There are several problems with free and public proxy servers. While they generally aren’t too hard to find (if you know where you are looking), they come with a set of disadvantages that can not only waste your time, but compromise your identity and security.

One of the main problems with public proxies is that they just aren’t reliable. Among the reasons for this is the fact that many people can be using them at the same time, overloading their bandwidth and leaving you with a frustratingly slow internet experience. Even if a given proxy doesn’t have too many users, chances are that there are a few people who are abusing the proxy’s capabilities and thus slowing it down for everyone.

Another key disadvantage of public proxy servers – and likely the most concerning – is that they do not provide true anonymity for users. While indeed there are plenty of proxies out there that can fully protect your identify (some paid, some not), in general public proxies cannot offer this service. This is because so many so-called public proxies are run by hackers and spammers; people who are lurking behind the proxy waiting to steal your information and pollute your system with junk. Many public proxies are also transparent, meaning that instead of hiding your IP, they merely pass it on to the website you are visiting.