reply on: Fact Check - VPNs encrypt your data: False \ stacker news ~tech

25 sats \ 1 reply \ @sahil 13 Aug 2023 \ on: Fact Check - VPNs encrypt your data: False tech

VPN does encrypt your data! From your computer to the VPN server. So no can see the traffic or DNS query in between.

It also protects from the data that's being collected on you based on the IP, you can't always trust the other side of https to be nice :) loading a small image from a different side can also reveal your IP even if you have all kinds of adblocker/ tracker. And it also helps bypass internet censorship.

Anyone connected to the same Wi-Fi network can see this info.

VPN can protect you from this so that anyone sniffing

Who are you trying to hide your domains from? The government? Hackers? If either of those is the answer, going after the VPN company or even posing as a VPN company is a great way to collect domain usage from people that want to keep that info hidden. Not saying that’s what’s happening to your VPN company, but you can’t really prove that it isn’t happening either.

I do agree with your point about those VPN companies, but VPN like Mullvad goes as far as:

Running servers with no disks (Running on RAM) - https://mullvad.net/en/blog/2022/8/1/expanding-diskless-infrastructure-to-more-locations-system-transparency-stboot/
Getting audited by a 3rd part - https://mullvad.net/en/blog/2023/8/9/infrastructure-audit-completed-by-radically-open-security/

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @frostdragon OP 14 Aug 2023

Trusting VPNs with your domain history and IP address instead of ISPs and other third parties definitely makes sense in some scenarios - but I guess that's my point... That's how it needs to be framed instead of "we keep your passwords from being stolen at Starbucks"