VPN service

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Short description: Commercial virtual private network (proxy server) services, including comparison tables.

A virtual private network (VPN) service provides a proxy server to help users bypass Internet censorship such as geoblocking and users who want to protect their communications against data profiling or MitM attacks on hostile networks.

A wide variety of entities provide "VPNs" for several purposes. But depending on the provider and the application, they do not always create a true private network. Instead, many providers simply provide an Internet proxy that uses VPN technologies such as OpenVPN or WireGuard. Commercial VPN services are often used by those wishing to disguise or obfuscate their physical location or IP address, typically as a means to evade Internet censorship or geo-blocking.

Providers often market VPN services as privacy-enhancing, citing security features, such as encryption, from the underlying VPN technology. However, users must consider that when the transmitted content is not encrypted before entering the proxy, that content is visible at the receiving endpoint (usually the VPN service provider's site) regardless of whether the VPN tunnel itself is encrypted for the inter-node transport. The only secure VPN is where the participants have oversight at both ends of the entire data path or when the content is encrypted before it enters the tunnel.

On the client side, configurations intended to use VPN services as proxies are not conventional VPN configurations. However, they do typically utilize the operating system's VPN interfaces to capture the user's data to send to the proxy. This includes virtual network adapters on computer OSes and specialized "VPN" interfaces on mobile operating systems. A less common alternative is to provide a SOCKS proxy interface.

In computer magazines, VPN services are typically judged on connection speeds; privacy protection, including privacy at signup and grade of encryption; server count and locations; interface usability; and cost.[1][2][3][4] In order to determine the degree of privacy and anonymity, various computer magazines, such as PC World and PC Magazine, also take the provider's own guarantees and its reputation among news items into consideration.[1][2]

Criticism and limitations

Users are commonly exposed to misinformation on the VPN services market, which makes it difficult for them to discern fact from false claims in advertisements.[5] According to Consumer Reports, VPN service providers have poor privacy and security practices and also make hyperbolic claims.[6] The New York Times has advised users to reconsider whether a VPN service is worth their money.[7] VPN services are not sufficient for protection against browser fingerprinting.[8]

Common misconceptions

  • A VPN does not make one's Internet use private. Users can still be tracked through tracking cookies and device fingerprinting, even if the user's IP address is hidden.[9]
  • A VPN can log the user's traffic, however this depends on the VPN provider.[9]
  • A VPN does not make the user immune to hackers.[9]
  • A VPN is not in itself a means for good Internet privacy. The burden of trust is simply transferred from the ISP to the VPN service provider.[10][11]

Legality

Further information: VPN blocking

In March 2018, the use of unapproved VPN services was banned in China, as they can be used to circumvent the Great Firewall.[12] Operators received prison sentences and were penalized with fines.[13][14][15][16] Russia banned various VPN service providers in 2021.[17]

Comparison of commercial virtual private network services

Privacy

PC Magazine recommends that users consider choosing a provider based in a country with no data retention laws because that makes it easier for the service to keep a promise of no logging.[18] PC Magazine and TechRadar also suggest that users read the provider's logging policy before signing up for the service,[18][3] because some providers collect information about their customers' VPN usage.[19][20] PC World recommends that users avoid free services as a rule of thumb and said free services either sell their users' browsing data in aggregated form to researchers and marketers, or only offer a minimal amount of data transfer per month.[19]

Service Based in Logging[lower-alpha 1] Anonymous payment method Accepts bitcoin PGP key available
Traffic DNS requests Timestamps Bandwidth IP address
Atlas VPN United States No No No No (Premium), Yes (Free) No Email Yes No
Avira Phantom VPN Germany No[lower-alpha 2] Unknown Yes[23] Yes[lower-alpha 2] Yes[23] No No No
ExpressVPN British Virgin Islands[24][25][26] No[27] No[27] Yes[28] Yes[29] No[27] Email[26][25][30] Yes[26][25][31] No
Hotspot Shield United States Yes[lower-alpha 3] Yes[33] Yes[33] Yes[33] Yes[33][34] No No No
IPVanish United States No[35] No[35] No[35] No[35] No[35] No[36] No No
IVPN Gibraltar No[37] No[37] No[37] No[37] Email
Mullvad Sweden No[38] No[38] No[38] No[38] No[38] Yes[39] Yes[39] Yes[40]
NordVPN Panama No[41] No[41] No[41] No[41] Yes Yes[42]
Private Internet Access United States No[43] No[43] No[43] No[43][44] No[43] Yes[45] Yes[46] Yes[47]
PrivadoVPN Switzerland No[48] No No No (Premium), Yes (Free) No Email Yes No
ProtonVPN Switzerland No Yes[49] No No Email Yes No
PureVPN Hong Kong No[50] No[51] No[52] Yes[53] No[lower-alpha 4] Email[lower-alpha 5] Yes[57] No
SaferVPN Israel[58] No[59] Yes[59] Yes[59] No[59] Email[60] Yes[61]
Surfshark Netherlands No[62] No Yes No No Email Yes No
TunnelBear Canada [63][64][65] No[66] No[66][67] No[68] Yes[65][68] No[66] Email[63] Yes[69][63][64] No
Windscribe Canada No[70] No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes

