User Login

Help Community Login:

Warning! Do not use PureVPN! No Longer Secure!

7 replies [Last post]
BRIANNA's picture
BRIANNA
Moderator (Watching Over The Masses)Premium Member (Silver)I use FirefoxI use Google ChromeI use SafariWindows UserThe Dr. left the stem off the apple!
Relationship Status:
Taken
Joined: 02/27/2011
Posts: 120
Drops: 216
Mood: Optimistic

PureVPN Warning - Insecure and Unsafe

 

As of today, 8/3/2020 PureVPN has sent out an announcement to it's affiliates that it is currently not safe to use, as it can no longer guarantee your privacy. Here are the important parts of their letter:

 

Dear Partner,

PureVPN exists for the sole purpose of assuring its global users a secure and safer Internet, and a place with no virtual borders. Keeping these tenets in view that define our existence, we picked Hong Kong as our Headquarter since the country enjoyed surveillance and data-retention free laws.

Unfortunately, that is no longer the case anymore.

Recently, Hong Kong has enacted the National Security Law that extends the Mainland China’s strict surveillance laws to HK. To ensure the online security and privacy of our users, we have initially decommissioned our Hong Kong VPN servers. As we proceed to our second phase, we are now moving our Headquarter from HK.

We cannot commit for now where we will move the Headquarter as we are still exploring different regions. However, we will update you as soon as we lock any region.

 

(Bold emphasis added by us)

I Averaged: 3.1 | 11 votes


Read More ...





Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
nitallica's picture
From:
Birmingham, Alabama
nitallica
Premium Member (Gold)I use FirefoxI use Google ChromeI use SafariWindows UserFormer Phrozen Crew MemberSTaRDoGG <3's you ;)
Relationship Status:
Divorced
Joined: 05/07/2012
Posts: 30
Drops: 40
Mood: Amused
Re: Warning! Do not use PureVPN! No Longer Secure!

Can't see how they didn't see this coming honestly.
--
Quirky sysadmin. Geek. Gamer. Comic fangirl.

STaRDoGG's picture
From:
Olympus
STaRDoGG
Head Mucky MuckJoined the Dark SidePremium Member (Gold)I'm a Code Monkey!The Steel CurtainI use FirefoxI use Google ChromeI use Internet ExplorerI use SafariLinux UserMac UserWindows UserI donated to GeekDrop simply because I love it!Booga Booga BoogaI took a bite of the AppleFormer Phrozen Crew MemberI'm MagicMember of VileThe Dr. put the stem on the apple!The JokerSomeone thinks you're udderly delightful!
Relationship Status:
Single & Not Looking
Joined: 01/14/2009
Posts: 2622
Drops: 3109
Mood: Energetic
Re: Warning! Do not use PureVPN! No Longer Secure!

No doubt. I mean ... China. Laughing

PureVPN has had it's share of controversies before this too, to the point I'm gunshy about using it.

PureVPN has more than 2,000 servers in over 140 countries. Their servers are in 180 separate locations and in Africa, Asia, Australia, Central America, Europe, North America, and South America. Max Eddy of PC Magazine said PureVPN "offers some of the best geographic diversity I have yet seen among VPN companies" though "not everything is necessarily as it seems". Eddy found that in 87 of those countries, PureVPN's servers are virtual servers that merely make the servers seem to be in a different country than where it really is at. PureVPN places virtual servers close to the country they say it is at, which Eddy found problematic for users who want to avoid their data passing through certain countries.

PureVPN stores logs containing information about what Internet service provider a customer used to access it service and which day the service was used. PureVPN does not store the exact time a customer accessed VPN. To prevent misuse and monitor quality, it records how much bandwidth customers are using. PureVPN also stores HTTP cookies for online advertising purposes as well as user account information like email address and credit card data. It does not store what websites a customer is accessing. Brian Nadel of Tom's Guide criticized PureVPN for requiring real names for user signups, even when users employ Bitcoin or gift cards for payment. VPNs largely do not require real names.

In 2017, PureVPN provided information to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents that helped result in the arrest of a Massachusetts man for cyberstalking. The company concluded that the man had accessed PureVPN through two IP addresses: one from home and one from work. Max Eddy of PC Magazine noted that the company's privacy policy says it will cooperate with investigators who give them a proper warrant and concluded, "In the case of PureVPN, it doesn't appear that the company breached the trust of its users". TechRadar's Mike Williams disagreed, writing that PureVPN "made a big deal of its 'zero log' policy" on its website but did keep logs that enabled investigators to link the man to what he did on the service.

