I started using a VPN a few months before the Snowden leaks came. I told everyone I knew that Google was an NSA botnet (before the leaks happened) and they all told me to get out my tinfoil hat. And now every average joe is coming out of the woodwork to say they knew all along that the gubmint is tracking people. I haven't renewed my VPN lease recently, though. Now that you've mentioned it, I'll probably start it up again.