Notes

  1. ↑ As claimed by provider unless otherwise noted.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 There is no mention of Avira's VPN logging policy in their privacy policy. However, it is stated in an FAQ section that neither traffic nor IP addresses are logged on their VPN service.[21] It is also stated that bandwidth is logged.[21] When visiting Avira's website, the visitor's IP address is logged by both Google Analytics and the CrazyEgg tool.[22]
  3. ↑ Hotspot Shield claims to collect "anonymous, aggregate data about which websites you visit and which apps you use."[32]
  4. ↑ "We DO NOT keep any record of your browsing activities, connection logs, records of the VPN IPs assigned to you, your original IPs, your connection time, the history of your browsing, the sites you visited, your outgoing traffic, the content or data you accessed, or the DNS queries generated by you."[54] However, in 2017, PureVPN provided connection logs including IP addresses to the FBI for use in a criminal investigation.[55]
  5. ↑ Name and e-mail is required for every payment method.[56]

Technical features

Service Leak Protection Protocols Obfuscation / Censorship Avoidance Network Neutrality Server
First-party DNS servers IPv6 supported / blocked Offers kill switch Offers OpenVPN Offers WireGuard Supports multihop Supports TCP port 443 Supports Obfsproxy Offers SOCKS Linux support Supports SSL tunnel Supports SSH tunnel Blocks SMTP (authent.) Blocks P2P Dedicated or virtual Diskless
Atlas VPN Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No No Yes Some No Dedicated No
Avast SecureLine Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No Some[71] Dedicated[72] No
Avira Phantom VPN Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No No No Dedicated No
ExpressVPN Yes[24] Yes Yes Yes[24][25][26] No No Yes[24][26] Yes[73] No[24][25][26] Both[74][75] Yes
Hotspot Shield No No Yes No No No No
IPVanish Yes[76] Yes[77] Yes Yes[36] Yes[78] No Yes[79] Yes[80] Yes[36] Yes[81] No No No[36] No[36] Dedicated[82] No
IVPN Yes[83] Yes Yes Yes; OpenVPN Yes Yes
Mullvad Yes[84] Yes[84] Yes Yes[84] Yes[85] Yes; WireGuard[86] and SOCKS5 Yes[84] Yes[87][84] Yes[88] Yes Yes[84] No[84] No[84] Dedicated[89] Some servers[90]
NordVPN Yes Yes; NordLynx based on WireGuard[91] Yes Dedicated Yes
Private Internet Access Yes[92] Yes[93] Yes Yes[94] Yes[95] Yes[96] Yes[97] No Yes[98][99] Yes[100] Some[lower-alpha 1] No[102] Dedicated[103]
PrivadoVPN Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
ProtonVPN Yes No Yes Yes Beta[104] Yes Yes No No Yes[105] Yes Yes Some Dedicated
PureVPN Yes Yes Yes Yes[106] No No Only through SSTP[107] No No Yes[108] No Some[109] Both[110][75] No
SaferVPN Yes No[111] No Yes[112] No No Yes[100] No
TunnelBear Yes[67] Yes Yes Yes[113][64] No No No Yes[114][65] Yes Yes No[115] Yes[116][63][64]
Surfshark Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes (WG, OVPN, IKEv2) Yes No No Yes Some No Both Yes
Windscribe Yes Yes Yes[117] Yes Yes[118] No[119] Yes No

Notes

  1. ↑ The support team may be willing to whitelist your email provider's SMTP server upon request.[101]

Encryption

Service Data encryption Handshake encryption Data authentication
Default provided Strongest provided Weakest provided Strongest provided Weakest provided Strongest provided
Atlas VPN ChaCha20Poly1305 / AES-256[lower-alpha 1] ChaCha20Poly1305 2048-bit Diffie-Hellman ECP521 SHA-384 SHA-384
Avast SecureLine AES-256 AES-256
Avira Phantom VPN AES-256 AES-256
ExpressVPN AES-256 AES-256 CA-4096
Hotspot Shield AES-128[120] AES-128[120] TLS 1.2 ECDHE PFS[120] TLS 1.2 ECDHE PFS[120] HMAC[121] HMAC[121]
IPVanish AES-256[122] AES-256[122] RSA-2048[122] RSA-2048[122] SHA-256[122] SHA-256[122]
IVPN AES-256[83] RSA-4096[83]
Mullvad AES-256 (GCM)[84] AES-256[84] RSA-4096[84] RSA-4096[84] SHA-512[84] SHA-512[84]
NordVPN AES-256 (CBC)[123] 2048-bit Diffie-Hellman[123] 2048-bit Diffie-Hellman[123]
Private Internet Access AES-128 (CBC)[124] AES-256[124] ECC-256k1[124] RSA-4096[124] SHA-1[124] SHA-256[124]
PrivadoVPN AES-256 AES-256
ProtonVPN AES-256 AES-256 RSA-4096 RSA-4096 HMAC with SHA-384 HMAC with SHA-384
PureVPN AES-256 AES-256
SaferVPN AES-256[111] AES-256[111] 2048bit SSL/TLS[111] 2048bit SSL/TLS[111] SHA-256[111] SHA-256[111]
TunnelBear AES-128 (CBC)[lower-alpha 2] AES-256 (CBC)[113] 1548 bit Diffie-Hellman group[lower-alpha 3] 4096 bit Diffie-Hellman group[113] SHA-1[lower-alpha 4] SHA-256[113]
Surfshark AES-256 AES-256 (CBC) 2048-bit Diffie-Hellman 2048-bit Diffie-Hellman
Windscribe AES-256[125] AES-256[126] RSA-4096[127] RSA-4096[128] SHA-512 SHA-512

