What Country provides the best privacy laws for a VPN?

I think that is an unfair statement. I am a customer of iVPN. It is not that they don't like torrents, it is that they cannot make themselves a target for Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) attack in the United States so have been forced due to Digital Millenium Copywrite Act (DMCA) to not allow Torrent traffic coming out of the US breakouts. If you have a problem with that then use a breakout that is not US based. BTW, I have not looked around at other VPN providers but I suspect of those who have US breakouts and want to stay off the MPAA active radar also have similar policies.

 

I get that they also don't like torrent users because they suck too much bandwidth.

It's one thing if you're a VPN provider who just throws up a bunch of VPN servers on fat pipes. It's a simple setup, and it's easy to scale for lots of high-throughput users. As long as you're paying enough less for throughput than you're getting from your users, you're fine.

But if you're focusing on maximum security and privacy, with multiple hops and full isolation of user account data from VPN servers, scaling for lots of high-throughput users is a lot harder, and more expensive.

 

But what about legitimate video streaming? YouTube? Hulu? People want access to those things, that don't have DMCA type issues, and they're high bandwidth also. People could be in the U.S., wanting access to Hulu (so not trying to get around Hulu's restrictions), therefore wanting a U.S. server, but also wanting privacy for their surfing habits. Does iVPN shun these sort of customers? These days, more and more of what happens online is high bandwidth. So I don't know if it's a long term tenable position for a service that is essentially operating as a type of ISP.

That aside, anyone know where AirVPN stands on these issues?

 

Maybe I'm mischaracterizing iVPN. But that's how I read their website, plus some reading between the lines. They say ...

... and ...

It's not clear where they stand on Hulu etc. You could ask.

It's my impression that AirVPN is somewhere in the middle. They seem to be good privacy-centric people, but not as hardcore as iVPN. Cryptohippie is even stricter: they cap throughput.

 

I never said there wasn't a legitimate reason for someone who is a citizien of a government foreign to the US to want a breakout on US soil. There absolutely is. Goes without saying. All I am saying is I believe iVPN has a very valid reason for not allowing torrent traffic in the United States. The MPAA would attack them in two seconds flat and perhaps be victorious in shutting down their US breakouts. Consider that the MPAA typically goes after the torrent user. The reason for this is most torrent networks this day in age are P2P, decentralized and use some form of encryption making it very hard if not impossible to track sources. A foreign VPN provider who not only has a breakout in the United States but allows torrent traffic to boot becomes an actual attackable stationary target for MPAA and RIAAA. QUOTE=mirimir]Maybe I'm mischaracterizing iVPN. But that's how I read their website, plus some reading between the lines. They say ...


... and ...


It's not clear where they stand on Hulu etc. You could ask.


It's my impression that AirVPN is somewhere in the middle. They seem to be good privacy-centric people, but not as hardcore as iVPN. Cryptohippie is even stricter: they cap throughput.[/QUOTE]

 

But, isn't a VPN like an ISP? So doesn't that exempt them in the U.S. from the DMCA? If I'm right about that (and maybe I'm not), is a VPN/ISP obliged to pass on the IP address of a user, even if they don't keep logs? As it is regular ISP's pass on DMCA warnings to users, but don't immediately divulge the user to the entity issuing the notice. After all, a DMCA notice is not like a court order from a law enforcement agency. Many of them are even completely bogus (scare tactics use, even when there is no actual copyright infringement).

 

I guess this pretty much answers my questions:

https://www.bestvpn.com/blog/5539/data-retention-and-vpn-logging-in-the-united-states/

Sounds like technically, I'm right. Practically speaking, RollingThunder is right. It's just not worth the trouble for a VPN provider. They could reject the DMCA request on the grounds that they have no logs. But it's probably not worth going to court over and there is a risk that whoever they rent the server space from could cancel their contract. Even PIA, who has the strongest position against DMCA of U.S. services, only allows customers to use P2P through non-U.S. servers.

 

CB: It is always good to keep in mind with whom you are dealing. The MPAA. Very little else need be said.

 

The lines are always a bit of a blur regarding logs and monitoring, what if someone connected to a US server and started to use torrents ?

Then surely ivpn or another vpn provider monitors that person and logs activity or is it simply blocked by them ?

Also that link cb provided :

"if investigators or prosecutors are able to identify an individual, they can require a VPN company to keep records of that individual’s on-line activity, credit card payments etc. for a limited amount of time (90 days, renewable for another 90 days)"

So are we to believe ivpn would not co-operate and since they have no logs they hand over nothing, same applies for any vpn provider ?

I still feel you gotta go with your gut and research away, any hint or mention of a VPN logging or monitoring or working with authorities puts them on the bad VPN list. So far

Hidemyass
Proxy.sh
EarthVPN

Any more ? Should be said also while hidemyass and earthvpn gave their customers up to the authorities, proxy simply warned and closed down the server and gave a warning. I feel a VPN provider should simply ban or disable the server if they feel they are doing something illegal.

Only issue is everyone on this planets a criminal and so is the internet

 

In dealing with a VPN provider country of incorporation is paramount with regard to LE. LE has the capacity to seize a VPN providers servers. If the VPN provider is incorporated in the United States the case can and frequently does go further. If the VPN provider is incorporated outside the US (Malta) then the case generally stops due to jurisdictional issues. In this instance, the breakouts within the US are taken down and the case most likely ends there.

After hundreds of emails with iVPN and thoroughly reading their entire page I have established trust. I realize many have not evaluated to this extreme. iVPN has clearly stated on their site and in e-mail to me directly that they would move their corporate offices before submitting to LE or any court system. I went a bit further with them in email. Apparently iVPN already has a backup plan in place with regard to place of incorporation should laws ever change in Malta. They have chosen Seychelles as their first choice.

This is my experience and must be taken as such. Use the knowledge if you find it compelling or self-verify.

 

Thanks this sounds similar to something I believe AirVPN did a few years ago, rather then give in they would almost pack bags and move to a place where they can be "legal" and free from censorship. While its always good to do the research I trust many wilders on here if more then just a few recommend ivpn then they have to be worth checking out.

Yeah while some VPB providers suggest its fine to connect to any server I would still feel best to go sweden or europe rather then UK or US or any english speaking countries. And I do like there stance regarding US p2p +

 

Regarding
"What Country provides the best privacy laws for a VPN?"
This question is like asking which AV has the best detection rate because the answer changes almost as fast.

 

What's LE?

 

Depends on where you are to some degree. Find a place that isn't likely to cooperate with your countries govt. Rule of thumb is steer clear of the US and most European countries. Though some operate in off-shore municipalities where the parent country and/or EU laws don't apply, like for example iVPN based in Malta.

In general yes, Sweden is a great choice based on my experience. And Netherlands. I've yet to find a really good option in Russia, but if I did I'd give it a try too because I like the location.

One's I've tried personally and liked, in no particular order: Mullvad, iVPN, PRQ. I've also heard good things about AirVPN & Boleh, but haven't used them. iVPN is double hop. It might not be a bad idea to combine it with one other choice, to get yourself 3 hops in your quest for multi-hop.

 

Law Enforcement.

 

Law Enforcement

 

I think you should be save with a North Korean VPN, they won't sell your privacy to NSA.

 

True.

But they'd only let you use North Korean websites