FreeVPN.One, a verified Chrome extension with over 100k installs on the Chrome Web Store, is taking screenshots of sites users visit.

  • NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip
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    2 days ago

    And this is why I am so obnoxious any time someone says “I found this plugin to block fandom wikis” or “I have this plugin to fix youtube embeds”.

    Code is only as safe as the people you trust to review it. And no, being open source doesn’t matter in that regard. Yes, it theoretically increases the number of eyes on but how many of those eyes who ACTUALLY look at the code are doing it with every release AND understand how to spot a vulnerability or a… whatever this is.

    Same with VPNs. NEVER trust a VPN. And sure as fuck never use a free one for anything remotely sensitive. Understand what your risk of exposure is and that, at the best of times, you are trusting a company to be telling the truth that they aren’t keeping a log of every single thing you nutted to.

    And before someone says “That is why I do everything over tor!”: Maybe also understand the concept of digital fingerprints and WHY it is that Google is able to know someone is pregnant even before they are late.

    Understand the risks and consequences of every action you take and act accordingly. And understand that there really is no one size fits all solution.

    • u/lukmly013 💾 (lemmy.sdf.org)@lemmy.sdf.org
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      2 days ago

      And sure as fuck never use a free one for anything remotely sensitive.

      I think ProtonVPN might might be an exception here. They’re pretty trustworthy as far as I know, and have some free servers.

      But my go-to is Mullvad, mainly for the flat pricing. I hate how most only have good prices if you buy a full year or so.

      • puppycat (she/her)@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        2 days ago

        proton was the only good free VPN, but apparently the CEO was recently praising trump and shit so that’s obviously caused a lot of users to stop using it and telling others to not use it.

      • Anomnomnomaly@lemmy.org
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        1 day ago

        I used Anonine (Sweden based) for 10yrs and never had a single problem visiting any site… I use a VPN 24/7 because I value my privacy and don’t want every fucker tracking my everymove and that includes my ISP.

        Recently switched to Proton because streaming from legal sites like iplayer and netflix had become impossible unless it was turned off. Proton actually works with them.

    • FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au
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      2 days ago

      NEVER trust a VPN.

      The only exception to this is IMO ones that have been proven in court to keep NO logs, like they claim. The only one I know of that has been tested is PrivateInternetAccess, which is why they’re the only VPN I’ve used for like 10 years.

      • NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip
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        2 days ago

        You mean the court case from almost ten years ago?

        Yeah, that sounds safe. I mean, Google is still all about Do No Evil, right?

          • NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip
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            1 day ago

            Again, how many companies say one thing one quarter and another the next? Let alone a decade later.

            I am not saying to go uninstall your PIA stuff right now. I am saying to act with the understanding of what your risks are if they are compromised and how important you would be in the event that they are.

            Because companies are not our friends. We may have aligned interests but you have to always operate under the understanding of what capitalism IS and what their interests actually are. And while it is fun to aggressively define yourself by what you consume? To play on a fairly misogynistic “joke”: PIA isn’t gonna fuck you no matter how hard you stan for it.

            • FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au
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              1 day ago

              Wow that’s really something of a reply lol. No one is “stanning” for anything. Who is defining themself by what they consume?

              • NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip
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                1 day ago

                Homie. Your response to “don’t trust companies. Take precautions” is “Well ackshually trust this one” and, upon being reminded that other companies used to have good marketing and even practices, was to double down.

                Word it however you want. Either way: Don’t stan for corporations and protect yourself.

                • FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au
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                  1 day ago

                  If you don’t trust the VPN you use then why do you even use a VPN?

                  Again - no one is doing any “stanning”. I never said don’t take precautions. One precaution is to thoroughly investigate the VPN company that you choose to use. The entire point of PIA is privacy. If they started lying not only would they get sued beyond belief, but they wouldn’t exist anymore.

                  • NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip
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                    1 day ago

                    Because, again, it is about managing risk.

                    Pickpockets and muggers are a thing. Depending on how worried you are, you might consider only carrying just enough cash for the day but… good luck functioning on holiday in a foreign land without your phone. So you take precautions. You avoid the giant masses of tourists but you also avoid the super dark alleys. And you always keep a hand on your valuables.

                    Same thing here. There are plenty of activities where just having a layer of VPN is a great protection (all those linux ISOs, for example…). But I am also aware that were I to do anything where being identified is a serious risk to my safety? I am using alternative methods. And so forth.

                    So when someone says

                    NEVER trust a VPN.

                    And you reply

                    The only exception to this is IMO ones that (I like)

                    You are actively giving bad advice and leading to the kind of shit this thread is about. People who didn’t do basic research who thought they were safe and… hopefully are just at a bit higher risk of getting a letter in the mail from the MPAA.