Notes

  1. ↑ ChaCha20Poly1305 for all devices except for Windows, which does not support it and therefore uses AES256
  2. ↑ Only on iOS 8 and earlier. All other supported devices and operating systems use AES-256 (CBC).[113]
  3. ↑ iOS 9 and later use 2048 bit. iOS 8 and earlier use 1548 bit. All other supported devices and operating systems use 4096 bit.[113]
  4. ↑ iOS 8 and earlier use SHA-1. All other supported devices and operating systems use SHA-256.[113]

Definitions

The following definitions clarify the meaning of some of the column headers in the comparison tables above.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Paul, Ian (2018-01-02). "Best VPN services of 2018: Reviews and buying advice". PC World. How we tested. https://www.pcworld.com/article/3198369/privacy/best-vpn-services-apps-reviews-buying-advice.html#toc-7. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Eddy, Max (2018-01-15). "The Best VPN Services of 2018". PC Magazine. http://uk.pcmag.com/software/138/guide/the-best-vpn-services-of-2018. "It's important to keep a few things in mind when evaluating which VPN service is right for you: reputation, performance, type of encryption used, transparency, ease of use, support, and extra features." 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Athow, Desire (2018-01-13). "The best VPN services for 2018". TechRadar. How to test a VPN. http://www.techradar.com/vpn/best-vpn#how-to-test-a-vpn. "We were looking for features, value, and clear and honest pricing. Free ways to learn more about a service - free plans, trial periods, refund periods - were important, and we also looked for companies which maintained your privacy when you signed up (no email address required, trials available without credit cards, Bitcoin available as a payment option)." 
  4. ↑ Athow, Desire (2018-01-13). "The best VPN services for 2018". TechRadar. How to choose a VPN: Here are 6 tips. http://www.techradar.com/vpn/best-vpn#how-to-choose-a-vpn-here-are-6-tips. 
  5. ↑ Perta, Vasile C.; Barbera, Marco V.; Tyson, Gareth; Haddadi, Hamed; Mei, Alessandro (2015-04-01). "A Glance through the VPN Looking Glass: IPv6 Leakage and DNS Hijacking in Commercial VPN clients". Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies 2015 (1): 77–91. doi:10.1515/popets-2015-0006. ISSN 2299-0984. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/popets-2015-0006. 
  6. ↑ Grauer, Yael (30 September 2022). "VPN Testing Reveals Poor Privacy and Security Practices, Hyperbolic Claims" (in en-US). https://www.consumerreports.org/vpn-services/vpn-testing-poor-privacy-security-hyperbolic-claims-a1103787639/. 
  7. ↑ Chen, Brian X. (2021-10-06). "It's Time to Stop Paying for a VPN" (in en-US). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/06/technology/personaltech/are-vpns-worth-it.html. 
  8. ↑ "You Tossed Your Cookies But They're Still Tracking You; Here's How to Hide Your Browser Fingerprint" (in en). https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/you-tossed-your-cookies-but-theyre-still-tracking-you-heres-how-to-hide. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 O'sullivan, Fergus (27 September 2021). "VPN Myths Debunked: What VPNs Can and Cannot Do". https://www.howtogeek.com/753661/vpn-myths-debunked-what-vpns-can-and-cannot-do/. 
  10. ↑ "Understanding and Circumventing Network Censorship". 25 April 2020. https://ssd.eff.org/en/module/understanding-and-circumventing-network-censorship. 
  11. ↑ "Techsplanations: Part 5, Virtual Private Networks". 16 October 2018. https://cdt.org/insights/techsplanations-part-5-virtual-private-networks/. 
  12. ↑ "Businesses, consumers uncertain ahead of China VPN ban" (in en-US). Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-vpns/businesses-consumers-uncertain-ahead-of-china-vpn-ban-idUSKBN1H612F. 
  13. ↑ "Man jailed for 5½ years, fined US$76,000 for selling VPN in China" (in en). 2017-12-21. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2125326/man-jailed-51/2-years-fined-us76000-selling-vpn. 
  14. ↑ Cimpanu, Catalin. "Chinese man arrested after making $1.6 million from selling VPN services" (in en). https://www.zdnet.com/article/chinese-man-arrested-after-making-1-6-million-from-selling-vpn-services/. 
  15. ↑ "Using a VPN to watch porn gets a man punished in China" (in en). 2020-07-30. https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3095201/man-punished-using-vpn-scale-chinas-great-firewall-and-watch-porn. 
  16. ↑ ""翻墙"网民受罚 中国进一步强化网络管控" (in zh-Hans). BBC News 中文. 2019-01-11. https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-46823319. 
  17. ↑ "Russians' demand for VPNs skyrockets after Meta block" (in en). Reuters. 2022-03-14. https://www.reuters.com/technology/russians-demand-vpns-skyrockets-after-meta-block-2022-03-14/. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Eddy, Max (2018-01-15). "The Best VPN Services of 2018". PC Magazine. Can You Trust Your VPN Service?. http://uk.pcmag.com/software/138/guide/the-best-vpn-services-of-2018. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Paul, Ian (2018-01-02). "Best VPN services of 2018: Reviews and buying advice". What to look for in a VPN. PC World. Archived from the original on 2018-01-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20180104160416/https://www.pcworld.com/article/3198369/privacy/best-vpn-services-apps-reviews-buying-advice.html#toc-6. 
