VPN – Very Precarious Narrative
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VPN – Very Precarious Narrative
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Re: VPN – Very Precarious Narrative
#2This seems to be the YouTube video in question if anyone was curious
Re: VPN – Very Precarious Narrative
#3> Just like you have to trust your ISP that they do not collect data, you have to trust that your VPN provider is not storing the same data.
Bull. Shit.
Find me a major ISP that publicly claims they don't log any data.
Anyone making a claim remotely similar to those made in https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymo...
If it was the norm for ISPs to claim this, maybe this argument would work. For now, we have many documented cases of ISPs selling your information, and they don't even try to claim that they don't keep logs, while many major VPN services (see link above) explicitly claim to never store logs.
Re: VPN – Very Precarious Narrative
#4> Just like you have to trust your ISP that they do not collect data, you have to trust that your VPN provider is not storing the same data. Bull. Shit. Find me a major ISP that publicly claims they don't log any data. Anyone making a claim remotely similar to those made in https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymo... If it was the norm for ISPs to claim this, maybe this argument would work. For no…
We also have multiple documented cases of "no-log VPNs" submitting their logs to law enforcement. I even linked to one case in my post. What's your point here, exactly? Because my point was you have to trust either party.
Oh, and btw, here in Europe, it is actually illegal for ISPs to give connection data away for non-law-enforcement purposes. It's sad that there are some US-American ISPs that have a record of selling some information, but the world does not evolve around the USA.
Re: VPN – Very Precarious Narrative
#5Seems to ignore two things...
a) Your ISP is almost always in the same legal jurisdiction as you are. A VPN need not be.
b) A VPN has some incentive to deliver on privacy. Your ISP does not.
It's fair to call out that a VPN isn't perfect for either privacy or anonymity. But it clearly can be better than your ISP.
Re: VPN – Very Precarious Narrative
#6>However, the sad reality is, there is no such thing as a “no logs” VPN. Because running it would technically be impossible.
PIA has told the feds in the US to fuck off multiple times when asked for logs. You can't provide what you don't have, and lying to the feds is a fast track to PMITA prison (PIA is based in the US). I feel pretty confident they're not risking prison to cover for Joe Blow subscriber. Other "no log" providers have been caught with logs, though.
I do agree with overall message about VPN advertising. It's presented as a panacea when it's really a single step you can take.
Re: VPN – Very Precarious Narrative
#7They are some valid points in the post, but ISPs collect and will market your data, including browsing data. They recently changed positions and claim they won’t anymore, but there’s no reason to trust them and they’re still using your data for targeted ads meaning they still retain the data.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/03/comcast-we-wont-...
Re: VPN – Very Precarious Narrative
#8What you really want for privacy & anonymity are anonymizing proxies, which are not mutually inclusive with VPNs. Proxies work best at the app level, not network level. Proxies can also be located anywhere and hide your request origin, and your browser can even forward DNS requests through them. But to strip every inch of personal information out of HTTPS traffic you may need to accept a custom CA, which reduces your security. So use a VPN for security, and proxies for privacy & anonymity.
Re: VPN – Very Precarious Narrative
#9>However, the sad reality is, there is no such thing as a “no logs” VPN. Because running it would technically be impossible. PIA has told the feds in the US to fuck off multiple times when asked for logs. You can't provide what you don't have, and lying to the feds is a fast track to PMITA prison (PIA is based in the US). I feel pretty confident they're not risking prison to cover for Joe Blow subscriber. Other "no l…
Who cares if they log now? They can be forced to log --- and are in fact running businesses the practically beg the DOJ to force them to log.
Re: VPN – Very Precarious Narrative
#10> Just like you have to trust your ISP that they do not collect data, you have to trust that your VPN provider is not storing the same data. Bull. Shit. Find me a major ISP that publicly claims they don't log any data. Anyone making a claim remotely similar to those made in https://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-keep-you-anonymo... If it was the norm for ISPs to claim this, maybe this argument would work. For no…
We also have multiple documented cases of "no-log VPNs" submitting their logs to law enforcement. I even linked to one case in my post. What's your point here, exactly? Because my point was you have to trust either party. Oh, and btw, here in Europe, it is actually illegal for ISPs to give connection data away for non-law-enforcement purposes. It's sad that there are some US-American ISPs that have a record of sellin…
Which case are you talking about? You have no links in the "no-log" section.
Other fatal flaws in that section, fwiw
>Starting with the obvious, if you pay for a VPN service, they have to keep your user account and associated payment information and your payment history. So, unless you are using a fake identity and an anonymous credit card (is that even possible these days?), your VPN account will be linked to your actual identity.
Plenty of VPNs accept bitcoin, and prepaid anonymous debit cards are widely available.
>Most VPNs limit the number of devices that can be connected at the same time. For that to work, well, they have to store a piece of information stating which device is connected, and what VPN account it is associated with. They have to associate your VPN session with your VPN account, as counting the number of sessions per account would be impossible otherwise.
This is addressed in the link above. Besides, it's possible to limit simultaneous connections without storing anything to disk.
>What's your point here, exactly? Because my point was you have to trust either party.
The difference is that no major ISPs are claiming not to log.