Question Which VPN service would you recommend? Why?

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Which VPN would you recommend?

  • CyberGhost VPN

    Votes: 24 7.0%
  • Nord VPN

    Votes: 60 17.6%
  • F-Secure Freedome VPN

    Votes: 29 8.5%
  • ExpressVPN

    Votes: 44 12.9%
  • OkayFreedom VPN

    Votes: 4 1.2%
  • Hide My Ass VPN

    Votes: 5 1.5%
  • PureVPN

    Votes: 9 2.6%
  • TorGuard VPN

    Votes: 10 2.9%
  • IPVanish VPN

    Votes: 3 0.9%
  • Other (Specify in thread)

    Votes: 153 44.9%

  • Total voters
    341

amitkumargiri

Level 1
Mar 13, 2022
44

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Slerion

Level 5
Verified
Well-known
Feb 24, 2016
238
I know we(Australia) belong to the 5 eyes strategy, but who/what is 14 eyes…?
its a agreement to share Intelligence data ka NSA , FBI BND and stuff.

People worry that the NSA would actually care about them.

and if they actually do such crazy stuff they wouldnt be safe outside of 14 eyes with a VPN either.
A VPN doesnt provide anonymity.
 

franz

Level 8
Verified
Well-known
May 29, 2021
383
its a agreement to share Intelligence data ka NSA , FBI BND and stuff.

People worry that the NSA would actually care about them.

and if they actually do such crazy stuff they wouldnt be safe outside of 14 eyes with a VPN either.
A VPN doesnt provide anonymity.
That is correct, but a VPN provides privacy, and being private online is an achievable goal because you can hide your internet activity, protect your personal data, information, and remove a lot of digital identifiers from websites or apps you visit

 

Slerion

Level 5
Verified
Well-known
Feb 24, 2016
238
That is correct, but a VPN provides privacy, and being private online is an achievable goal because you can hide your internet activity, protect your personal data, information, and remove a lot of digital identifiers from websites or apps you visit

actually all what you listed is a "maybe" most traffic is already SSL encrypted , and a VPN mostly only provides a new ip which is defeated by tons of other ways to track you.

also the traffic after a VPN server is literarily the same as without a VPN the only identifier a VPN "removes" is your IP.
 

franz

Level 8
Verified
Well-known
May 29, 2021
383
actually all what you listed is a "maybe" most traffic is already SSL encrypted , and a VPN mostly only provides a new ip which is defeated by tons of other ways to track you.

also the traffic after a VPN server is literarily the same as without a VPN the only identifier a VPN "removes" is your IP.
If it's as simple as you say, why could the FBI not find what they're looking for? Without logging they could not find anything.

"Back in 2016, Private Internet Access was subpoenaed by the FBI. It came through this test with flying colors; the Bureau noted that no useful data could be retrieved. Furthermore, Private Internet Access employs a range of security measures to keep your IP address under wraps."
 

Slerion

Level 5
Verified
Well-known
Feb 24, 2016
238
If it's as simple as you say, why could the FBI not find what they're looking for? Without logging they could not find anything.

"Back in 2016, Private Internet Access was subpoenaed by the FBI. It came through this test with flying colors; the Bureau noted that no useful data could be retrieved. Furthermore, Private Internet Access employs a range of security measures to keep your IP address under wraps."
they didnt find anything at PIA , this article / copy doesnt say anything about " the fbi never ever found anything about the suspect so he was let go"

I mean a VPN that logs is Literarily a honey pot , a buffet , a easy access for agencys like the NSA , ofc they try to get this first but they have literarily access to close to everything if they want and a VPN which simply changes your ip doesnt protect you against that.
 

franz

Level 8
Verified
Well-known
May 29, 2021
383
they didnt find anything at PIA , this article / copy doesnt say anything about " the fbi never ever found anything about the suspect so he was let go"

I mean a VPN that logs is Literarily a honey pot , a buffet , a easy access for agencys like the NSA , ofc they try to get this first but they have literarily access to close to everything if they want and a VPN which simply changes your ip doesnt protect you against that.
In April 2017, San Francisco resident Ross M. Colby was arraigned in U.S. District Federal Court in San Jose following an FBI investigation into alleged hacking offenses.

The 34-year-old was accused of hacking into several local media websites owned by Embarcadero Media Group including the Palo Alto Weekly and the Almanac. He was charged with intentional damage to a computer, attempted damage, and misdemeanor computer intrusion.

According to the indictment, Colby illegally accessed Embarcadero Media email accounts in July 2015. Then, in September 2015, several of the company’s websites were hacked to display the Guy Fawkes image associated with Anonymous. The message “Unbalanced Journalism for profit at the cost of human right. Brought to you by the Almanac” was also left behind.

