EXPOSING The Billion Dollar SECRET VPN Companies Are Hiding

Summary

This video exposes the dark side of the VPN industry, revealing how some VPNs, originally marketed as privacy tools, are actually designed to exploit users. It covers how Facebook used the Onavo VPN to spy on competitors and target teenagers, and how other major VPN providers follow similar exploitative business models. The video dives into the shady practices of VPN companies, from fake privacy claims to ties with adware firms, and discusses the importance of transparency and third-party audits. It also offers recommendations on trustworthy VPNs and better privacy practices for online safety.

Takeaways

• 😀 Facebook used Onavo, a VPN-like app, to spy on users, especially teens, and monitor competitors like Snapchat.
• 😀 The VPN industry is filled with companies using deceptive practices, including owning shell corporations and review sites to mislead consumers.
• 😀 Trust is a product in the VPN industry, and many companies are built on surveillance and exploitation rather than privacy.
• 😀 Cape Technologies, once known for adware, owns multiple major VPNs, including ExpressVPN, and also controls review sites that promote its products.
• 😀 Many VPN apps, especially free ones, are owned by companies in China and have been found to route traffic through suspicious infrastructure.
• 😀 Even the so-called 'no logs' VPNs often don't live up to their claims, and many either lie or fail to undergo proper third-party audits.
• 😀 VPN marketing is highly deceptive, with influencers and creators promoting false claims of privacy and security for large payouts.
• 😀 A VPN is not a magic solution for privacy—it only encrypts traffic and hides your IP address, but it doesn’t protect against tracking, malware, or other privacy threats.
• 😀 VPNs, especially centralized ones, can still leak data and metadata, making them unreliable for people needing true anonymity, like activists or journalists.
• 😀 To choose a trustworthy VPN, users should demand third-party audits, transparent ownership, open-source clients, anonymous payment options, and privacy-first features like DNS leak protection and kill switches.

Q & A

What is the primary concern regarding the privacy of VPNs today?

The primary concern is that many VPNs, despite claiming to protect user privacy, are actually designed to exploit user data for profit. Some companies are using VPNs as tools for surveillance, data harvesting, and monetization rather than ensuring true privacy.

How did Facebook use Onavo to spy on users?

Facebook acquired Onavo, a VPN app marketed as a data-saving tool, but it was actually a surveillance tool. Once installed, Onavo intercepted all of a user's app data, usage patterns, and online behavior. This allowed Facebook to spy on competitors like Snapchat and gain insights into user behavior.

What was Project Ghostbusters, and how did it relate to Onavo?

Project Ghostbusters was Facebook's initiative to bypass encryption on apps like Snapchat. By using a fake root certificate through a VPN profile, Facebook could decrypt encrypted traffic, log it, and re-encrypt it. This tactic was a man-in-the-middle attack that violated privacy.

How did Facebook's actions with Onavo impact teenagers specifically?

Facebook targeted teenagers aged 13 to 17 for Onavo and its subsequent rebranding as Project Atlas. They offered teens gift cards in exchange for full root access to their phones, allowing Facebook to track their data and behavior.

Why did Facebook's actions raise privacy concerns?

Facebook's actions raised significant privacy concerns because they used deceptive methods to gather personal data. The use of a VPN to secretly monitor and collect data from teenagers was seen as a breach of privacy and a violation of ethical standards in data collection.

What is Cape Technologies, and what role does it play in the VPN industry?

Cape Technologies, formerly Crossrider, is a company with a history in adware and spyware. It now owns several major VPN brands, including ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Zenmate. It also owns VPN review sites that rank its own products highly, creating a conflict of interest and undermining trust in the VPN industry.

How do VPN review sites contribute to the exploitation of users?

Many VPN review sites are owned by the same companies that sell VPN services, leading to biased reviews that promote products without verifying their actual privacy claims. These sites often rank VPNs highly without addressing the underlying issues of data exploitation and privacy violations.

What is the problem with the 'no logs' claims made by VPN companies?

The 'no logs' claim by VPN companies is often misleading. Without third-party audits or verifiable proof, these claims are meaningless. Some VPNs keep minimal logs or metadata, and many do not undergo proper, transparent audits to validate their claims.

Why are VPNs not always the best tool for achieving online privacy?

VPNs are not a one-stop solution for privacy. While they can protect your traffic on public Wi-Fi and mask your IP address, they do not prevent all forms of tracking, such as fingerprinting or app data leakage. True privacy requires additional layers, like secure browsers, DNS over HTTPS, and data hygiene.

What other tools should be used alongside VPNs to enhance privacy?

In addition to VPNs, tools like DNS over HTTPS (DoH) can prevent DNS tracking, while Tor and hardened browsers like Firefox can help reduce fingerprinting. Browser isolation, self-hosted VPNs, and compartmentalizing activities across different devices or virtual machines also add more layers of security and privacy.