STaRDoGG's picture
From:
Olympus
STaRDoGG
Head Mucky MuckJoined the Dark SidePremium Member (Gold)I'm a Code Monkey!The Steel CurtainI use FirefoxI use Google ChromeI use Internet ExplorerI use SafariLinux UserMac UserWindows UserI donated to GeekDrop simply because I love it!Booga Booga BoogaI took a bite of the AppleFormer Phrozen Crew MemberI'm MagicMember of VileThe Dr. put the stem on the apple!The JokerSomeone thinks you're udderly delightful!
Relationship Status:
Single & Not Looking
Joined: 01/14/2009
Posts: 2622
Drops: 3109
Mood: Energetic
Re: Warning! Do not use PureVPN! No Longer Secure!

btw, which VPN (if any) are you using?

I'm using PrivadoVPN only because it came free w/my newsgroups priovider, but it suuuuuucks.

nitallica's picture
From:
Birmingham, Alabama
nitallica
Premium Member (Gold)I use FirefoxI use Google ChromeI use SafariWindows UserFormer Phrozen Crew MemberSTaRDoGG <3's you ;)
Relationship Status:
Divorced
Joined: 05/07/2012
Posts: 30
Drops: 40
Mood: Amused
Re: Warning! Do not use PureVPN! No Longer Secure!

I have CoTSE VPN service, but am thinking of trialing the new Mozilla one just to see how it performs.  If I were on Usenet more than once/twice a year, I'd look into one that includes that.

--
Quirky sysadmin. Geek. Gamer. Comic fangirl.

STaRDoGG's picture
From:
Olympus
STaRDoGG
Head Mucky MuckJoined the Dark SidePremium Member (Gold)I'm a Code Monkey!The Steel CurtainI use FirefoxI use Google ChromeI use Internet ExplorerI use SafariLinux UserMac UserWindows UserI donated to GeekDrop simply because I love it!Booga Booga BoogaI took a bite of the AppleFormer Phrozen Crew MemberI'm MagicMember of VileThe Dr. put the stem on the apple!The JokerSomeone thinks you're udderly delightful!
Relationship Status:
Single & Not Looking
Joined: 01/14/2009
Posts: 2622
Drops: 3109
Mood: Energetic
Re: Warning! Do not use PureVPN! No Longer Secure!

"CoTSE" seems to vaguely ring a bell from back in the old days, but I'm drawing a blank atm; didn't it stand for something weird, like "Church of the (something or other)?"

I miss the old school days of the Newsgroups. Nowadays, it's still good for avoiding DMCA notices Wink when using along side automation software, like Radarr, Sonarr, Hydra2, etc. You can get a yearly sub dirt cheap and they often come with a free VPN.

nitallica's picture
From:
Birmingham, Alabama
nitallica
Premium Member (Gold)I use FirefoxI use Google ChromeI use SafariWindows UserFormer Phrozen Crew MemberSTaRDoGG <3's you ;)
Relationship Status:
Divorced
Joined: 05/07/2012
Posts: 30
Drops: 40
Mood: Amused
Re: Warning! Do not use PureVPN! No Longer Secure!

Yeah, Church of the Swimming Elephant. Laughing Buncha buddies from alt.2600/alt.hackers.malicious started it.

I haven't been in the Newsgroups since Fravia++ passed. I may have to look into those automates. Any good newsreaders around? I remember loving Agent, but last I saw you can't mod it anymore. Sad panda. :

--
Quirky sysadmin. Geek. Gamer. Comic fangirl.

STaRDoGG's picture
From:
Olympus
STaRDoGG
Head Mucky MuckJoined the Dark SidePremium Member (Gold)I'm a Code Monkey!The Steel CurtainI use FirefoxI use Google ChromeI use Internet ExplorerI use SafariLinux UserMac UserWindows UserI donated to GeekDrop simply because I love it!Booga Booga BoogaI took a bite of the AppleFormer Phrozen Crew MemberI'm MagicMember of VileThe Dr. put the stem on the apple!The JokerSomeone thinks you're udderly delightful!
Relationship Status:
Single & Not Looking
Joined: 01/14/2009
Posts: 2622
Drops: 3109
Mood: Energetic
Re: Warning! Do not use PureVPN! No Longer Secure!

That's it, I knew it was "hacker" involved, too. Laughing

Agent was my fave, but the last reader I used a long time ago before stopping was Newzbin Pro. Supergh0d introduced it to me. I don't use any reader now though, just the automation stuff (which rocks my fr0 btw. Wink )

Who's New

metaclippingpath's picture
Generalocee's picture
emma agro's picture
DarkkDdream's picture
Larisabrownb's picture
conor13's picture
MeadeDorianx's picture
Emilylowes's picture
Emmaythomson's picture
Chair's picture
Financial's picture
Red bud's picture
DonnaStella123's picture
WenrichFeugene's picture
Weissert's picture
facebook codes exploits tips tricks Phrozen Crew
All contents ©Copyright GeekDrop™ 2009-2024
TOS | Privacy Policy