Advice Request Speedtest.net and Privacy Policy

[toto_10]

"Ookla may collect certain identifiable data during the test, such as your IP address, and may share that data with selected third parties. For further information on what is collected and how it may be shared, please see our Privacy Policy. "

I have just read Speedtest privacy policy and they literally collect all your private information such as contact information, age, location etc. I will never use this site ever again. I encourage MalwareTips to close the thread listed below so people in this community doesn't get tracked by Speedtest.

Off-Topic - Post your Speedtest.net and Pingtest.net results


I truly hope I misunderstood something here and this isn't true. I have used Speedtest in many years. Are there other alternatives?

 

[Bleak]

I can think of 2 services offering this at this moment,

• http://speedtest.googlefiber.net from Google
• Internet Speed Test

 

[Atlas147]

I guess due to the lack of there being a premium on speedtest.net there has to be other ways that they make money. The only other ways to do so is a) show ads and b) collect and sell user data.

The only valuable data they can collect and share is IP addresses and location info, both of which can be obtained when you visit literally any other site on the internet.

I'm pretty sure the admins of malwaretips.com are able to link each of our IP addresses to our individual accounts for moderation and blacklisting purposes as well.

 

[upnorth]

I have just read Speedtest privacy policy and they literally collect all your private information such as contact information, age, location etc. I will never use this site ever again. I encourage MalwareTips to close the thread listed below so people in this community doesn't get tracked by Speedtest.

I belive you overreacting in this case. The full collecting is possible when people create a account and share information on Speedtest.net. Not when you use the service as a guest. I do agree the amount and whats collected is over the edge and personal I would never create an account there.

The encourage statement that MT should close the thread I strongly disagree with as with a mindset like that MT can close shop right now and I wonder if you actually are fully aware of what urls/domains are shared on this site/forum.

 

[tim one]

What they can share: IP and geographic location, which is not a big problem unless you deliberately provide personal information.
How many websites keep your IP and other general information? You can use a VPN but they also process your real IP and who knows what else...no way.

 

[Marko :)]

When I measure my internet speed, I measure it with few different speed tests because then I'll get the most precise results. If you don't like Ookla's Speedtest.net, try nPerf.

nPerf's privacy policy:

Privacy policy

Which are the data collected by nPerf?

nPerf application only collects geo-localized statistics. There is no private data collected. Collected data are used to characterize operator networks. All collected data become the property of nPerf SAS. Collected data are as follows: geo-localization, network information, device type and model, system version, tests measurements.

How are these data processed?

Data are compiled in order to be published by ourselves. They will also be used to display maps statistics on our Web site. If they are transferred to third parties on a commercial basis, these data will be made totally anonymous (IP obfuscation).

Source: About - nPerf

 

[mekelek]

i feel like you people are trying to find a reason to avoid every single thing.
for christ sake, it's a speed testing site, how many times are you visiting it a month?

good luck finding a proper alternative, google's speedtest is only good for Americans, the rest are either using speedtest's apis lowkey or can barely handle 100mbit.

 

[TairikuOkami]

i feel like you people are trying to find a reason to avoid every single thing.

I find funny, when people get offended, if someone records them, like with a phone, but they do not mind dozens of CCTV cameras around them recording them and even streaming it online. Luckily there is a cheap solution for that.

 

[mekelek]

When I measure my internet speed, I measure it with few different speed tests because then I'll get the most precise results. If you don't like Ookla's Speedtest.net, try nPerf.

nPerf's privacy policy:

pretty good site, but lacks local servers, Okla probably has 10 times more servers if not more.

 

[Marko :)]

pretty good site, but lacks local servers, Okla probably has 10 times more servers if not more.

I know. Ookla has the highest number of servers but nPerf comes second.

 

[Ink]

They don't know most of that information unless you provide it to them (ie. registered account) from the following websites and services:

This Privacy Policy covers information collected through these websites and mobile applications:

• Ziff Davis
• IGN, IGN Canada, IGN UK, IGN Australia
• AskMen, AskMen Canada, AskMen UK, AskMen Australia
• PCMag, PCMag UK, PCMag Australia
• Geek
• ExtremeTech
• Computer Shopper
• TechBargains
• Mashable
• Offers.com
• CouponCodes.com
• Black Friday
• Ookla, Speedtest.net, Speedtest Custom
• Toolbox.com, Inside CRM, Inside-Erp, IT Management, IT Security, VoIP-News
• emedia.com, emedia.co.uk
• Salesify, B2BSignals
• Health eCareers

@Bleak Google's Fiber website is suited for their customers only. Non-US resident may find connecting to a server over 4000 miles away ridiculous.

Search "speedtest" into Google and Run the test. Yes, your device IP address will be shared.

Learn more: Home - M-Lab
About: Test your Internet speed - Google Search Help

 

[Marko :)]

They don't know most of that information unless you provide it to them (ie. registered account) from the following websites and services:


@Bleak Google's Fiber website is suited for their customers only. Non-US resident may find connecting to a server over 4000 miles away ridiculous.

