How to stop ISP from tracking your activity in 2026

Here’s an uncomfortable truth – everything you do online passes through your internet service provider (ISP). That means that every site you visit, every file you download, and every search you type in is seen and logged. If you wonder how to stop your ISP from tracking you in 2026, I have a few tips that can help.

An ISP is a company that provides access to the internet. Some are privately run, while others are community-owned. But they all track your online activity, citing the official reason of improving the user experience.

In this guide, I walk you through what your ISP can actually see, how to stop them, and how to increase your anonymity on different devices.

What can your ISP see?

Your ISP can track and log all your online activity. This includes:

• Emails
• Websites you have visited
• Online searches
• Files you have downloaded
• When and where you connect to the internet
• Social media data
• All your passwords

But why do ISPs track your data at all? The official reason is to improve the user experience. But, in some cases, ISPs seek profit for themselves and not the consumer of their service.

Reasons ISPs track browsing activities

Here are the 4 main reasons why ISPs track browsing activities.

1. Retain user data according to laws

Some countries have strong data retention laws or could be based in one of Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes alliance regions. ISPs in such regions must collect customer data for a specific time period. That may involve user browsing history, location, social media messages, or credit card information. This data is retained and could be used to fight against criminal activities and terrorists.

2. Sell data to advertisers

ISPs can profit by selling your data. Online marketing is incredibly data-driven and marketers will pay a lot of money for the highly detailed log of information your ISP has on you. Then, they can use it to target you with ads on the sites you visit. Is this legal? That depends on the region. For example, it’s illegal in the EU, but completely legal in the US.

3. Throttle connection speeds

ISPs can throttle your connection speed if they don’t like what you are doing online. For example, you might be using too much bandwidth for your online activities. Plus, ISPs might use this to push more expensive plans for better service quality.

4. Implement restrictions

Free internet is not accessible everywhere. Some countries like the UAE, China, or North Korea have rather strict rules when it comes to internet services. Governments in these countries restrict certain websites that do not comply with their internal regulations. In most cases, governments restrict gambling, streaming, adult content, and torrenting sites.

How to stop ISPs from spying on your browsing activity

Using a reliable VPN is a great way to hide your activity from your ISP. Not only does it encrypt all the information about you, it also transfers your IP address to the VPN’s server. This means that your ISP can’t track your location when you use the internet. But using VPNs isn’t the only method you can use to block ISP tracking.

1. Use a VPN service

The best way to increase anonymity against ISPs is to use virtual private networks. VPNs route your traffic via a VPN server, encrypt your connection, and mask your IP address by providing a new one.

You can feel secure when using a VPN – your ISP can see that you are using one, but they can’t see your browsing activity, as that data becomes unreadable through encryption. VPNs also hide your information from hackers, spammers, or data thieves.

Although one thing should be highlighted: most free VPNs will not provide the security and anonymity you are looking for, since they tend to sell your browsing data to advertisers and keep logs. Be sure to look out for a trustworthy no-logs VPN.

There is a wide variety of VPNs out there you can choose from. Here are some of my top picks.

Best VPN to stop ISP from tracking

• NordVPN – best VPN to stop ISP tracking because of strong encryption, reliable IP masking, and trusted DNS leak protection
• Surfshark – secure VPN to stop ISP tracking with camouflage mode and NoBorders servers
• Proton VPN – most privacy-focused VPN with Stealth mode and Secure Core features

How to stop ISP tracking with VPN

If you want to ensure your data is sent to the nearest VPN server and encrypted, follow these steps:

1. Choose a VPN that follows a strict no-logs policy, audited by independent parties
2. Create an account and install the app onto your chosen device
3. Turn on the kill switch to prevent data leaks
4. Connect to a VPN server
5. Run an IP address leak test to make sure your chosen VPN isn’t leaking your data

2. Use a Proxy server

Using a proxy server is a slightly less common but effective way of getting around geo-restricted sites and hiding your browsing activity from ISPs. They work by routing your information through various servers that could be in or outside your resident country.

However, a proxy server won’t encrypt your information, so the contents of what you’re looking at will still be on display to your ISP. Proxy servers also only work on specific apps or your browser, whereas a VPN will protect all your internet traffic. On the other hand, proxy server speeds are generally faster. Check the main differences between VPN and proxy in our comprehensive guide.

If you’re interested in this option, make sure the proxy server you are using is trustworthy. If you’re unlucky enough to use a proxy that is run by a dishonest company, you can leave your information open to manipulation and your device vulnerable to malware.

3. Use a Tor network

Tor is an encrypted browser that takes your information through a number of servers around the globe to hide information from your ISP. Thousands of these servers (or nodes) act to confuse and encrypt the information of the sites you visit. But having these thousands of nodes can seriously impact the performance of your browsing.

On top of this, Tor will only protect your information and block your ISP from tracking your activity while you’re using the browser, and not while you’re using other apps.

