It ' s not about the VPN ' s , really . They can track you even without your IP address . Using the available web technology a government can create a unique fingerprint of your browser system and detect what you are doing . This is the reason Tor is extremely good privacywise , they do shit like disable all JS , default to a small window size on all installation i think it ' s 1024 x 728 or something just so websites can ' t identify you based on your screen sizes other available information etc . You can be identified via any unique settings you might have touched . The only way to stay safe is to really disable almost everything in your browser . And even then , you ' re only using a VPN . It ' s not going to keep you safe from the government .