Can Hotels See What You’re Looking at on the Internet?

Privacy is always a top priority, especially when it comes to information that’s shared online.

And, when it comes to data that’s shared on the internet, it’s not only about straightforward sharing in the most obvious sense. It doesn’t have to be information shared on social media, sent out over email or stored on the cloud. In fact, it may be as simple as the things you search online.

People tend to feel secure in searching for whatever they like on the web if nobody else is around. After all, you’re not involving anybody specific in your query. So, surely that means that the things you search for are private?

Unfortunately, that’s not necessarily true. But it’s more complicated than just being private or not being private.

It’s all about the network you’re using and on top of that, how you’re using it.

Other than in the office or other professional settings, hotels tend to be the next most popular place where people make use of Wi-Fi. Since hotel rooms allow for privacy and seclusion, they also offer the opportunity to do things that people may not otherwise do in public.

However, that may not always be a great idea. Just because you’re alone doesn’t mean your online activity is private.

What Can Hotels See When You’re Using Their Wi-Fi?

When it comes down to it, it’s actually pretty simple.

If you’re accessing the internet on your own cellular data while at a hotel, the hotel doesn’t have any way to see your search history or the websites you’ve visited.

However, as soon as you log into the hotel’s Wi-Fi network, this changes. While you’re using the hotel’s Wi-Fi, any websites you visit or searches you make while connected can be seen by the hotel administration.

This is only true while you’re actually connected to the Wi-Fi, however. The hotel doesn’t access to anything you’ve done before connecting or after disconnecting from their internet service provider.

So, the simple answer is: hotels can see which websites you’ve visited and what searches you’ve made while you’re connected to their Wi-Fi. 

Other than that, hotels don’t have access to any of your internet and search history.

That is, your proximity to the hotel and the fact that you’re browsing the internet from their property doesn’t equate to providing them with access to your information. It’s all about the internet.

Hotel Privacy Policies

While the yes and no answers to whether or not hotels can see what you’re browsing while on their Wi-Fi are fairly straightforward, what’s not as simple is what they can do with the information they have access to and collect.

Hotels, like any other organisations, have detailed privacy policies that outline these things, specifying details including the kind of information that’s collected, the devices it’s collected from and what they can do with said information.

For instance, some hotels may just track users’ browser history for security purposes or for marketing. That is, to detect any dicey activity in the case of the former and in the case of the latter, to conduct targeted marketing campaigns.

However, there are some cases in which hotels may choose to share this data with third parties, selling them customer information to be used for advertising and marketing.

In other cases, it may not be an intentional action by the hotel. Often, hotel Wi-Fi networks don’t include encryption making the connections insecure. Thus, it’s possible for third parties to intercept and compromise the data that’s transmitted over these networks.

This includes things like personal emails, financial details and login credentials, and ultimately, it could happen without the hotel having any knowledge.

Whatever the case may be, hotels have the freedom to do what they want within these constraints, as long as what they’re doing is clearly outlined in their privacy policies that are accessible to customers.

That’s why it’s essential to browse these privacy policies before nonchalantly jumping onto the internet at a public place, because you never know what rights you may be inadvertently signing away when you do so.

The Best Way to Use a Hotel’s Wi-Fi

So, does that mean that you shouldn’t use the internet while staying at a hotel? Are all your private details automatically shared with the hotel as soon as you log in?

No, and no, not necessarily.

If you’re concerned about privacy, sharing personal information and anything from the device you’re accessing the internet from, the easiest thing to do is just not use the internet, sure. Go online via mobile data and never sign in.

However, depending on what you’re doing, whether it’s sending a few messages, browsing social media or streaming movies, it can be expensive, so being able to use Wi-Fi is still first.

And the good news is that you can. There are ways that you can log into a hotel’s Wi-Fi and use it efficiently without signing your life away and spilling all your secrets (so to speak).

The way to do this is by means of VPNs.

How VPNs Can Keep Your Search History Private

A VPN, a virtual private network, helps users protect their data while using a public Wi-Fi network like that of a hotel.

Basically, it creates a digital connection between the device you’re using and a remote server that’s owned by a VPN provider. This creates a point-to-point tunnel that encrypts your personal data and masks your IP address.

Ultimately, by using a VPN, you’ll be able to connect to a hotel’s Wi-Fi network while protecting your own data from the hotel’s privacy policies as well as third parties attempting to steal information.

To do this, all you need to do is select the VPN you’d like to use, download the application on your device and set up your profile. This will connect your device to the VPN and once it’s all set up, you’ll be able to browse the internet freely.

Are VPNs Neccessary for Accessing Hotel Wi-Fi Networks?

Many people’s first thought when it comes to a hotel potentially seeing their search history may be that there’s nothing to worry about. Of course, for others, having their search history made public may be less than ideal (cough, cough), but generally speaking, if you’re just doing normal searches like checking the weather or reading the news, this wouldn’t be a problem.

The biggest issue, in fact, isn’t that you may be embarrassed by a dicey website you’ve checked out. Rather, the risk is that in the most extreme sense, unauthorised third parties may gain access to your bank details and other very sensitive information.

The best way to prevent this, and to avoid having anybody invade your privacy in other ways too, is to use a VPN whenever you’re using a public Wi-Fi network.

So, the next time you choose to connect to the Wi-Fi while you’re on holiday, consider finding a good VPN before you leave home just to make sure you’re protected.

After all, you’d rather be safe than sorry.