Facing more than two decades in prison and fines totaling several hundred thousand dollars, Colby pleaded not guilty and was freed on bail. On May 29, 2018, Colby’s trial began in federal court in San Jose. Palo Alto Online has been reporting (1,2) on the case, which has thrown up something of interest to VPN users.

According to evidence provided by FBI Special Agent Anthony Frazier, between July and September 2015, IP addresses operated by VPN provider Private Internet Access (PIA) were used to access email accounts and systems belonging to Embarcadero Media.

A former Colby roommate claims that the pair discussed computer security and frequently had discussions about the use of VPNs. He had even helped Colby set one up, he said. Last Friday, the San Jose Federal Court also heard that Colby told his roommate that he’d hacked a news website for pay.

Also giving testimony was John Allan Arsenault, general counsel for London Trust Media, the owner of Private Internet Access.

According to Almanac News, Arsenault told the Court that some VPN companies, PIA included, do not retain logs of customers’ Internet activities. This means they are unable to produce useful information in response to a subpoena.

Arsenault told the Court that PIA accepts several payment methods, including cryptocurrency, but doesn’t keep records of customers’ names and addresses. The only thing the company holds is the email address used when the customer signs up. There was no record of Ross Colby signing up to PIA with his two known email addresses, Arsenault said.

“We’re limited to search by what the government gives us. Just because we can’t find it doesn’t mean they didn’t use the VPN service,” he said.

“Someone could create a throw-away (email) account to subscribe to us,” he added.

But while PIA could not connect Colby’s IP addresses to any illegal activity, the same could not be said of other companies. Evidence presented to the Court showed that in addition to the PIA addresses that were used to access the Embarcadero Media email accounts, an IP address belonging to Comcast was also used on 20 occasions.

Records provided by Comcast showed that John Colby, Ross Colby’s father and a retired Massachusetts state trooper, was assigned that particular IP address between June 2015 and October 2015, the date of the FBI’s subpoena to Comcast. John Colby further testified that his son stayed with him for about 10 days in July 2015, a period which coincided with the email breaches at Embarcadero Media.

Evidence provided by the FBI also showed that an IP address used by Ross Colby at his home in San Francisco was used to access Embarcadero accounts, as was an IP address registered to a cafe frequently used by Colby.

The case highlights some important points for those interested in Internet security.

The most interesting for privacy advocates is that this is the second time that Private Internet Access’s “no-logging” policy has been tested in court. Such claims are notoriously difficult to prove but PIA has now passed twice with flying colors.
 

Azure

Level 28
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Top Poster
Content Creator
Oct 23, 2014
1,712

but how does that affect VPN providers based in those countries?

Well, it doesn’t.
  1. There are no mandatory data retention directives that apply to VPNs in any of the 5 eyes countries. If you don’t store any data, you cannot be compelled to hand over what you don’t have. The common misconception is that the data retention laws that do exist apply to Internet Service Providers. A VPN is not an ISP, so the law does not apply.
  2. All of the above mentioned countries have mature legal systems where the government can’t just show up at your office and seize everything based on the will of some “higher up”. There has to be due process, public courts, and the government has to follow the law.
  3. I would argue that countries that are NOT part of the “five eyes” are much more likely to be targeted by the “5 eyes” states, since that’s a major historical point of their alliance in the first place. The alliance was created and strengthened to fight the Soviet Union and get an edge during the Cold War.
  4. PureVPN, based in Hong Kong (not a “Five Eyes” country) cooperated with the FBI to unmask one of their customers. Did they have to do it? No. Did they do it anyway? Yes.
  5. Opening an offshore company costs as little as $1000. If it made any difference, every VPN would pay this price and claim to be in a “good jurisdiction”. Offshore companies protect the owners and reduce/eliminate taxes, they have zero impacts on user privacy.
 

AG3S

Level 2
Oct 14, 2020
62
In my opinion it really depends on your purpose of use...

I never go with cheap lifetime VPNs, because if you do a little calculation the lifetime plan never makes sense. The fees which a VPN company has to pay for servers is extremely high... specially if they are offering a steaming services friendly service. Because due to the limited number of IPV4 (it is actually finished), they have to pay lots of money for the IPs and the fact that streaming services are blocking such IPs, it makes it even worse. So I strongly believe that cheap/lifetime VPNs are actually collecting and selling your data.

So I would definitely would be careful before buying a VPN.

