Free VPNs tracking users

[RyzenDoctor]

 

Summary

Free VPN providers found to be storing user data and tracking their online activity 

 

Quote

“The vpnMentor research team, led by Noam Rotem, uncovered the server and found Personally Identifiable Information (PII) data for potentially over 20 million VPN users, according to claims of user numbers made by the VPNs”

 

My thoughts

Nothing in the world is free anymore. If it’s “free” that means that you and your data are the product being sold and bought.

 

Sources

https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/report-free-vpns-leak/
https://www.pcmag.com/news/7-vpn-services-found-recording-user-logs-despite-no-log-pledge

[True]

I would not trust a Free or cheep lifetime VPN as far as i can throw it.

 

[RyzenDoctor]

1 minute ago, True said:

I would not trust a Free or cheep lifetime VPN as far as i can throw it.

 

Amen. It’s just I know so many people that enjoy “free” services... god, the LTT forum is free.... are they selling our data?

[TVwazhere]

If a company provides a product or service for you online for free, the you are the product. 

[aisle9]

32 minutes ago, RyzenDoctor said:

 

Summary

Free VPN providers found to be storing user data and tracking their online activity 

In other news, the sky has been found to be blue.

[piratemonkey]

10 minutes ago, RyzenDoctor said:

Amen. It’s just I know so many people that enjoy “free” services... god, the LTT forum is free.... are they selling our data?

If they are, it's not in their privacy policy

 

If it's a for-profit endeavour, and it's free, you're the product. always

[givingtnt]

Honestly, how is this news ?

[RyzenDoctor]

2 minutes ago, givingtnt said:

Honestly, how is this news ?

While you and I assume that that’s the case, not everyone who uses VPN services thinks about this. Plus this is now backed by evidence

[PCGuy_5960]

*Pretends to be shocked*

[Drama Lama]

I mean if it’s „ free „ you have to pay with something Data

[RyzenDoctor]

3 minutes ago, Drama Lama said:

I mean if it’s „ free „ you have to pay with something Data

They do make claims of not tracking users

[aisle9]

7 minutes ago, RyzenDoctor said:

While you and I assume that that’s the case, not everyone who uses VPN services thinks about this. Plus this is now backed by evidence

When was it not backed by evidence? This was common knowledge at least as far back as the rise of free VPNs.

[brwainer]

25 minutes ago, RyzenDoctor said:

Amen. It’s just I know so many people that enjoy “free” services... god, the LTT forum is free.... are they selling our data?

 

13 minutes ago, piratemonkey said:

If they are, it's not in their privacy policy

 

If it's a for-profit endeavour, and it's free, you're the product. always

I realize this was a joke, but I'll respond anyway.... the LTT Forum is funded by people who choose to donate monthly or one-time. That's been the case for years, well before Floatplane (the initial version of Floatplane used the forum's payment system with a different donation item). At the top of the site, you can click "More > Forum Subscriptions"

[RyzenDoctor]

8 minutes ago, brwainer said:

 

I realize this was a joke, but I'll respond anyway.... the LTT Forum is funded by people who choose to donate monthly or one-time. That's been the case for years, well before Floatplane (the initial version of Floatplane used the forum's payment system with a different donation item). At the top of the site, you can click "More > Forum Subscriptions"

Didn’t even know that was an option. Thanks for pointing me to the subscriptions

[True]

37 minutes ago, RyzenDoctor said:

Amen. It’s just I know so many people that enjoy “free” services... god, the LTT forum is free.... are they selling our data?

I am sure they are mining it for video ideas..

[fred82]

5 hours ago, aisle9 said:

In other news, the sky has been found to be blue.

it depends. Could be Rayleigh or Mie.

Like my blood when it is out it shows red but this f.....g blood when inside me is not red anymore. 

maybe that's why nobels a long time ago believed blood could be blue. they were smarter maybe.... maybe not.

[Doobeedoo]

13 hours ago, TVwazhere said:

If a company provides a product or service for you online for free, the you are the product. 

Like this forum and us on it

[TheoryInPractice]

18 hours ago, TVwazhere said:

If a company provides a product or service for you online for free, the you are the product. 

Completely agree!

[RyzenDoctor]

Let’s see if this makes it on the WAN show this week

[RejZoR]

On 7/22/2020 at 9:44 PM, TVwazhere said:

If a company provides a product or service for you online for free, the you are the product. 

Where would you put things like ProtonVPN from makers of Protonmail then? They offer free version of VPN with just 3 locations and only few servers for those locations. It's basically there so you can use it and have VPN, but if you need anything better you'd go with their paid service. You're not a "product" there, they sort of do advertising with it so you might consider going with paid one. And they have quite some reputation when it comes to security and privacy. Opposed to all these noname VPN providers.

[RyzenDoctor]

4 hours ago, RejZoR said:

Where would you put things like ProtonVPN from makers of Protonmail then? They offer free version of VPN with just 3 locations and only few servers for those locations. It's basically there so you can use it and have VPN, but if you need anything better you'd go with their paid service. You're not a "product" there, they sort of do advertising with it so you might consider going with paid one. And they have quite some reputation when it comes to security and privacy. Opposed to all these noname VPN providers.

What you’re describing is more of a trial service to push you to buy their actual product. However, I’d still be wary about their data logging practices.

 

hmmm... I wonder whatever happened to TunnelBear

[aisle9]

3 hours ago, RyzenDoctor said:

What you’re describing is more of a trial service to push you to buy their actual product. However, I’d still be wary about their data logging practices.

 

hmmm... I wonder whatever happened to TunnelBear

It was purchased by McAfee, and everyone with more than one functioning brain cell ran for the hills.

[Tech Enthusiast]

On 7/22/2020 at 10:22 PM, True said:

I am sure they are mining it for video ideas..

As funny as it was meant to be:

This is actually the exact same thing big companies do,... while people pull out their torches.

 

People keep jumping on the hate train, when any company "uses their data". The holy data!

Rarely do people think about what the companies actually DO with said data.

 

Google improves the search engine. Which in turn works better for every user.

Hardware manufacturer improve their products by checking on how they are being used by the different user groups. Which in turn focuses the money on areas that are more important to the customer. Which in turn improves the product for every user.

They both ALSO get more money due to users enjoying their products more. Yes.

 

So, if LTT is harvesting the forum for Video ideas we get exactly the same situation:

We get better content, since it is based around our behavior. They get more money.

So how is that different to google, VPNs, NVidia, AMD, Intel,... or any other company for that matter?

 

I personally like companies "harvesting my data", since it leads to better products while I personally have zero downsides to it.

The products are slightly cheaper, slightly better and slightly more how I like them (unless I am using them way different then the masses).

 

If a company flat out claims to NOT do it, but actually does do it, I am upset due to the lying tho. That goes without saying.

Also, free Software,... give me a break. Nothing is free. People spend time and resources creating the stuff. Someone, somehow IS paying. This may not always be the end user, not always be the end users data,... but there is no free software.