[Hidden-tech] VPN recommendation?

[CC]

Hi Ted,

TL;Dr: Perfect Privacy

In detail:
It depends on what you want out of a VPN.  Most people's uses range from general online anonymity, software piracy, or getting around national/regional boundaries.

There are two main factors that make a "good" VPN, though some of this differs depending on where you fall in that range of use.  

The most important one is whether or not their servers use known VPN IPs, which can cause some websites to block access.  This is rare for the VPN's I've used in the past, but has increased in recent years with the industry- and government-wide push to increase tracking of internet traffic.  In those instances you generally just have to switch which VPN server you're coming out of, and the problem is solved, but it's still a hassle, and some VPN's are worse than others.
Example: For a while, Amazon blocked all US traffic that used a VPN.  Switching to a Canadian server solved it easily.

The second factor is whether a VPN will protect you legally in court.  This mostly goes for people pirating software or other less-than-legal activities, but traditionally VPN services have done this by not maintaining logs of their users activity.  Nearly all VPN services claim they don't, but very few (only 2 that I know of personally), have proven they have or not in court.  This is something you can research online.  

The best thing you can do here is looking into who owns what VPN service, and what their legal history is.  I haven't connected to the internet without a VPN connection for almost 20 years, and today have the impression that a disappointing number (close to 100%%) of VPNs are now extensions of some authority or another, usually a government entity of some kind.  

I would consider all the VPN services that don't meet this criteria to be "bad".

It's worth noting that the era of VPN's being useful for most things is coming to a close.  Many technologies render them completely meaningless just by fingerprinting your browser through your unique browsing activity.
Do not trust VPN's from browsers or which are associated with other services.  Mozilla in particular is everything they say they aren't with regards to online privacy.

Finally, for about 15 years (not anymore) I used Private Internet Access (PIA).  They have, and mostly maintain, both the above criteria for being a good service, however around 2018/2019 they were sold, and have changed hands since, to people who are not trustworthy in many ways, as they're currently associated with some Israeli intelligence contractor.  They're the only service I can recommend through first-hand experience.  I think Private Internet Access is acceptable, but you'll likely be feeding your internet activity back to some authority or another.  I prefer not to be tracked by anyone online, and I've since switched to Perfect Privacy at the recommendation of a long-time user of that service.

Some of my advice and experience may be outdated or incorrect, so I encourage you to double check it, but I hope this helps you in your search.  

CC





On Sun, 3 Apr 2022 15:14:21 -0400
Ted Trobaugh via Hidden-discuss <hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net> wrote:

> I would like to get a VPN.  What features should I look for?  What makes a
> good VPN vs a bad VPN.
> 
> Thanks,
> Ted
> 
> -- 
> Ted Trobaugh
> Dolce Music and Audio
> www.dolcemusic.com
> 413-345-5114


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CC <junkmail at creathcarter.com>