I am using only Netflix and Twitch and for me privacy is a really important matter therefore, I strongly recommend Mullvad. I love how fast it is and the fact that I ordered a 3 years subscription from @SerialCart (serialcart.com) made it an even easier decision for me to make. If you are willing to buy Mullvad contact them and ask for a deal....
 

Thales

Level 15
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Nov 26, 2017
708
In my opinion it really depends on your purpose of use...

I never go with cheap lifetime VPNs, because if you do a little calculation the lifetime plan never makes sense. The fees which a VPN company has to pay for servers is extremely high... specially if they are offering a steaming services friendly service. Because due to the limited number of IPV4 (it is actually finished), they have to pay lots of money for the IPs and the fact that streaming services are blocking such IPs, it makes it even worse. So I strongly believe that cheap/lifetime VPNs are actually collecting and selling your data.

So I would definitely would be careful before buying a VPN.

I am using only Netflix and Twitch and for me privacy is a really important matter therefore, I strongly recommend Mullvad. I love how fast it is and the fact that I ordered a 3 years subscription from @SerialCart (serialcart.com) made it an even easier decision for me to make. If you are willing to buy Mullvad contact them and ask for a deal....
This is business and I don't believe in this "no log policy".
 

amirr

Level 27
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Top Poster
Well-known
Jan 26, 2020
1,628
This is business and I don't believe in this "no log policy".
Indeed. A friend wrote this before:

"Privacy policies are like love promises, if you want to commit a crime use onion. If you just want to torrenting, any VPN will give you the anonymity that you need."
 

AG3S

Level 2
Oct 14, 2020
62
This is business and I don't believe in this "no log policy".
You are 100% correct! I totally agree with you... however, there is a huge difference between Mullvad and others ... here is why:

1- They are not collecting any information from you (unlike all others)... even no email. That means that they have less data from you to share even if a governmental entity asks them for your info.
2- There is a significant difference between selling your data and sharing your data upon the request of the government.
Those VPNs which are selling a lifetime access for 19,99 for 5 or 10 account or even more expensive ones like NordVPN, they are actually selling your data to data brokers such as Google, Microsoft and such. They actually pre-analyse your data and selling it for a higher price. They link your IP, email, name, age and many other details about you so that you can be a better target for the advertisers.

Yes, the "NO LOG POLICY" is a BS because when the government asks them to share the info .. the MUST share... there is no other way .. it is business as you said..

But Mullvad (as you can see in their pricing) is relying on the money that they charge from the customer... they do not have this aggressive marketing to force you to buy 2 or 3 years subscription and get 80% discount. This shows that they are not at least selling your data like others.

And other reason which shows that they more transparent than others is that major security and privacy companies such as Malwarebytes and Mozilla have made contracts with Mullvad to resell/re-brand their VPN and not for example NordVPN! This clearly shows that they are transparent with their services and can be trusted.
 

Wontkins

Level 1
May 9, 2022
13
Mullvad is very good. They assign you a number when you join. The downside for me is that I have older computers I just browse with and it won't work on win 7 and 8.

I bought Proton VPN. It's reliable and works for my needs. It comes with a Net Shield that blocks malware, ads and trackers. And of course a Kill Switch. When I've tested the speed I get different results with different speed apps. Used to have Speedtest downloaded until I read their hideous privacy policies.
 

L0ckJaw

Level 19
Verified
Content Creator
Well-known
Feb 17, 2018
870
You are 100% correct! I totally agree with you... however, there is a huge difference between Mullvad and others ... here is why:

1- They are not collecting any information from you (unlike all others)... even no email. That means that they have less data from you to share even if a governmental entity asks them for your info.
2- There is a significant difference between selling your data and sharing your data upon the request of the government.
Those VPNs which are selling a lifetime access for 19,99 for 5 or 10 account or even more expensive ones like NordVPN, they are actually selling your data to data brokers such as Google, Microsoft and such. They actually pre-analyse your data and selling it for a higher price. They link your IP, email, name, age and many other details about you so that you can be a better target for the advertisers.

Yes, the "NO LOG POLICY" is a BS because when the government asks them to share the info .. the MUST share... there is no other way .. it is business as you said..

But Mullvad (as you can see in their pricing) is relying on the money that they charge from the customer... they do not have this aggressive marketing to force you to buy 2 or 3 years subscription and get 80% discount. This shows that they are not at least selling your data like others.

And other reason which shows that they more transparent than others is that major security and privacy companies such as Malwarebytes and Mozilla have made contracts with Mullvad to resell/re-brand their VPN and not for example NordVPN! This clearly shows that they are transparent with their services and can be trusted.
You absolutely know nothing. See PIA , in court could not hand over any data. Pls stop promoting Mullvad.
 

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