Please stop parroting this fallacy. Unless you operate the VPN server that you are connecting to, which most people won't, then you aren't doing much to improve your privacy at all. You're just redirecting all of your connectivity through some other third-party which may or may not be trustworthy, and from there, onto some other ISPs which may or may not be trustworthy.
>Please stop parroting this fallacy. Unless you operate the VPN server that you are connecting to, which most people won't, then you aren't doing much to improve your privacy at all.
This is not factually accurate.
Redirecting your connectivity can be a good thing, if the VPN has a strong privacy policy, since ISPs are pushing to be able to sell browsing histories (via DNS records).
And a VPN is great when your "ISP" is unencrypted public wifi.
You might not be able to trust your VPN provider, but if you're paying them and they're relatively reputable (located in the US or EU) they will be regulated if they violate their privacy policy. (Ex: deceptive trade practice invokes FTC's section 5 authority)
Also, we're on HN - many of us roll our own VPN with Streisand etc.
Maybe you should stop parroting kneejerk contrarianism every time you encounter common advice.
neilalexander|7 years ago
Please stop parroting this fallacy. Unless you operate the VPN server that you are connecting to, which most people won't, then you aren't doing much to improve your privacy at all. You're just redirecting all of your connectivity through some other third-party which may or may not be trustworthy, and from there, onto some other ISPs which may or may not be trustworthy.
clubm8|7 years ago
This is not factually accurate.
Redirecting your connectivity can be a good thing, if the VPN has a strong privacy policy, since ISPs are pushing to be able to sell browsing histories (via DNS records).
And a VPN is great when your "ISP" is unencrypted public wifi.
You might not be able to trust your VPN provider, but if you're paying them and they're relatively reputable (located in the US or EU) they will be regulated if they violate their privacy policy. (Ex: deceptive trade practice invokes FTC's section 5 authority)
Also, we're on HN - many of us roll our own VPN with Streisand etc.
Maybe you should stop parroting kneejerk contrarianism every time you encounter common advice.
pacuna|7 years ago