  20. ↑ Krebs, Brian (2017-03-17). "Post-FCC Privacy Rules, Should You VPN?". Krebs on Security. Archived from the original on 2018-01-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20180118024429/https://krebsonsecurity.com/2017/03/post-fcc-privacy-rules-should-you-vpn/. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "What, if anything, do you track?". 2022-09-28. https://wildofapk.com/what-if-anything-do-you-track-on-a-vpn/. 
  22. ↑ "Privacy policy". User Experience and Statistics. https://www.avira.com/en/general-privacy. "Information about your use of our website the Cookie generates is usually transferred to a Google server in the USA and saved there. However, before this happens, Google shortens and anonymizes your IP address [...] if located within a member state of the European Union or in other contracting member states to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. The entire IP address is transferred to a Google server in the USA and saved there only in exceptional cases. [...] Information about your use of our website (including your IP address) that Cookies generate is transferred to a CrazyEgg server in the USA and stored there." 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "Avira Privacy Policy | Account and products" (in en). https://www.avira.com/en/privacy-policy/product. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 Eddy, Max (2017-05-12). "ExpressVPN". PC Magazine. Archived from the original on 2017-05-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20170514144901/http://uk.pcmag.com/expressvpn/83190/review/expressvpn. 
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 Williams, Mike (2017-10-23). "ExpressVPN review". TechRadar. Archived from the original on 2018-01-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20180104005945/http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/utilities/expressvpn-1325564/review. 
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 26.5 Paul, Ian (2017-09-20). "ExpressVPN review: A good service with no public leadership". PCWorld. Archived from the original on 2018-01-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20180104010156/https://www.pcworld.com/article/3223384/privacy/expressvpn-vpn-review.html. 
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 ExpressVPN. "ExpressVPN Privacy Policy". Archived from the original on 2018-01-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20180104021316/https://www.expressvpn.com/privacy-policy. Retrieved 2018-01-04. "We do not collect logs of your activity, including no logging of browsing history, traffic destination, data content, or DNS queries. We also never store connection logs, meaning no logs of your IP address, your outgoing VPN IP address, connection timestamp, or session duration." 
  28. ↑ ExpressVPN. "ExpressVPN Privacy Policy". Archived from the original on 2018-01-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20180104021316/https://www.expressvpn.com/privacy-policy. Retrieved 2018-01-04. "We collect information about whether you have successfully established a VPN connection on a particular day (but not a specific time of the day)." 
  29. ↑ ExpressVPN. "ExpressVPN Privacy Policy". Archived from the original on 2018-01-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20180104021316/https://www.expressvpn.com/privacy-policy. Retrieved 2018-01-04. "We may know, for example, that our customer John had connected to our New York VPN location on Tuesday and had transferred an aggregate of 823 MB of data across a 24-hour period." 
  30. ↑ ExpressVPN. "Buy VPN with Bitcoin, PayPal, Credit Card / ExpressVPN". 2. Enter your email address. Archived from the original on 2018-01-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20180104022027/https://www.expressvpn.com/order. Retrieved 2018-01-04. 
  31. ↑ ExpressVPN. "Buy VPN with Bitcoin, PayPal, Credit Card / ExpressVPN". 3. Select your preferred method of payment. Archived from the original on 2018-01-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20180104022027/https://www.expressvpn.com/order. Retrieved 2018-01-04. "Continue below to buy VPN with Bitcoin." 
  32. ↑ "AnchorFree Hotspot Shield Privacy Policy". When you launch Hotspot Shield. 2017-11-29. Archived from the original on 2017-12-28. https://archive.today/20171228152839/https://www.hotspotshield.com/privacy/. "When you use Hotspot Shield to access the internet, we collect only anonymous, aggregate data about which websites you visit and which apps you use." 
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 "AnchorFree Hotspot Shield Privacy Policy". When you visit our websites. 2017-11-29. Archived from the original on 2017-12-28. https://archive.today/20171228152839/https://www.hotspotshield.com/privacy/. "Your IP address may be collected when you visit our websites." 
  34. ↑ "AnchorFree Hotspot Shield Privacy Policy". When you launch Hotspot Shield. 2017-11-29. Archived from the original on 2017-12-28. https://archive.today/20171228152839/https://www.hotspotshield.com/privacy/. "We collect your IP address [...]. We may also use your IP address to derive your approximate location [...]. Your true IP address is stored only for the duration of your VPN session and is cleared after your session is closed." 
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 35.4 "Privacy Policy - IPVanish VPN" (in en). 27 July 2021. https://www.ipvanish.com/privacy-policy/. 
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 36.4 "The Best VPN Service Provider with Fast, Secure VPN Access" (in en). https://www.ipvanish.com/. 
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ivpn-privacy-policy
