Is this a reasonable privacy policy for a VPN provider?

[lopri]

I am totally new to VPN and can't read all the fine prints of bazillion VPN providers, and want to know whether this privacy policy is within typical boundaries.

Privacy Policy

You need to provide us real personal information when you register ***VPN
1.Your full legal name.
2.Email address.(We hate spams as much as you,so please trust us and provide active email address,we will not spam you)
3.Postal address
4.Telephone number

When you use ***VPN,We will record the following information:
1.You local IP.
2.Timestamp you successfully accessed.
3.The VPN IP which is assigned to you.
4.The port number which is assigned to you.
5.Timestamp you disconnected.

Please be assured to use ***VPN,Your personal information above will be kept secure, we may use it for investigation purpose only under the condition that when violation of DMCA or SPAM policy occurs.

This VPN seems to provide solid services. It let me do a test run, and proxycop.com did not know where I was. Some of other popular VPN providers failed and proxycop.com knew my exact IP via flash/java.

 

[lopri]

I mean, the bottom half information sounds like what every website knows whenever I visit them, right? Other than going extra miles to mine Bitcoins or whatnot (which I have no intention to do), I suppose there is no getting around it but to trust the VPN provider?

 

[Fardringle]

I have to admit that I'm curious. The most common use of a VPN service is to hide your online identity/activities. If that is the case, why would you give a lot more of your identity information to the VPN service than what any normal web site would ever see?

 

[AnonymouseUser]

I don't know if that's reasonable or not, but I can promise you I would use another VPN provider.

 

[lopri]

Well my thought process is this. The first half is like every credit card transaction inevitably entails. Using corporate account or a sub-account of main account holder may place another layer, but that is a pretty weak layer, it seems. Only way to avoid leaving traces is Bitcoins or Western Union type of payment which is not only inconvenient but also I have a reason to be skeptical of.

Second part is a bit more complicated. First, ISPs of course should know all those. Second, any website I use a login account should know the same. The VPN will all cover such. The ISP or other websites I visit will be oblivious of my real IP. The VPN's privacy policy doesn't state that the VPN will track where I go once I connect to it. It seems to log only the point of entry and exit.

One reason this VPN interested me is (note that I literally did my search for just one day) was that it completely masked my real IP. I've tried two other seemingly well-known VPN services and those services did not cover flash and java according to proxycop.com. Proxycop.com had no problem detecting the real IP via those. (www.proxycop.com)

Is there a forum where I can learn more about VPN? Can anyone recommend me services that are as capable and have less strict privacy policies? One condition is there should be servers in Korea and Japan. (this was difficult to search)

 

[sze5003]

I use private internet access. They never asked for other than my email and credit card info for the subscription. Check them out, pretty good service.

 

[lopri]

I have tried 3 VPN services including this one, and the other two, despite being much bigger, did not mask my IP from proxycop.com. Only other "VPN" that masked everything was Tor which is not adequate and has its own problem of being blacklisted.

 

[lopri]

@sze5003: Can you go to www.proxycop.com and see if it sees your real IP? I would very much appreciate it.

 

[sze5003]

Let me boot it up and get back to you.

Edit : nope not my real ip.

 

[lopri]

Thank you so much. I will look into it and if it has servers in Korea and Japan I will be golden. Thank you again!

 

[sze5003]

Thank you so much. I will look into it and if it has servers in Korea and Japan I will be golden. Thank you again!

They have servers all the way from US to all different regions of Europe. Check their site to see if they have what you are looking for. For $6 bucks a month you can't beat it, they don't keep logs either.

 

[NutBucket]

I use private internet access. They never asked for other than my email and credit card info for the subscription. Check them out, pretty good service.

I paid with an Amazon payment. Don't know if that's better or worse as far as privacy.

 

[sze5003]

I paid with an Amazon payment. Don't know if that's better or worse as far as privacy.

I don't think it matters. All I entered was my cc number and expiration date, the other usual info. An email I can use incase I have to reset the password. Also the pass they give you is random and you can't change it so each time if you don't save it they will give you another password. I also use it and set it up on my other hard drive where I run linux mint. I haven't found any issues and my speed is great if not better as opposed to others I have tried.

 

[NutBucket]

No argument there. More than satisfied with it.

 

[Elixer]

They have servers all the way from US to all different regions of Europe. Check their site to see if they have what you are looking for. For $6 bucks a month you can't beat it, they don't keep logs either.

Highly doubtful, everyone keeps logs.
I am not sure why people keep believing a site that says they don't keep logs. In pretty much all locations throughout the world, it is a required thing.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Don't trust any service if privacy is what you want.

Colo/lease your own server and run your own VPN. Even then you are not 100% safe since you are relying on the data centre to not be sniffing your port. (ex: if ordered to by the NSA). If it's out of country you may be a bit safer but the NSA/US can still go in and do what they want, because they're the US. Just harder and more stuff involved, and you may possibly find out before it happens.

 

[lopri]

Setting up my own VPN is probably beyond my knowledge. Maybe if I learn more about VPN and I may get motivated enough to learn, but I would like to get the hang of it first.

To be frank, privacy is not the most important factor in this quest, to be frank. It is certainly a very important one, but my neighbor wants to watch Korean/Japanes anime and play games, but those sites are apparently geo-locked and only lets you sign up with local IPs. So that's how he came to me. Being a techie in my circle I couldn't say that I did not know how to so that's how it started. (a day ago, heh) I've learned quite a bit about VPN and am reminded of online privacy, so I definitely plan to get one for myself.

Unfortunately, Private Internt Access that sze5003 suggested doesn't have servers in either of the countries. I narrowed down the candidates:

- VPN4ALL
- HideMyAss
- VyprVPN
- IPVanish

The one in the OP with crude privacy policy is www.flyvpn.com. I ruled that one out for now.

The aforementioned four (VPN4ALL, HideMyAss, VyprVPN, IPVanish) have all received high ratings in VPN review sites. Although I have no idea whether those review sites are like PCMag.com or like AnandTech.com. Particularly VPN4ALL seems to be receiving rave reviews. (but it's also the most expensive) Is the higher expense justified for VPN4ALL? Does anyone have experience with any of the 4 services?

Thank you in advance.

 

[sze5003]

Highly doubtful, everyone keeps logs.
I am not sure why people keep believing a site that says they don't keep logs. In pretty much all locations throughout the world, it is a required thing.

I don't use it all the time so it's not so much a big concern to me. But I did ask their support (they have a chat option too) where they mentioned they don't. Even without them, if someone wants to find you they will, it's not unexpected after all.

 

[JackMDS]

If they have credit card info they can always get your really ID if needed.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

This may or may not help with your situation, but here's a review of VPN services that concerns privacy: VPN Services That Take Your Anonymity Seriously, 2013 Edition

 

[lopri]

Of course it helps! I appreciate your help. Though I did look through those services and very few (if any) services have servers in Korea/Japan.

Why is HideMyAss so popular? It seems like they're everywhere.

Currently I am leaning towards IPVanish, for VyprVPN and HideMyAss both charge extra for mobile devices. (though HideMyAss charges only $2 extra during their summer sale period)

 

[lopri]

Oh, and Jack: I went to ezLan site first to get help but you have nothing there about VPN! (except for one page written in 2006 or something)

 

[John Connor]

Check this out. http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-that-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2013-edition-130302/

 

[stlcardinals]

You might also check out http://proxpn.com/

 

[Doomer]

I use VPN4ALL. Totally satisfied after 6 months of use.