Off-topic but why are we still trusting VPNs (and MPRs) at all?
What do you mean?
Don’t trust, verify. But yes I’d say that using a good VPN (such as Mullvad or Proton) is better than none. And of course there is always TOR which I admittedly don’t use on a regular basis, but it’s always an option. You can even use VPN + TOR.
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What’s making you ask that question in a way that that implies that you believe VPNs are useless?
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I trust Mullvad with my browsing activity a heck of a lot more than I trust any american ISP with it
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A VPN that has an affiliate program and requires a username and possibly email is not a good VPN.
Because they are useless most of the time, except for P2P activities like torrenting and connecting to unknown (public) networks.
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An IP address is another vector for sites to fingerprint you, so you can avoid being correlated to your real identity, your “ID”
VPNs can also get around geolocation restrictions, so you can get around ID verification.
Some of them have built-in DNS filtering for convenience.
Mullvad has none of that
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Its not about trusting the VPN its about trusting the VPN over the alternative. Typically a reputable VPN such as Proton is going to be a better bet then an ISP.
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Not if sites block VPNs or implement age verification worldwide.
I was talking about Proton.
If you’re not paying for the VPN, you shouldn’t trust it.
Even if you are, what you’re doing is adding a layer of obfuscation. A VPN has an IP tied to you, but other than that, as long as you’re using https, all it has is your domain visit anyway.
But, changing your IP frequently is the key purpose of the VPN. Use one location for all your usual, boring stuff with your name attached. Everything else, cycle through 4 or 5 other locations with browsers that resist fingerprinting.
Use the VPN and tor if you’re really worried.
If you’re gonna do that then filter out all the servers in the most hostile countries (including the UK) and servers not owned by the VPN.
The question you should ask yourself is: do you trust your isp to handle your internet traffic? If the answer is yes then don’t use a VPN, if the answer is no, use a VPN.
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Proof? Because PG recommends using a VPN, and fundamentally it should not matter if configured properly. Tor themselves also say you can use a VPN if configured properly, which PG shows how to.
The entire point of tor is that your local network doesn’t matter, why would using a VPN “leak information” when using it? That defeats the entire purpose of tor if the network you are connected to makes it less effective.
And there are many benefits, like making your ISP think you are only using a VPN and not tor. Why say something with no evidence to back it up? Here is mine: (last one is how VPNS work because you do not know).
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Do you trust your ISP more than a VPN service provider?
That’s why the list of workable servers is only 4 or 5 locations.
It basically boils down to trusting the lesser devil. I know for a fact that every isp in my country, wired or mobile are mitm-ing every connection. Vpn added a layer on top so i used vpn, they’ll now see i just connected to the vpn endpoint. The ability to spoof my location to website and service owner is a bonus, especially now with many are introducing the age verification thingy. I still don’t fully trust the vpn provider though, just used it for mundane everyday stuff. If my threat model involved me being a whistleblower or an activist I’d use tor instead.
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To replace the IP address in my email headers and reduce the value of data my ISP can gather into a marketable profile of me.
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