The users of VPN do not merely attempt to alter their apparent location. The reason why many use a virtual private network is that they want to have more control over online privacy, particularly when using a free network or travelling. This applies to web developers, who must be aware that an application will work without the tendency to view privacy-conscious users in the modern era as suspicious.
Does not mean that a privacy-friendly web app must sacrifice functionality. Take only the data required by the application, not more, prevent superfluous fingerprinting, data security and test the behaviour of the application under less desirable location and tracking signals.
Understand what VPNs change
VPN may cause a user to look like he/she is connecting to a different IP address than the one he/she is actually connected to. That may impact geolocation, IP-based fraud detection, analytics, and rate limiting,g among other systems. Developers must not, therefore, make assumptions about the use of an IP address as a physical location of the user.
According to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the recommendation is that the data that is transferred should be kept to a minimum that the user desires. The latter principle comes in particularly handy in creating applications used by VPN users.
Minimize tracking and fingerprinting
This is one of the biggest errors because instead of tracking IP-based, there is too much gathering of browser and device indications. A fingerprint can be added by screen size, installed fonts, language, and time zone, as well as details of browsers and canvas behavior, among others.
In case an application does not require these signals, then do not gather them. In case one of the features really needs information, justify the necessity and limit the collection. The web privacy tips provided by MDN Web Docs also suggest that one should gather as little user data as possible and process it in a responsible manner.
Design location features carefully
Most web applications employ location for language, prices, content, disallowance, or to the area. VPN may render location IP-based inaccurate hence developers need to make such features designed with uncertainties.
Rather than coerce a specific location using an IP address, why not offer control to the users? Allow them to select a country or region where this is necessary, and do not consider the found location as a confirmed identity.
Handle cookies and browser storage responsibly
Applications may be convenient through cookies, local storage, session storage, and other browser-side techniques, but they pose privacy issues when overused as well.
Browsers today are more limiting to third-party storage and tracking. Privacy-sensitive features should be tested by developers on the basis of cross-browser behavior rather than relying on the belief that third-party cookies or embedded storage will always do the same.
Secure data from the start
Privacy does not merely imply a reduction in the amount of data. All that an application gathers should be secured as well.
Apply HTTPS to the application, ensure the security of authentication data, secure cookies, validate input, and limit access to sensitive records. The same can be said about logs. One can unwittingly include IP addresses, session identifiers, request data, or personal information in the logs that are kept over months.
Security measures that advance good cryptography and proper management of personal data are recommended in the OWASP User Privacy Protection Cheat Sheet. Privacy and security are two design features that developers need to consider.
Test with different network conditions
To develop it in a privacy-friendly way, we need to test it on a real connection that is neither the office nor home. An effective test plan must establish direct connections, VPN connections, targeting various regions, and mobile networks in addition to privacy-oriented settings on the browser.
This can be simplified by browser-based developer tools. ExtendsClass offers Web-based testing database, API, HTTP, data format, and similar development services. Online database environments allow developers to test queries with temporary test data or API testing tools to debug requests and responses without creating a large local testing environment.
Synthetic data or non-sensitive data should be used in testing. There should never be a privacy test of sending production customer records to an online test place.
Build privacy into the development workflow
Privacy must be tested in advance and not a bonus to be included because of an objection. A checklist of data collection, cookies, browser storage, IP, third-party requests, logging, authentication, and error messages can be developed by developers.
Error messages and monitoring should also be included in a practical privacy review. The technical features must not provide information about internal identifiers, network data, database data, and debug data that go beyond the needs of the feature.
VPNOverview is also a handy source for developers who study VPN and privacy practices when considering the impact of privacy tools on their daily web use.
Review third-party services
Privacy-consciousness can be applied to a web application but not to its embedded services. Information about visitors can be shared with analytics tools, ad-block code, chat bars, social integrations, fonts, maps, and similar resources used by a third party.
This is important to users of VPN since users who are sensitive to privacy might already be restricting third-party tracking at the browsing or network level. A site that heavily relies on external trackers may not be reliable when this is prevented.
Conclusion
Development of a web application that does not dismiss VPN users is largely a matter of reasonable engineering choices. Do not think that an IP address can validate identity or physical location; do not unnecessarily fingerprint information; eliminate as much data as possible, isolate sensitive information, and test the application under privacy-related circumstances.
Respecting privacy as a routine development, a special version of the web app is not required for VPN users. They just receive an application that is more open, robust, and user-selectable.
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