This is the privacy software web surfers and activists downloaded 100 million times last year

AnchorFree’s Hotspot Shield VPN, software that encrypts users’ online activity, was downloaded 100 million times in 2018 (up from 70 million in 2017). “Amid every global security or censorship event, we have massive spikes in usage,” says cofounder and CEO David Gorodyansky, who saw a rise in internet users seeking anonymity during the July 2018 protests in Iraq. Last year, AnchorFree added malware and phishing protections, making it valuable for activists and average web surfers alike.