Research: 102 out of 114 VPN track users

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..Our research shows that VPN websites are disappointingly very similar to – and sometimes worse than – other popular websites. Of the 114 VPNs we analyzed, 102 websites had trackers on them, with 26 websites having 10 or more trackers. A lot of these trackers involve third parties that don’t have the best reputation for respecting user privacy, which can be detrimental for the user.

Even worse, they’re using session replay scripts: nearly 1 in 4 VPN websites used them to record video of how each user goes around their website, what they click, what they search for, and much more.

Luckily, the situation isn’t all bad: there are 13 websites that have absolutely no trackers on them, and 48 websites have 4 or fewer trackers on them.

https://vpnpro.com/blog/vpn-provider-websites-tracking-their-visitors-online/

1 user thanked author for this post.

Elly

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What do you mean “VPN websites” ? A VPN is not a website….r u referring to servers? I connect to a VPN server then using Firefox I go to different URl’s(WEBSITES) the only time I go to VPN home website is if I have a problem or need to adjust account settings etc. So what exactly are you saying? There are as you know literally hundreds of thousands of websites that using a vpn I can connect to? Your info is also a bit misleading regarding Ghostery- I used it for a long time bit then I looked into clikz browser which is affiliated w/ ghostery in an odd way…I can’t put my finger on it bbut I do not use ghostery anylonger- too bad- when it was free it was good when it wanted an account sign up etc, I get a bit skittish..

Confused by your article- how did you get access to these VPN’s info BTW?

 

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[Paul T]

Drifty, you’re asking the messenger. Alex posted a summary and link to an article someone else wrote.

cheers, Paul

• This reply was modified 5 years, 1 month ago by Paul T.

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I am also confused by the article.

When we are using a VPN, such a NordVPN, does it track our traffic as it moves through its servers?

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The report is about trackers when you sign up. We can’t tell what the VPN tracks / records when in use.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the cheap / free VPNs recorded session data for sale, but you’d need to read your VPN license to find out.

cheers, Paul

1 user thanked author for this post.

Myst

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You might want to check out this topic from a previous discussion about wifi security and VPNs.

https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/is-ios-security-software-needed/

Some of the free VPNs keep a data log

MacOS iPadOS and sometimes SOS

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DriftyDonN wrote:

What do you mean “VPN websites” ? A VPN is not a website…

Yes, these VPN companies websites are tracking you once you logon to their sites.
And regarding your VPN connection encryption, it doesn’t matter at all if you connect to a serve in one of the “14 eyes” world surveillance spying countries as your data is monitored, analyzed, logged and shared with all other countries in the group, no matter witch VPN service you use.

https://restoreprivacy.com/5-eyes-9-eyes-14-eyes/

2 users thanked author for this post.

DriftyDonN, Fred

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I hope this is not piling on, just a little mind stretch to help illustrate to DriftyDonN,

A VPN is not a website

We use labels for ideas, and those labels sometimes lead us astray. All websites are simply addresses on servers that contain content to be displayed. What you read as an easy to remember URL is converted to a numerical address by your Domain Name Server. This number is attached to packets of information to send your request and include a self-addressed return envelope for the content to return to your display. All websites are illusions of code accessed from someone’s server.

An old style VPN would give end to end privacy between two systems, and is not a website. But these newer style VPN services are housed on massive servers. You would have used a website address to sign up, and they are known by their brand name. This branding becomes synonymous between the server and the service provided. You could as easily declare that AskWoody is not a single page, but an interconnected network of addresses held on more than one server unit. But it is easier to just say Website. The word represents the idea.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Elly, DriftyDonN

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[DriftyDonN]

off topic author #2211169

Attn: anonymous=> Your description of url’s being a a numerical translated into “easy to remember words” is right on. What did I say that made you think it has anything at all to do with my post? An old style VPN is no different than a new fangled VPN…and being housed on a server is really way off topic. I wish you would have tried to address the issue rather than taking an opportunity to “pile on.” I repeat- a VPN is NOT a website,nor is it a URL, nor is it a server

• This reply was modified 5 years, 1 month ago by DriftyDonN.

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Alex5723 wrote:

Yes, these VPN companies websites are tracking you once you logon to their sites.

Are you saying when I connect to the servers on their network or do you mean the website we purchase the product from?

D

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DriftyDonN wrote:

do you mean the website we purchase the product from?

Once you connect to the websites you are hooked for good

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DriftyDonN, I will try a different approach where I ask, instead of attempt to tell. I am trying to help you, others, or possibly me, to understand better. Do you believe that using a branded VPN service to surf the internet and make purchases gives you a unique VPNetwork to each and every site you visit?

Or do you know that the service is hosted by a branded business enterprise. The VPN that you understand exists between your device and that particular branded server. This allows you to tunnel past publicly hosted ISPs and bypasses a common vulnerability to hackers. That branded server effectively becomes your new ISP. They pass along your packets in the open, and forward the return packets back to you, through the established VPN. Sufficiently obscured to all eyes for that portion of the transmission.

But it allows every packet to be seen and held by the branded business that you have given permission to handle all of your traffic. On their server. Without your control.

One of us does not understand how hosted VPN services work. I hope to learn better. Stay well.
(I am #post-2211169)

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[DriftyDonN]

alex, you didn’t even come close to answering the question. So how about rewording and answering in a clear manner? its a yes or no ? BTW

• This reply was modified 5 years, 1 month ago by DriftyDonN.

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DriftyDonN wrote:

do you mean the website we purchase the product from?

Yes, the VPN website you purchased the service from.

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well then I have nothing to be concerned about if I am connected to Askwoody then do I?

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