This VPN-killer aims to make internet connections private by default, without sacrificing speed

Internet users in China rely on VPNs, which encrypt and reroute internet traffic, to get past the so-called Great Firewall and access over 2,700 blocked websites including Gmail, Facebook and Youtube. Hornet purports to be much faster. Photo: EPA

Hornet, a new technological breakthrough by researchers in London and Switzerland, claims it can make remaining anonymous online easier and faster while better protecting people’s privacy.

This spells good news for internet users, especially in the wake of recent revelations about government surveillance, but trouble for slower virtual private networks (VPNs), which could lose their competitive advantage.

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