The company says it only generates revenue from user subscriptions. While I found nothing suspicious in the company’s lengthy privacy policy, it is enormously difficult to read. Private Internet Access would do well to make this important document more accessible. The company offers clients for Android, Chrome, Firefox, iOS, Linux, Opera, macOS, Windows. Previously, Private Internet Access subscription let you use up to five devices with the service, which is average for the industry.
Does PrivateVPN Keep Logs?
The rest of your computer’s activity is not secured by these tools. One general concern with VPNs is that they might leak identifiable information, either in the form of DNS requests or your real IP address. In my tests, I found that my ISP and IP address were hidden and my usual DNS servers circumvented with Private Internet Access. Thankfully, most VPNs take consumer privacy seriously, and that includes Private Internet Access. A company representative explained that Private Internet Access does not keep logs of user activity and does not profit from user data.
PrivateVPN Review 2020
The government has been known to pressure VPNs to give up user data with secret warrants, and that worries privacy advocates. It’s also important to note that the Netflix VPN issue is always a cat and mouse game that continues to evolve. Even though I could not access Netflix with Private Internet Access, there may be a few servers in the network that are getting through (but I gave up). Two of the best VPNs for Netflix are NordVPN and ExpressVPN.
Our lives are hyperconnected, and a VPN is the best tool to ensure that your web traffic isn’t monitored by spies, crooks, advertisers, or your ISP. Private Internet Access is among the best VPN services we’ve tested. It offers a robust collection of features, thousands of available servers, 10 simultaneous connections, all contained in a new, easy-to-use app interface. Longtime users will have noticed, however, that its price has recently made a substantial jump.
NordVPN, a five-star Editors’ Choice winner, costs more than Private Internet Access, at $11.95 per month. Note, however, that NordVPN also offers more features, more server locations, and more servers. At the other end of the spectrum, Kaspersky Secure Connection costs $4.99 a month. The first pricing tier of ProtonVPN only costs $4.00, but doesn’t include all the features available at higher tiers.
PrivateVPN Review ( – Surprisingly Better than Others
Not every country has agreeable data and privacy protection laws, after all. With a subscription to Private Internet Access, you get access to the company’s 3,341 servers spread out over 52 locations in 32 countries.
It is compatible with all devices, does not retain logs, and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee (it’s real, we checked). With a price so low, it’s no wonder NordVPN is the most popular VPN out there, used by technology experts all around the world. Private Internet Access is the leading VPN Service provider specializing in secure, encrypted VPN tunnels which create several layers of privacy and security providing you safety on the internet. Our service is backed by multiple gateways worldwide with access in 45+ countries, 65+ regions. Private Internet Access also offers extensions for Firefox and Chrome.
You got the slowest speeds I’ve seen from any internet or VPN connection. Also it let’s them figure out how to market their product better.
They’re trying to make money like the rest of us, if you don’t like the cookies download a addon that deletes cookies from each site you visit after you leave it. VPNs can’t protect you from cookies on other sites either. If you click to your Facebook account with the VPN, they can find out what VPN the IP is from and match that up with your account, so they know you use that VPN. If you don’t block the cookies using privacy add-ons, you might go to another site that with that Facebook cookie still on your machine. These companies work together, so it wouldn’t just be Facebook that knows you’re using PrivateVPN other sites would know as well.
- Not every country has agreeable data and privacy protection laws, after all.
- Some VPN services make use of virtual servers, which mimic a server in a given country but may actually be located somewhere else.
I also would recommend Firefox over Google Chrome, Google is notorious for spying on their customers. By the way, I had to turn off my ad blocker and another privacy add-on that blocks cookies completely. to get that very large discount had they not collected cookies they wouldn’t know where I clicked from and I wouldn’t have got that deal. Cookies have their uses and their not always bad, once you understand the risks, and take the proper precautions you can better protect your privacy. Despite that increase in pricing, the new monthly fee is still less than the average price of PCMag’s top-rated VPNs, which currently around $10.78.
Elsewhere, a kill switch disables internet access if the VPN disconnects, reducing the chance that your real IP will be leaked. You get the option to use Private Internet Access’ DNS servers, your own, or any other custom servers you prefer. And the MACE system to block domains used for ads, trackers and malware can be enabled or disabled with a click.
In 2018, former Mt. Gox CEO Mark Karpelès was named chief technology officer of PIA’s parent company, London Trust Media. – When it comes to a secure, speedy service, it really is worth it to pay for a VPN.
Many free VPNs tend to offer only the PPTP protocol which, as we said earlier, really isn’t very effective these days. They have fewer server locations and less bandwidth to offer. Very often with these free options your data is tracked and sold to third-party businesses. Paid VPN options more often than not have more powerful security protocols on offer than their free counterparts. A good paid VPN should have more server locations and more bandwidth, providing you with a faster service.
Some VPN services make use of virtual servers, which mimic a server in a given country but may actually be located somewhere else. While the practical upshot is the same—your traffic appears to be coming from the country you select—consumers may have legal concerns about where their data is actually going.
PIA’s Terms and Services has another surprise (and unusually for small print, it’s a good one.) Maybe VPNs say customers are only allowed one refund, ever. Private Internet Access says that if you purchase a new account more than three months after the last refund, you’re eligible for another. If you try out a VPN and the service doesn’t work for you, it shouldn’t matter if you had a refund three years ago – you ought to have the same money-back rights as everybody else. All VPN companies say they don’t log whatever you’re doing online, but inevitably they collect a little data. Some services record the day your account logged on, the amount of data you used, and delete anything else when the session closes.
How good is private Internet access VPN?
PrivateVPN isn’t the fastest VPN we’ve tested, but the speeds are still very good, especially considering the small server network. Through trial and error, we were able to find multiple servers that gave us excellent speeds, so you should have no trouble streaming, downloading files, or online gaming with PrivateVPN.
While VPN services will spin servers up and down to meet demand, a large number of servers is a sign of the service’s robustness. It also means you’re less likely to have to share bandwidth with a lot of other users accessing the same VPN server.
TunnelBear and AnchorFree Hotspot Shield offer free subscriptions with data limitations. ProtonVPN, however, is the best free VPN we’ve yet tested, in large part because it places no data restrictions on free users.
Is PrivateVPN Good for Torrenting?
A VPN isn’t going to solve all your privacy problems you have to be proactive. I can’t stress how important privacy add-ons for your browser are.
Private Internet Access is one of the few verified no logs VPN services that has survived real-world tests. There were two separate court cases where Private Internet Access was subpoenaed for data logs, but they could not provide any information. Private Internet Access (PIA) is an open source personal virtual private network (VPN) service. It supports multiple VPN technologies such as PPTP, L2TP/IPsec, SOCKS5, WireGuard and OpenVPN.
After increasing its price, Private Internet Access VPN also increased the number of devices you can use simultaneously to 10, beating NordVPN’s six and tying with IPVanish. Avira Phantom VPN and Windscribe place no limitation on the number of devices. Private Internet Access may not be as affordable as it was, but there are still many worthy in inexpensive and even free VPN services to choose from.
Others add items like your incoming IP address and the server you used, and keep the data for months, even years. If you’re concerned, check the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service to find out more. Private Internet Access is based in the United States, and that’s problematic for many people. The US has some of strictest, most privacy-invading surveillance laws in the developed world, and that applies to VPN providers.