Search "speedtest" into Google and Run the test. Yes, your device IP address will be shared.
Learn more: Home - M-Lab
About: Test your Internet speed - Google Search Help

I'm cca. 8 200 km (5 095 miles) away from Atlanta, GA and results are not bad at all. I have some issues with the router so upload is really small through the cable but Wi-Fi speed is pretty much the same.

Cable:



Wi-Fi:

 

[tim one]

When I measure my internet speed, I measure it with few different speed tests because then I'll get the most precise results. If you don't like Ookla's Speedtest.net, try nPerf.

nPerf's privacy policy:

Also SpeedOf.Me, Internet speed test for all your devices is not so bad

 

[Ink]

I'm cca. 8 200 km (5 095 miles) away from Atlanta, GA and results are not bad at all.

Fair enough, understandably it's better to know your off-net speed.

If the server is located within your Internet Service Provider’s (ISP’s) own network (also known as the “last mile”), this is referred to as an “on-net” measurement. This approach lets you know about how your Internet connection is performing intra-network within your ISP, but it does not necessarily reflect the full experience of using the Internet, which almost always involves using inter-network connections (connections between networks) to access content and services that are hosted somewhere outside of your ISP. Results from on-net testing are often higher than those achieved by using other methods, since the “distance” traveled is generally shorter, and the network is entirely controlled by one provider (your ISP).

“Off-net” measurements occur between your computer and a server located outside of your ISP’s network. This means that traffic crosses inter-network borders and often travels longer distances. Off-net testing frequently produces results that are lower than those produced from on-net testing.
> FAQ - M-Lab

 

[Marko :)]

Also SpeedOf.Me, Internet speed test for all your devices is not so bad

SpeedOf.Me is good, but I don't use it because I can't change servers and I always get slow speed on it.

Fair enough, understandably it's better to know your off-net speed.

If the server is located within your Internet Service Provider’s (ISP’s) own network (also known as the “last mile”), this is referred to as an “on-net” measurement. This approach lets you know about how your Internet connection is performing intra-network within your ISP, but it does not necessarily reflect the full experience of using the Internet, which almost always involves using inter-network connections (connections between networks) to access content and services that are hosted somewhere outside of your ISP. Results from on-net testing are often higher than those achieved by using other methods, since the “distance” traveled is generally shorter, and the network is entirely controlled by one provider (your ISP).

“Off-net” measurements occur between your computer and a server located outside of your ISP’s network. This means that traffic crosses inter-network borders and often travels longer distances. Off-net testing frequently produces results that are lower than those produced from on-net testing.
> FAQ - M-Lab

Exactly! I actually check to which server I'm connected with GlassWire and traceroute. Sometimes, when I'm browsing Google, I can see that something.google.com leads to my ISP's IP address. However, this time, GlassWire and traceroute show that this is really Google's server located in US.

 

[Atlas147]

If you are really bothered by sites collecting your data then you should use a VPN all the time. But that would completely eliminate the main reason you are going to speedtest.net in the first place.

 

[ichito]

Not to much trust for Speedtest...6 years ago there was quite serious security issue
Armorize Technologies Blog: Malvertising lifecycle case study 1--OpenX compromise on speedtest.net, spreading Security Sphere 2012 fake antivirus
Remove Security Sphere 2012 (Uninstall Guide)

 

[Ink]

Not to much trust for Speedtest...6 years ago there was quite serious security issue
Armorize Technologies Blog: Malvertising lifecycle case study 1--OpenX compromise on speedtest.net, spreading Security Sphere 2012 fake antivirus

From your source:
"By simply navigating to the website, visitors with outdated browsing environments [...] will end up with Security Sphere permanently installed inside their systems."

OpenX was compromised? Yes, but users running out-dated browsers and exploitable plug-ins.. What's your message to users who run out-dated software?

Ultimately, I don't see your point as most websites and apps can be compromised in one way or another, from malvertising campaigns, XSS attacks and even ransomware.

For example:

• Spotify ads 'launched virus pop-ups'
• Skype users hit by ransomware through in-app malicious ads
• YouTube Ads Infected by Cryptocurrency Malware
• New York Times, BBC and others inadvertently serve up dangerous ads

 

[ichito]

@Spawn
The most important message from me was - even the page/tool that is commonly trusted can spread malware among unaware users.

"What's your message to users who run out-dated software? "
That's my answer - you can do this by nontypical way but always using multilayered protection. Be alert and always learn yourself.

 

[Stopspying]

I have wondered about what speedtest collects from visitors to its test page for similar reasosn to those raised in this thread. My ISP here in the UK insists that I use it if I complain about my connection speeds. using a VPN would give me some privacy, but as mentioned above it probably would not give me an as accurate speed reading due to the extra hop(s). A quandary! The results have been very similar to other speed test sites that I've used, but my ISP will not accept them, there seems to be some deal in place between speedtest.net and my ISP.