Google's Bard has some recommendations about search engines

Sometimes it even makes it easier, if the people who own the VPN are complicit (or coerced). Though, it can actually make it almost impossible if used correctly; all your sensitive content is segregated from anything identifying, you switch IPs relatively often and use servers that also serve other users, all your VPNs are from trusted, audited, log-less sources, and the keys that control your encryption are themselves signed and verified. Or you could use TOR, even better. Even if 50% of the TOR network was strictly controlled by the NSA, there's still an 87.5% chance they can't link your activity to you through network activity alone (again, you do still have to segregate all identifying information though). Still, for most users a VPN is only shifting the burden of trust from your ISP to your VPN provider, and it doesn't provide any real security or privacy.