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 38.3 38.4 "No-logging data policy - Guides / Mullvad". What we don't log. Archived from the original on 2017-12-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20171226113621/https://www.mullvad.net/en/guides/no-logging-data-policy/. "We log nothing whatsoever that can be connected to a numbered account's activity: no logging of traffic; DNS requests; connections, including when one is made, when it disconnects, for how long, or any kind of timestamp; IP addresses; user bandwidth [or] account activity except total simultaneous connections [...] and the payment information detailed in this post." 
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 "No-logging data policy - Guides / Mullvad". How Mullvad handles payment information. Archived from the original on 2017-12-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20171226113621/https://www.mullvad.net/en/guides/no-logging-data-policy/. "Mullvad accepts Bitcoin, cash, bank wire, credit card, PayPal, and Swish." 
  40. ↑ "Mullvad client - Settings - Guides / Mullvad". Archived from the original on 2017-12-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20171226114824/https://www.mullvad.net/en/guides/mullvad-client-settings/. "You do have the option of sending an encrypted email to us using PGP. Mullvad's PGP key is found on our website." 
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named nordvpn-logging
  42. ↑ "Do you have a PGP key so I could reach you anonymously?" (in en). https://support.nordvpn.com/#/General-Info/Features/1061814032/Do-you-have-a-PGP-key-so-I-could-reach-you-anonymously.htm. 
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 43.3 43.4 "Privacy Policy, VPN Network Services / Private Internet Access". 2016-08-11. Archived from the original on 2017-11-14. https://archive.today/20171114165616/https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/privacy-policy/. "PrivateInternetAccess.com does not collect or log any traffic or use of its Virtual Private Network ("VPN") or Proxy." 
  44. ↑ "Do you impose any limitations on usage or bandwidth when using your service? / Private Internet Access". 2017-11-28. https://helpdesk.privateinternetaccess.com/hc/en-us/articles/219457517-Do-you-impose-any-limitations-on-usage-or-bandwidth-when-using-your-service-. "We do not impose any restrictions or limitations on usage and/or bandwidth consumption." 
  45. ↑ "We accept all kinds of payment methods... including all major gift cards!". https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/. 
  46. ↑ "What methods of payment do you accept for account purchases? / Private Internet Access". 2017-04-22. https://helpdesk.privateinternetaccess.com/hc/en-us/articles/219331288-What-methods-of-payment-do-you-accept-for-account-purchases-. 
  47. ↑ "Private Internet Access Management Team". https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/team. 
  48. ↑ "Privacy Policy PrivadoVPN". https://privadovpn.com/privacy-policy/. 
  49. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named protonvpn_privacy-policy
  50. ↑ "PureVPN's Privacy Policy". 2016-01-15. https://www.purevpn.com/privacy-policy.php. "None of the following records are stored by PureVPN’ ... Browsing activity ... Browsing history ... Sites visited ... Content or data accessed" 
  51. ↑ "PureVPN's Privacy Policy". 2016-01-15. https://www.purevpn.com/privacy-policy.php. "None of the following records are stored by PureVPN’ ... DNS queries generated by the user" 
  52. ↑ "PureVPN's Privacy Policy". 2018-07-30. https://www.purevpn.com/privacy-policy.php. "None of the following records are stored by PureVPN’ ... Connection timestamps" 
  53. ↑ "PureVPN's Privacy Policy". 21 April 2021. https://www.purevpn.com/privacy-policy.php. "We keep track of the total bandwidth consumed by a user to make sure everybody is getting the highest speeds and the best possible experience from our product." 
  54. ↑ "PureVPN's Privacy Policy". 2018-07-30. https://www.purevpn.com/privacy-policy.php. "From here on forward, we do not keep any records of anything that could associate any specific activity to a specific user." 
  55. ↑ U.S.A. v. Lin, p. 22 (D. Mass. 10/03/2017) ("Further, records from PureVPN show that the same email accounts - Lin's gmail account and the teleportfx gmail account - were accessed from the same WANSecurity IP address. Significantly, PureVPN was able to determine that their service was accessed by the same customer from two originating IP addresses: the RCN IP address from the home Lin was living in at the time, and the software company where Lin was employed at the time."). Text
  56. ↑ "Buy VPN Service at an Amazing Discount!". Archived from the original on 2017-12-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20171228112806/https://www.purevpn.com/order?utm_source=CTA_home_1. 
  57. ↑ "PureVPN's Privacy Policy". 2016-01-15. Archived from the original on 2017-12-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20171227154944/https://www.purevpn.com/privacy-policy.php. "Since we are huge believers in anonymity, we have included Bitcoin and Gift Cards – 100% anonymous payment methods – in the payment methods accepted by us." 
  58. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named safervpn-pcworld
  59. ↑ 59.0 59.1 59.2 59.3 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named safervpn-pripol-logging
  60. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named safervpn-blog-bitcoin
  61. ↑ "Do you have a PGP key so I could reach you securely and anonymously?". https://www.safervpn.com/support/articles/360001328769. 
