Anything but safe: Using VPN can bear immense risks
4 hours ago
- #VPN risks
- #Cybersecurity
- #Internet privacy
- VPNs are used to bypass censorship in authoritarian states but can pose significant risks.
- A study by the Open Technology Fund reveals serious security flaws in many VPN providers.
- Some VPNs are controlled by Chinese entities, subjecting them to Chinese information control laws.
- 16 VPN applications with over 700 million downloads were identified as 'highly problematic'.
- Popular VPNs like Turbo VPN and VPN Proxy Master have serious privacy and security issues.
- Many VPNs use the Shadowsocks protocol with hard-coded passwords, making them vulnerable to attacks.
- Some VPN apps secretly collect location data despite privacy policies claiming otherwise.
- Paid VPNs like Lantern, Psiphon, ProtonVPN, and Mullvad are recommended for better security.
- The study calls for more transparency from VPN providers and stricter app store vetting.
- For maximum privacy, the Tor browser is recommended over VPNs.