[b]"Which is better for privacy: HTTP SOCKS proxy or a VPN?"[/b] or [b]"How does an HTTP SOCKS proxy work compared

You’re not overreacting—http socks proxies are *not* enough for anonymity. They’re a tool, not a solution.

For light use, they’re okay. But if you’re doing anything sketchy (even just torrenting), get a VPN.

Windscribe’s got a free plan with decent limits. Worth checking out.