Confidentiality and protection of personal data on the Internet are the most important things that both private users and business representatives strive for. However, in recent years, such conditions have been created that put the protection of personal information at risk.
Most ordinary Internet users are sure that the history of their actions on the Internet is of no interest to anyone, and hardly anyone can use this information for their own purposes. Meanwhile, literally every step you take, every visit to an online store, forum, social network is recorded in vast databases. But before getting into the field of view of formal structures, the data falls into many other databases, whose goals have nothing to do with the issue of international security.
A VPN connection is capable of encrypting your traffic, thereby maintaining anonymity and privacy. However, VPN providers are often obliged to give out user data.
International Intelligence Alliance
The Five Eyes Club immediately comes to mind when VPN services are mentioned. The international treaty, originally signed between five English-speaking countries in the 50s of the last century, has grown over time, and today it already involves 14 countries. The main idea of the agreement today is the exchange of intelligence data for the effective investigation of international crimes. Alliance members collect data about citizens from all available sources of information and communication channels. In other words, even if you are a respectable law-abiding citizen, your every step is monitored and stored in vast databases so that you can use it when necessary.
Is there a way to protect personal virtual space and still maintain anonymity on the network? The answer to this question directly depends on choosing the right VPN service.
Should you trust the promises of VPN providers?
As world practice shows, even if you choose a promoted VPN, verified by many users, it does not guarantee that the information will not be released at the first request of government agencies. Do not underestimate the seriousness of the work of the intelligence alliance, because their task is to work effectively around the world, and they do it well.
As an example, we can cite the well-known case when the US authorities made demands on the VPN provider to transfer user data, which later served as the basis for the arrest and charge. An interesting fact is that the VPN server was located in Hong Kong, while China is not a member of the alliance. This story shows that the assurances of the providers about the absence of logs do not always correspond to reality and may simply be a publicity stunt.
When choosing a VPN service, give preference to those candidates whose servers are registered in the British Virgin Islands, Belize or Republic of Seychelles – these are some of the few countries that have not compromised themselves and are still credible. But in any case, it is better not to make hasty decisions and first read reviews about the provider and carefully study the privacy policy.
Alliance member countries
The Five Eyes Alliance is made up of five countries that work closely to collect and share sensitive data on the online activity of Internet users. The alliance includes: UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The secret espionage activities of these countries were exposed in 2013 by Edward Snowden, whose statement then caused a wide public response. In fact, all user information only nominally bears the status of confidential, and at the first request companies are obliged to give it to the government.
In parallel with the main alliance, there are also The Nine Eyes and Fourteen Eyes treaties, which are less organized, but still strike at the protection of user data.
The Nine Eyes Alliance includes all of the above five, and Denmark, Holland, Norway and France as well. In addition to those mentioned above, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Sweden joined The Fourteen Eyes Alliance.
As a result
Now with the information above, you can choose a more meaningful approach to choosing a VPN provider. Despite such depressing global trends, there is still hope to protect your Internet space from the Eye of Providence. Our service has never been seen in any incriminating stories related to alliances. We have made every effort to ensure that our clients can feel free using the Internet without worrying that someone will be able to take over their personal data.