  62. ↑ "Surfshark Privacy Policy" (in en). https://surfshark.com/privacy. 
  63. ↑ 63.0 63.1 63.2 63.3 Paul, Ian (2017-06-16). "TunnelBear review: If you can stand the puns, TunnelBear is a speedy VPN". PCWorld. Archived from the original on 2018-01-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20180110170622/https://www.pcworld.com/article/3201008/privacy/tunnelbear-vpn-review.html. 
  64. ↑ 64.0 64.1 64.2 64.3 Eddy, Max (2017-05-02). "TunnelBear VPN". PC Magazine. Archived from the original on 2018-01-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20180110165526/http://uk.pcmag.com/tunnelbear-vpn/83271/review/tunnelbear-vpn. 
  65. ↑ 65.0 65.1 65.2 Williams, Mike (2017-05-23). "TunnelBear VPN review". TechRadar. Archived from the original on 2018-01-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20180110164917/http://www.techradar.com/reviews/tunnelbear-vpn. 
  66. ↑ 66.0 66.1 66.2 "A Privacy Policy You Can Actually Understand". 1.5 Other Data TunnelBear Just does NOT Collect. Archived from the original on 2017-12-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20171228134356/https://www.tunnelbear.com/privacy-policy#1.5. 
  67. ↑ 67.0 67.1 "TunnelBear DNS: Protecting Your Privacy and Mauling DNS Leaks". 2017-06-22. Archived from the original on 2017-12-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20171228145059/https://www.tunnelbear.com/blog/tunnelbear-dns-protecting-your-privacy-and-mauling-dns-leaks/. "Every time you connect to TunnelBear, your DNS requests are directed to TunnelBear DNS servers, so your ISP can no longer see what websites you’re visiting. And because we don’t keep any records of your DNS, you’re the only one that knows your browsing history." 
  68. ↑ 68.0 68.1 "A Privacy Policy You Can Actually Understand". 1.5 Operational Data. Archived from the original on 2017-12-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20171228134356/https://www.tunnelbear.com/privacy-policy#1.3. "Understanding how much data people are using is a critical metric for TunnelBear. [...] We felt that overall usage would respect individual user privacy (i.e. no login timestamps [...]) [...]." 
  69. ↑ "Buy TunnelBear VPN with Credit Card, Bitcoin". Archived from the original on 2018-01-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20180103172152/https://www.tunnelbear.com/pricing. 
  70. ↑ "Windscribe Privacy Policy" (in en). https://windscribe.com/privacy. 
  71. ↑ "Avast SecureLine / A VPN to protect your online activities". It’s your Internet. Take it back - Connect with your peers. No tricks. Archived from the original on 2017-12-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20171229094517/https://www.avast.com/secureline-vpn#pc. "We support peer-2-peer (P2P) networking in some of our server locations." 
  72. ↑ "Avast SecureLine / A VPN to protect your online activities". Where speed meets capacity - Rows upon rows of dedication. Archived from the original on 2017-12-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20171229094517/https://www.avast.com/secureline-vpn#pc. "All of our VPN gateways run on dedicated hardware servers." 
  73. ↑ ExpressVPN. "Stay Safe and Keep Your Online Privacy With a Secure VPN". ExpressVPN Features. Archived from the original on 2018-01-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20180104015732/https://www.expressvpn.com/what-is-vpn/secure-vpn. "Our network is SSL-secured" 
  74. ↑ ExpressVPN (2017-12-04). "Virtual server locations". Archived from the original on 2018-01-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20180104013616/https://www.expressvpn.com/support/troubleshooting/virtual-server-locations/. 
  75. ↑ 75.0 75.1 Paul, Ian (2017-09-20). "ExpressVPN review: A good service with no public leadership". PCWorld. Archived from the original on 2018-01-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20180104010156/https://www.pcworld.com/article/3223384/privacy/expressvpn-vpn-review.html. "Similar to PureVPN, ExpressVPN says it uses virtual servers in certain locations due to infrastructure issues." 
  76. ↑ "DNS Leaks". https://support.ipvanish.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002079853-DNS-Leaks. 
  77. ↑ "IPv6". https://support.ipvanish.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002074754-IPv6. 
  78. ↑ "WireGuard® VPN Protocol - What is WireGuard? | IPVanish". 12 October 2021. https://www.ipvanish.com/wireguard-vpn/. 
  79. ↑ "Ports used for VPN Protocols". https://support.ipvanish.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002074594-Ports-used-for-VPN-Protocols. 
  80. ↑ "Android VPN Software Setup - IPVanish" (in en). 8 October 2021. https://www.ipvanish.com/vpn-setup/android/. 
  81. ↑ "VPN Software Setup - Choose Your Platform - IPVanish" (in en). 6 October 2021. https://www.ipvanish.com/vpn-setup/. 
  82. ↑ "IPVanish Interview - BestVPN.com". 7 March 2018. https://www.bestvpn.com/ipvanish-interview/. 
  83. ↑ 83.0 83.1 83.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ivpn-features
  84. ↑ 84.00 84.01 84.02 84.03 84.04 84.05 84.06 84.07 84.08 84.09 84.10 84.11 84.12 84.13 "Features / Mullvad". Details. Archived from the original on 2017-12-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20171222160219/https://www.mullvad.net/en/features/. 
  85. ↑ "WireGuard is no longer the new kid - Blog / Mullvad VPN". 2020-03-30. https://mullvad.net/es/blog/2020/3/30/wireguard-no-longer-new-kid/. 
  86. ↑ "New features for WireGuard users". 2017-08-07. Archived from the original on 2018-03-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20180324045323/https://www.mullvad.net/en/blog/2017/8/7/new-features-wireguard-users/. 
