Is using a VPN genuinely good for data privacy?

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I understand why people would want to use a VPN to change their location and access region-specific content. I also understand that it is a good way of hiding your activity from your internet provider, but aren’t you just re-routing your connection via the VPN provider’s network?

Is this inherently better for data privacy? Or are you just choosing to trust somebody else (the VPN provider vs your internet provider) with your data?

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6 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

> but aren’t you just re-routing your connection via the VPN provider’s network?

Yes, you are just doing that.

> Is this inherently better for data privacy? Or are you just choosing to trust somebody else (the VPN provider vs your internet provider) with your data?

You are choosing to trust the VPN provider, and still your internet provider with anything which leaks around the VPN (e.g. if it doesn’t connect quickly or drops out occasionally). The VPN provider may well be in a foreign country with different data/consumer protection laws (better or worse for you), or they might be malicious or incompetent:

– [SuperVPN leaking user details](https://www.techradar.com/news/this-free-vpn-leaked-data-from-millions-of-users-online-find-out-if-youre-affected).
– [DoubleVPN was storing logs of user activity](https://www.techradar.com/news/this-crooked-vpn-service-was-collecting-user-data-the-whole-time).
– [UFO VPN, Fast VPN, FreeVPN, Flash VPN, Secure VPN, Rabbit VPN pledged no logs, but were keeping logs](https://www.pcmag.com/news/7-vpn-services-found-recording-user-logs-despite-no-log-pledge).
– [NordVPN found using Google Analytics user tracking](https://old.reddit.com/r/assholedesign/comments/n1ve6k/spyware_free_nordvpn_collecting_data_from_its/).

Tom Scott on why VPN advertising isn’t very accurate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVDQEoe6ZWY

That’s not to say they are a *terrible* idea, but they aren’t magic.

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