and IP connections)
- When you visit each site and for how long
- How much data you transfer
- The services you use (Netflix, Zoom, torrents — identified via DPI)
- Your rough location (from your IP assignment)
With HTTPS Only
Your ISP can see:
- Which domains you visit (via SNI and DNS)
- When and for how long
- How much data
- But NOT the specific pages or content
With VPN
Your ISP can see:
- That you're using a VPN
- How much total data you transfer
- When you're connected
- But NOT what websites, services, or content
With VPN + DNS-over-HTTPS
Your ISP can see:
- That you're using a VPN
- Total data volume
- Nothing else
What ISPs Do With This Data
- Sell browsing data to advertisers (legal in the US since 2017)
- Comply with law enforcement requests
- Throttle specific services
- Build profiles for targeted advertising
- Retain data as required by law (varies by country)
The Fix
A VPN with DNS leak protection is the single most effective tool for hiding your activity from your ISP.
Related Terms
Data Retention Directive
Laws requiring telecommunications companies and ISPs to store user metadata for a specified period, enabling retroactive surveillance.
DNS over HTTPS
A protocol for performing DNS resolution via the HTTPS protocol. It encrypts DNS queries, preventing ISPs, network administrators, and attackers from seeing which websites you're trying to visit.
Packet Inspection
The practice of examining data packets as they pass through a network checkpoint, ranging from basic header analysis to deep content inspection.
Virtual Private Network
A technology that creates a secure, encrypted connection over a less secure network, such as the public internet. VPNs mask your IP address, encrypt your internet traffic, and can make it appear as though you're browsing from a different location.
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