[penagwin]

Yeah it's a tricky one isn't it? On one hand many of the best security researches are ex-state employees, and many of them go from that into the private sector. On the other hand it makes it sound like they are friendly with potential adversaries.

[boramalper]

People are also against to see an ex-spy employed by a company that promises (to some degree) to protect their customers from the abuses of such governments—there is also a moral angle to it. "Daniel has a deep understanding of the tools and techniques used by the adversaries" because, well, he was one of the adversaries. It's like a private security company employing a former criminal.

[mindcrime]

It's like a private security company employing a former criminal.

I mean... would you hire Kevin Mitnick's company? Lots of people do (apparently, considering they've been in business this long), but yet he's a former "criminal". It really is a tricky analysis. Who knows hackers better than a former hacker? But how can you trust a "former" hacker? Hmm...

[duped]

I feel like the threat model for consumer VPNs doesn't include state actors

[croshan]

You don't? I don't think activists only use TOR, I'd imagine they layer a VPN on as well, they're not mutually exclusive.