With the growing internet usage and online channels, users worldwide are adopting different ways to protect their data and secure themselves.
If you are on this page, we can safely assume that you are keen to know about the privacy policies concerning VPN services. Well, most of us don’t bother to read through the policy document and simply click ‘I agree’. It’s understandable that you don’t really want to waste time and effort going through complex technical and legal jargon when you are just looking to install a software service.
No worries. The good news is that you can assess the genuineness and authenticity of a VPN privacy policy just by skimming through a few paragraphs in the policy content.
In this blog, we discuss the key pointers that would guide you through the process and help you find an honest and efficient service provider.
Let’s go through the various aspects you need to focus on, one by one.
Does a VPN Privacy Policy exist?
When researching a VPN Privacy Policy, the first parameter to look at is its existence. Though this might sound ridiculous, there are many small VPNs that just have a link ‘Privacy Policy’ that is dead or points to a non-existing web page. In other words, the link does not lead to any useful information on privacy policy.
As a first step, when you see a link stating Privacy Policy, make sure you click on it and check the content. Don’t assume that it is legit!
Is the Privacy Policy Detailed?
Often, several non-reputable VPN providers use lengthy small print to describe their privacy policy. You may be misled seeing the tiny yet long content to believe that the policy is authentic. They may provide some generic information such as ‘we don’t share your data’ etc., reading which you may not develop any doubt on the legitimacy.
So read through a few paragraphs and try understanding the content. If the page is with limited content that doesn’t fill your screen, you can safely assume the page doesn’t offer a detailed privacy policy. Skim through some more lines to understand what the policy talks about. A genuine VPN privacy policy would list everything it logs and everything it doesn’t.
Has the Policy been copied from other VPN providers?
Usually, small VPN providers believe that customers look for lengthy privacy policies to gain credibility. Consequently, they just copy-paste the privacy policy from the website of a reputed VPN provider and just replace the original company name with their company’s name.
You could check such dishonest activities by copy-pasting a few lines of the policy that you think is appealing enough for someone to steal from the provider’s website into Google. Mostly, you would find such content has been taken from elsewhere, usually from reputed brands.
It is needless to mention that such providers who can’t draft their own privacy policy are not worth considering for seeking a service.
Is the Privacy Policy clear and precise?
A Privacy policy, in essence, is a legal document outlining what personal data the company collects and how it is handled. There are many aspects that a VPN privacy policy entails, such as how the regulation differs across countries, etc.
Essentially, a VPN privacy policy should be clear, with separate sections on aspects like account creation, payment, apps, and a website explaining how the data is collected, how long, and how it is processed. Of course, you may not understand everything. However, its clear language and easy-to-grasp explanations could make you realize the provider’s effort in clarifying all aspects. This, in turn, adds to the provider’s authenticity.
Check the privacy policy of leading brands such as Surfshark and ExpressVPN to get a clear idea.
Is the Privacy Policy well-organized?
Ideally, a good VPN privacy policy must be around 3000 words long, with a table of contents page, divided into sections with titles and talks about what they do (‘Email information storage’,‘Live Chat’ ) and most of these are very brief sections, spanning about 130-140 words.
Is the Privacy Policy honest and complete?
A VPN provider can promise anything in their small print, claiming it as their privacy policy. It is always recommended to choose providers with credentials verified against independent audits.
Some privacy policies may have missing details here and there. This does not imply they are not legit. They may not have adept resources to draft good content. However, in any case, it does not symbolize professionalism.
Go through the VPN privacy policy content thoroughly and look for any erroneous or dubious facts. It is always advisable to opt for the best providers to avoid hassles.
Closing thoughts
A privacy policy is not a nice-to-have but is a must-have document. So make sure you keep a tab on all the above-discussed pointers to enjoy a rewarding VPN service.