Still, Tor is a popular choice with many as it’s easy to install and use. But the problem is, you can’t be sure what servers your information is passing through. It’s unlikely, but your browsing details could pass through servers belonging to another ISP, a hacker, or a government agency.

4. Use HTTPS websites only

The simplest and easiest way to offer yourself some protection from snooping ISPs is to use HTTPS websites that encrypt the content on the page, hiding it from the ISP you’re using.

HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol, and it’s essentially the method in which information is transferred from server to user. The S on the end of the HTTPS signifies an SSL, or Secure Socket Layer. This means the information on the page is encrypted and therefore invisible to the ISP.

However, while the ISP can’t see what you’re doing on HTTPS sites, it can still track which sites you’ve visited using DNS lookups and server name identification (SNI). So, realistically, your ISP can still gather quite a lot of information about you, even if they can’t see exactly what content you’ve been looking at.

5. Use encrypted DNS

When you visit a website, a DNS lookup is initiated. Your ISP can read and log this information. If you want to prevent ISPs from knowing what sites you visit, you can use encrypted DNS. You might enable it via your browser's privacy settings or you can use encrypted DNS for the entire device using services like Cloudflare or Quad9.

There’s one thing to consider though: encrypted DNS hides your lookups, but your ISP can still see the domain names you connect to. That is because it can read the SNI field. In short, it knows which sites you visit, not the specific pages. ECH (Encrypted Client Hello) has become available in early 2026 to hide SNI, but this technology is still new and not widely used.

Ultimately, encrypted DNS is just one step towards increased anonymity. I recommend using it together with a no-logs VPN that can encrypt your traffic.

Can my ISP block websites?

Yes, it can. Internet service providers have to abide by local rules and regulations, so if your ISP is instructed to block specific websites, it will do that, usually at DNS level.

The DNS server your ISP uses acts like a phonebook. When you type in the website name in the address bar, it will return the correct IP address and the website will show up. If the DNS server is configured to block a website, it will return an invalid IP address, leading to a blank page or a message like “You can’t access this website.”

But there is a solution to that. If the DNS provider you are using allows access to a website, then it will return the IP address and the website you are looking for. Therefore, changing the DNS provider to, for example, Google’s, might solve the problem.

Can I be tracked when using a VPN?

To some extent, a reliable no-logs VPN can make your traffic unreadable to ISPs. However, a VPN will not make you completely anonymous. That is because there are other elements that can identify you, including logins, cookies, account activities, and browser fingerprinting.

That said, a reliable VPN can be a great asset: your web traffic is routed via a VPN server that encrypts your data, and the no-logs policy ensures that your browsing activity is not shared with other parties.

When it comes to free VPNs, some may provide weak encryption and keep all your connection logs to sell this valuable information to interested parties. Moreover, you might find your DNS is leaking when using a free VPN service, revealing your real IP address.

How do I protect my browsing history on different devices?

Your ISP can track and store your information on any number of devices. So you need to protect more than just your computer, especially if you use the same profiles on your laptop, phone, work computer, or tablet.

Protect your PC and laptop from ISP tracking

Installing a reputable VPN, such as NordVPN, on your laptop or PC can help protect your home devices from ISPs.

Most VPNs will automatically configure the best settings for you and protect the devices they’re installed on. So, when choosing a VPN, consider how many devices you actually want to protect. Most VPNs can cover around 10 devices on one account, but there are providers, like Surfshark, that offer unlimited simultaneous connections.

Block ISP tracking on your mobile or tablet

When you connect to the internet through your mobile network operator, it becomes your ISP. And you can be sure they are tracking and storing everything you do as you browse the internet.

A VPN will hide your information from your mobile network operator. However, it’s worth noting that, if you protect one device and not another, your ISP can still track you. It can use clues like linked Gmail addresses to determine that you’re the same person, and keep storing your data and logging your activity.

How to protect your smart TV from ISP tracking

In 2026, virtually all new TVs come with built-in internet connectivity. So, they use an internet service provider, and that means that your activity is tracked. Many people enter card details or make payments through their smart TVs, so they can gather a lot of information on you.

To block ISP tracking, it’s a good idea to disable the native internet on your TV and instead install your choice of streaming box or stick. You could also cast onto your TV using a device that is already protected by a VPN you have set up. However, note that casting only hides what you're streaming. Your smart TV can still leak information to your ISP until the TV goes offline.

Bottom line

In short, ISPs certainly see a lot, and in some locations, they can log and sell information without restrictions. Fortunately, you can increase your anonymity by sticking to secure sites, reviewing app permissions, and switching to encrypted DNS.

Of course, the biggest difference comes with using a trustworthy no-logs VPN. It can make your traffic unreadable to ISPs through encryption. Plus, with the kill switch on, it can prevent accidental data leaks.

Just keep in mind that a VPN cannot make you invisible in the eyes of ISPs. I recommend using it across all devices and pairing it with good internet use habits.

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