VPN or not

Here's you data. Just some of many.

https://gist.github.com/joepie91/5a9909939e6ce7d09e29

https://www.androidauthority.com/what-can-vpns-do-with-your-data-874846/

NordVPN supposedly doesn't collect your data to sell. But there's no way for the user to prove that. You just have to take their word for it

But in short, unless you're using a truly tunneled VPN directly between you and a remote office server, you have no privacy as anything out the other side of the VPN and back to it is in the clear; as if you weren't using a VPN at all.

I've had very good service from NordVPN for those few times a VPN is required.

For a long while, NordVPN slowed my connection a little, now it actually consistently bumps it up. I can make that happen on demand. Plus if you get NordVPN during a sale, it's quite inexpensive.

There are those who call all VPNs a scam and worse that worthless. They are welcomed to their opinions as we all have them.

None. If you're not using a VPN for its intended purpose, connecting securely to a private corporate network, it serves no useful purpose and will actually do more to compromise your privacy than not using one.

I'd be interested in seeing the supporting research data that backs up your claim. I actually tend to think you're correct in certain limited circumstances but this position and its supporting documentation interest me.

I've read numerous opinion pieces, what I'm interested in is not opinions but hard facts supported by research.

I’ll not enter the “pro” / “anti” fray.

VPNs have their role, but expectations must be tempered w/ pragmatic reality.

I’d suggest thinking-thru exactly what info you are trying to protect … and from whom.

AND always remembering that, “You get what you pay for”

… along with …

If it’s ‘free’ YOU and your info ARE the product”

Oh, you're one of those. You don't like what you read, so it's automatically wrong.

https://thebestvpn.com/how-free-vpns-sell-your-data/

This isn't exactly breaking news. It's been known for a very long time that free VPN's (in particular) log and sell your data. How else do you think they pay for their servers?

It's the same model as Google, and in particular, Chrome. You are the product. Chrome runs a background daemon from the moment you turn your computer on, whether Chrome itself is running or not. Its job is to constantly send anonymized data back to Google about your web and personal computer usage.

As I said, NordVPN is supposedly one of the better offerings. But it's still mostly useless. No matter what web site you're communicating with, only what you send to the VPN and it sends back to you is encrypted. Every bit of data out of the VPN to the site you're visiting, and from there back to the VPN is the same as using no VPN at all. It has to be, or the site's you're using would just get a load of encrypted data they can't do anything with.

We're all entitled to our opinions, thank you for yours.

FWIW, in certain circumstances … I DO use a commercial “paid” VPN service (abt $50/yr) on both my iOS and macOS - w/ very good results.

That's an opinion piece. No validated data is cited.