Luckily, it's becoming easier and easier to see what VPN companies are collecting and tracking when you use their apps. Graphic by Pixabay/Illustration by CNET Find out what data they're collecting and tracking
It doesn't take much to identify you online. The more data points an app is collecting about you, the easier it is for others to identify you online, even if the data being collected isn't necessarily personally identifiable information. Researchers have shown that 99.98% of users could be re-identified in any anonymized dataset using only 15 data points. It doesn't actually take that much to connect the dots and identify you online. That sounds great, but something like a device ID can still be used to identify you personally when other data points tied to your online behavior and interactions with the app are matched to that ID. VPNs are often quick to claim that the data they're tracking and sharing with third parties is anonymized and not identifiable or tied to your personal information. (We do this as part of our review process and thoroughly vet a VPN's data policies before we recommend it to anyone.) The concern is real That's why it's crucial to scrutinize the data sharing practices of any VPN you're considering. Unfortunately, far too many VPN apps will track and share your data with all kinds of third parties. That information is also being shared with sites like Google and Facebook, meaning that even if you don't have a Facebook account and you're doing your best to stay away from big tech data hogs, your data is still being shared with them.
When we say your data is being shared with third-party entities, we mean entities like data brokers and advertisers that put profits ahead of ethics.
Any VPN engaging in such activity should be avoided at all costs. They track this information just to sell it on to third parties for targeted advertising purposes, making money at the expense of your digital privacy. There are VPN apps out there that will track and share things like your user ID, device or advertising ID, usage data and even your location.
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