  87. ↑ "Increased security with SOCKS5 proxy - Blog / Mullvad". 2016-11-29. Archived from the original on 2017-12-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20171227150919/https://mullvad.net/en/blog/2016/11/29/increased-security-socks5-proxy/. 
  88. ↑ "Linux OpenVPN Installation - Guides / Mullvad". Archived from the original on 2017-12-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20171226121448/https://mullvad.net/en/guides/linux-openvpn-installation/. 
  89. ↑ "Features / Mullvad". Technical. Archived from the original on 2017-12-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20171222160219/https://www.mullvad.net/en/features/. 
  90. ↑ "Expanding diskless infrastructure to more locations (System Transparency: stboot) - Blog" (in en). https://mullvad.net/en/blog/2022/8/1/expanding-diskless-infrastructure-to-more-locations-system-transparency-stboot/. 
  91. ↑ Eddy, Max (August 14, 2019). "The VPN Industry Is on the Cusp of a Major Breakthrough". https://www.pcmag.com/commentary/369921/the-vpn-industry-is-on-the-cusp-of-a-major-breakthrough. Retrieved November 15, 2019. 
  92. ↑ "Client Support Area / Private Internet Access VPN Service". DNS Leak Protection. Archived from the original on 2017-12-31. https://archive.today/20171231150012/https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/client-support/. "We use our own private DNS servers for your DNS queries while on the VPN." 
  93. ↑ "Client Support Area / Private Internet Access VPN Service". IPv6 Leak Protection. Archived from the original on 2017-12-31. https://archive.today/20171231150012/https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/client-support/. "IPv6 leak protection disables IPv6 traffic while on the VPN. This includes 6to4 and Teredo tunneled IPv6 traffic." 
  94. ↑ "How a VPN Tunnel Works / Private Internet Access VPN Service". Archived from the original on 2017-12-27. https://archive.today/20171227092922/https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/how-it-works/%23. "This is used in conjunction with the OpenVPN protocol [...]" 
  95. ↑ "WireGuard on PIA is out of beta and available to use on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS". 2020-04-10. https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/wireguard-on-pia-is-out-of-beta-and-available-to-use-on-windows-mac-linux-android-and-ios/. 
  96. ↑ "Understanding the Multi-Hop Feature - Knowledgebase / Technical / Application Settings and Features / Application & Features - PIA Support Portal". https://helpdesk.privateinternetaccess.com/kb/articles/understanding-the-multi-hop-feature. 
  97. ↑ "What ports are used by your VPN service? / Private Internet Access". 2016-08-29. https://helpdesk.privateinternetaccess.com/hc/en-us/articles/220934827-What-ports-are-used-by-your-VPN-service-. 
  98. ↑ "How a VPN Tunnel Works / Private Internet Access". Archived from the original on 2017-12-27. https://archive.today/20171227092922/https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/how-it-works/%23. "We also offer IPSec/L2TP, PPTP and SOCKS5 technologies." 
  99. ↑ "Client Support Area / Private Internet Access VPN Service". SOCKS5 Proxy Usage Guides. Archived from the original on 2017-12-31. https://archive.today/20171231150012/https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/client-support/. "Although quite different from a VPN, we provide a SOCKS5 Proxy with all accounts in the event users require this feature." 
  100. ↑ 100.0 100.1 "Stats on 89 Linux VPN Providers Across 16 Linux Distributions" (in English). https://vpn.com. Retrieved 15 February 2018. 
  101. ↑ "Why can't I send email when on the VPN? / Private Internet Access". 2017-10-31. https://helpdesk.privateinternetaccess.com/hc/en-us/articles/219457007-Why-can-t-I-send-email-when-on-the-VPN-. "Any VPN provider that does not retain logs must block outgoing SMTP traffic due to rampant spam associated with usage of VPN services. With that said, we can whitelist (allow) any outgoing email server that a) require authentication, and b) is correctly setup so as not to be an open relay." 
  102. ↑ "How a VPN Tunnel Works / Private Internet Access VPN Service". Archived from the original on 2017-12-27. https://archive.today/20171227092922/https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/how-it-works/%23. "In addition, any blocked software by your ISP including P2P and other various software applications will be unblocked and unrestricted on our systems." 
  103. ↑ Private Internet Access™ is default secure from this vulnerability since we use real bare metal servers.
  104. ↑ "How to change VPN protocols or select Smart Protocol". 2021-08-31. https://protonvpn.com/support/how-to-change-vpn-protocols/. 
  105. ↑ ProtonVPN. "Free Downloads". https://protonvpn.com/download. 
  106. ↑ "PureVPN Features - Get Premium Anonymity, Security, & Privacy All In One!". https://www.purevpn.com/features. "10 Multi-Logins per Household" 
  107. ↑ "PureVPN Supported Ports". 2017-07-27. Archived from the original on 2017-12-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20171227162743/https://support.purevpn.com/on-what-ports-purevpn-work-and-should-i-allow-them-on-my-anti-virus-programfirewall. 
  108. ↑ "Setup PureVPN app on LinuA" (in English). https://support.purevpn.com/setup-purevpn-app-on-linux. Retrieved 4 February 2023. 
