[goldcd]

In defence of the big VPN providers.

1) Why would you keep logs, when you could then be compelled to hand them over?

2) As setting up a VPN company is easy/cheap, you conversely have to spend a large pile of cash to advertize your way to the top. The only asset you really end up with is your name/reputation. Publicly burning a customer would be incredibly expensive.

Adjusts tinfoil hat I think the point about VPN providers acting as a honey-pot might have some legs though. Seems incredible to think that whilst NSA and the rest are determined to detect illegal activity online, VPN providers seemingly thrive without any interference/intrusion. My view is that as long as you're not doing anything too bad, you're safe as the cost of your exposure isn't worth it.

Of course if the government was having trouble infiltrating/extracting information from the big VPNs due to the volume of traffic, pushing the 'people who really want privacy' to self-identify even further, by creating their own service makes sense. All the traffic emerging from it (even if encrypted, you know where it's going) can be tied back to the single user.

[lilsoso]

> 2) As setting up a VPN company is easy/cheap, you conversely have to spend a large pile of cash to advertize your way to the top.

Therefore, it seems to obvious that the VPN companies with the largest advertising budgets (perhaps even running a deficit) are run by intelligence agencies. They recoup their investment on the data harvested.

[aborsy]

If there are trusted and untrusted agents, and you can’t tell the two groups apart, it’s sensible not to trust anyone.

Also, the government, in addition to setting up honeypots, could simply require the providers to log. The way that it works, there are only a couple of people in the company who need to be aware of that; such fact will never be known to the public. There is zero audit trail.

[imtringued]

>1) Why would you keep logs, when you could then be compelled to hand them over?

Yeah that's a good point. If you keep logs then your legal team will have to do more work. It actually costs more to keep logs and customers will leave you for a competitor, meanwhile there is no opportunity to earn extra money.