By downloading a VPN application, the user grants the service owner a certain number of permissions, some of which are not required because they are associated with access to user data. Vladimir Zykov, Director of the Professional Association of Users of Social Networks and Messengers (APPSIM), told socialbites.ca about this.
Do not blindly trust the owners of VPN services when an IT professional is confident that their product is secure, because how the information obtained is used depends only on the courtesy of the owner of the application.
“The owner of the VPN service gets full control over the user’s traffic,” says Vladimir Zykov.
He explains that downloading an unverified VPN program is equivalent to going to the black market and buying the services of an obscure and obscure Internet provider.
“VPN services do not protect privacy, when the app is enabled, the VPN server sees all network traffic. There is no guarantee of the security of personal data. Owners of such programs often share user information to earn money. This is especially true for free applications, ”the interlocutor of the publication emphasizes.
The expert adds that if the connection is not encrypted, the owner of the VPN service can change the content of the visited site or mess something up there.
Zykov recommends using only reliable and proven VPN services with a good reputation. Before downloading the program, he recommends reading reviews and searching for information on the Internet.
Efim Kazantsev, a member of the legal support commission for the digital economy of the Moscow branch of the Russian Bar Association, also agrees with this view.
“When using VPN services, you must remember that any information transmitted through a VPN may be used by third parties,” Kazantsev says.
It considers it necessary to at least comply with the minimum safety and digital hygiene rules.
The expert reminds you that you should not use a 24/7 VPN service, in no case do not use banking applications over VPN, do not make any payments while the VPN is turned on, do not enter credit card and passport information, and also not transferring leaked information can harm or put you under liability.
“If a VPN service does not disclose its location, legal form, and jurisdiction, it will be problematic to make any claims against it,” Kazantsev concludes.