  109. ↑ "PureVPN P2P File Sharing - Break P2P barriers anonymously!". 2014-07-08. Archived from the original on 2018-01-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20180103185035/https://support.purevpn.com/p2p-file-sharing. "Furthermore, we have blocked P2P on some of our servers as per changing Global Web Policy. We don’t allow p2p/filesharing where it’s illegal by law named United Kingdom (UK), United States (US), Canada, Australia etc." 
  110. ↑ "PureVPN Servers". Virtual Servers and When you Should Use them?. 2017-11-11. Archived from the original on 2018-01-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20180104011633/https://support.purevpn.com/virtual-servers-and-when-you-should-use-them. "PureVPN has never denied using virtual servers. To make matters simpler, an update on our Server Location page will state which servers are virtual and which are physical." 
  111. ↑ 111.0 111.1 111.2 111.3 111.4 111.5 111.6 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named safervpn-protocols
  112. ↑ "What are SaferVPN's OpenVPN configuration (ovpn) files for manual setup?". https://www.safervpn.com/support/articles/214036025-What-are-SaferVPN-s-OpenVPN-configuration-ovpn-files-for-manual-setup-. 
  113. ↑ 113.0 113.1 113.2 113.3 113.4 113.5 113.6 "Rawwwr! Even Stronger Encryption". 2015-03-17. Archived from the original on 2017-08-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20170814150250/https://www.tunnelbear.com/blog/stronger-encryption/. 
  114. ↑ "GhostBear: How to Hide Your VPN From DPI". 2017-07-18. Archived from the original on 2017-12-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20171228143716/https://www.tunnelbear.com/blog/how-to-hide-your-vpn-from-dpi/. "When you turn GhostBear on, it changes your VPN traffic signature to look like a different kind of traffic. To do this, GhostBear uses a technology called Obfsproxy." 
  115. ↑ "TunnelBear / Search Results". Archived from the original on 2018-01-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20180103190929/https://help.tunnelbear.com/customer/portal/articles/search?b_id=17004&q=smtp. "TunnelBear does not block SMTP on our network." 
  116. ↑ "TunnelBear / Can I torrent with TunnelBear?". Archived from the original on 2017-07-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20170718101247/https://help.tunnelbear.com/customer/en/portal/articles/2419827-can-i-torrent-with-tunnelbear-. 
  117. ↑ "Does Windscribe have a Killswitch? | Windscribe". https://windscribe.com/knowledge-base/articles/does-windscribe-have-a-killswitch/. 
  118. ↑ "What Protocols are available with Windscribe? | Windscribe". https://windscribe.com/knowledge-base/articles/what-protocols-are-available-with-windscribe/. 
  119. ↑ "SOCKS5 servers are phased out and are no longer offered by Windscribe. | Windscribe". https://windscribe.com/getconfig/socks. 
  120. ↑ 120.0 120.1 120.2 120.3 "Hotspot Shield Privacy Frequently Asked Questions / Hotspot Shield". How does Hotspot Shield secure my Internet connection?. Archived from the original on 2017-12-28. https://archive.today/20171228150759/https://www.hotspotshield.com/privacy-faq/. "Turning Hotspot Shield on encrypts all of the traffic between your device and our servers using TLS 1.2 with perfect forward secrecy (ECDHE), 128-bit AES data encryption." 
  121. ↑ 121.0 121.1 "AnchorFree Hotspot Shield Privacy Policy". Security. 2017-11-29. Archived from the original on 2017-12-28. https://archive.today/20171228152839/https://www.hotspotshield.com/privacy/. "We encrypt all of the traffic between your device and our servers using TLS 1.2 with perfect forward secrecy (ECDHE), 128-bit AES data encryption, and HMAC message authentication." 
  122. ↑ 122.0 122.1 122.2 122.3 122.4 122.5 "Online Data Encryption - IPVanish VPN" (in en). 13 October 2021. https://www.ipvanish.com/vpn-encryption/. 
  123. ↑ 123.0 123.1 123.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named nordvpn-encryption
  124. ↑ 124.0 124.1 124.2 124.3 124.4 124.5 "Private Internet Access / VPN Encryption". Archived from the original on 2017-12-27. https://archive.today/20171227094141/https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/vpn-encryption. 
  125. ↑ "What kind of encryption does Windscribe use? | Windscribe". https://windscribe.com/knowledge-base/articles/what-kind-of-encryption-does-windscribe-use/. 
  126. ↑ "What kind of encryption does Windscribe use? | Windscribe". https://windscribe.com/knowledge-base/articles/what-kind-of-encryption-does-windscribe-use/. 
  127. ↑ "What kind of encryption does Windscribe use? | Windscribe". https://windscribe.com/knowledge-base/articles/what-kind-of-encryption-does-windscribe-use/. 
  128. ↑ "What kind of encryption does Windscribe use? | Windscribe". https://windscribe.com/knowledge-base/articles/what-kind-of-encryption-does-windscribe-use/. 
  129. ↑ "What Is a VPN Kill Switch?". Archived from the original on 2022-08-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20220802163519/https://www.top10vpn.com/guides/vpn-kill-switch/. 
  130. ↑ 131.0 131.1 Tor (2012-02-16). "Obfsproxy: the next step in the censorship arms arce / Tor Blog". Tor Blog. Archived from the original on 2018-01-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20180111044351/https://blog.torproject.org/obfsproxy-next-step-censorship-arms-race. 
  131. ↑ 132.0 132.1 OpenVPN. "TrafficObfuscation - OpenVPN Community". Wiki. Archived from the original on 2018-01-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20180111044622/https://community.openvpn.net/openvpn/wiki/TrafficObfuscation. 



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