Hola Unblocker is a popular solution for users who want to access content that is blocked in their location. The extension is used by millions of people around the world and it is recognized for its good performance and ease of use. If you are tired of geo-blocks and restrictions that prevent you from accessing websites or services, you are probably considering giving Hola a try, specially since it is free. However, there are some negative aspects that you need to keep in mind and in this review, we will explore them.
Is Hola Unblocker an effective option?
One of the reasons why Hola Unblocker is widely used is its simplicity and convenience. It only takes a few minutes to sign up for free, download and set up the extension following the steps provided. You will be ready to start using Hola on your browser in no time, which is why many people opt for this solution to bypass restrictions. While Hola Unblocker may work with some websites, its functionality is limited. For instance, the extension is not ideal for unblocking content from international versions of Netflix.
In the past, Hola may have been a good solution to access Netflix US or other versions of the platform outside your country. The problem is that in 2016, Netflix started to implement strict blocks and it is using technology that can’t be bypassed using Hola. At the moment, only a few VPNs are keeping up with Netflix and they offer servers that are capable of getting around the restrictions. Hola is not effective to bypass Netflix’s blocks so if that is your main concern, this extension is not the right choice.
Another problem is that even if you manage to use Hola Unblocker to stream content from other services, the performance can be painfully slow. This is very disappointing because even if it is not Netflix what you are focused on, it is likely that one of the main reasons you want to use a solution like Hola is to watch YouTube videos or media content from other platforms that are censored, or subject to geographical blocks. Unfortunately, Hola doesn’t offer good speeds and you the content seems to take ages to load. That means that in the end, Hola would only be suitable for browsing since the slow performance and the lack of support for popular streaming services mean that streaming is pretty much out of the question.
Security issues
Since Hola doesn’t offer encryption, or security features like a VPN, we were not expecting it to be a good solution to protect online data. However, the main issue is not the lack of features that can help you to keep your privacy protected. The concern is not that Hola doesn’t secure your online traffic. The real problem is that using the extension can even put your privacy at risk. Hola offers a free service that allows users to bypass blocks using a P2P IP exchange system that turns each active user into an exit node for other users. The provider came under fire for selling botnet services that were built on the IP addresses of its users.
Following the botnet accusations, Hola quickly responded by modifying the information on its website to avoid legal issues. However, the safety and reliability of the free service are in question. It should be noted that security concerns is not an issue that only affects Hola. Free services are very appealing, but it is important to keep in mind that running a network requires a lot of investment. If a service is free, it is likely that the price you pay is to compromise your personal data and security. In the case of Hola, their privacy policy even states that they do keep logs of your online activities, your usage of the service and other details. Your personal information is also collected and even if they claim that they don’t share it with other parties, they would probably hand it over to the NSA and other surveillance agencies.
Removing Hola from your browser
If you are concerned about how Hola may compromise your privacy, you can follow some simple steps to remove the extension from your browser. Below you will find the instructions to get rid of Hola.
Removing Hola from Google Chrome
1. To remove Hola from Google Chrome, start by opening Settings on the browser.
2. Select Extensions and look for Hola.
3. Click on the trashcan icon next to Hola and once the pop-up message appears, press “Remove”. This is all you need to do to remove the extension from Google Chrome.
Removing Hola from Mozilla Firefox
1. Open the browser and click on Open menu, which is located at top right side.
2. Go to Add-ons and select Extensions
3. Search the Hola extension or look for the add-on. The Disable and Remove options will be shown.
4. Select Disable and then press “Remove”. You will see a message letting you know that Hola has been removed from your browser. Keep in mind that you may get a message asking you to install Hola again, but you can ignore this.
Conclusion
Apart from the performance and speed issues, Hola has the potential of putting your privacy at risk. By using the extension, you may be giving away your information and if Hola is not even working to unblock the content you want to watch, you are not even getting any benefit out of it. Hola may be a convenient option to access websites that have been blocked in your location. However, if you want to keep your privacy protected and enjoy security online, you are better off opting for a VPN that doesn’t keep any logs and that offers a strong level of encryption.