We discussed in another article, the importance of knowing who the VPN Companies are owned by. In this article we will inform you of which companies own which VPNs and some of the advantages and disadvantages of those companies.
A recap on why you should know who your VPN is owned by:
- Privacy Concerns: VPNs may share data with parent companies, which could have less stringent privacy policies. This can lead to wider data sharing than users might expect. Some VPNs might also store or leak information to governments, particularly in repressive regimes.
- Competition Effects: Industry consolidation can reduce competition, leading to less incentive for quality services and competitive pricing. Ownership of both VPN services and review sites by the same company can obscure objective assessments of the VPN’s quality.
- Security Implications: A VPN’s security is not only determined by its own policies but also by those of its parent company. Strict adherence to privacy policies by the VPN does not guarantee security if the parent company exploits loopholes.
In essence, knowing your VPN’s ownership is key to transparency and making informed decisions about your online safety.
Turbo VPN
Turbo VPN may not be the most reliable or trustworthy service. For those seeking reputable VPNs, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and NordVPN are popular choices. It’s important to note that multiple leading VPNs are owned by the same entities, potentially impacting their privacy and security measures. For example, Kape Technologies, a U.K.-based holding company, owns ExpressVPN, CyberGhost VPN, and Private Internet Access. Which is leading to concerns about the independence and reliability of these services. Kape Technologies is known for its controversial past involving malware and adware production. Details about Kape Technologies will be provided below, along with information on NordSec, the owner of NordVPN, Surfshark, and Atlas VPN.
Gaditek, a company in Pakistan, owns multiple VPNs, including PureVPN and possibly Ivacy, though the latter’s ownership is unclear. McAfee, a renowned security firm, owns TunnelBear and offers its own VPN service. hide.me, owned by eVenture in Malaysia, appears more transparent regarding its operations and is managed by its original founder. Certida has acquired VyprVPN and two Usenet providers but does not own other VPNs.
We highly recommend VPNs that are either independent or founder-owned, such as Nettica, Proton VPN, Mullvad, Windscribe, and PrivadoVPN. Another article provides further explanation on these VPNs and our reasons for recommending them.
J2 Global
J2 Global holds a commanding position in the VPN market, owning prominent brands such as IPVanish, Encrypt.me, StrongVPN, SaferVPN, and VPNHub. The company also has significant media assets, including IGN, Mashable, PCMag, and Speedtest.net. Allegations of unethical practices have emerged against J2 Global. Including manipulation of VPN rankings on review sites, inflating revenue figures, and violating user privacy. A former employee initiated a lawsuit in 2020, alleging that the company terminated his employment as retaliation for exposing fraudulent activities and corruption. Critics have frequently targeted J2 Global for its opaque operations, which involve a convoluted structure of subsidiaries and shell companies. Furthermore, investigations have disclosed that some J2 Global VPNs share user data with third parties. Such as advertisers and analytics companies without transparent communication or user consent.
StackPath
StackPath, an innovative cloud computing company, offers a range of services including content delivery network (CDN), web application firewall (WAF), and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) protection. Additionally, the company manages two VPNs, IPVanish and StrongVPN, acquired from Highwinds Network Group in 2017. These acquisitions have broadened StackPath’s cloud service offerings and strengthened its dedication to internet security. J2 Global subsequently acquired Highwinds, leading to the shared ownership of IPVanish and StrongVPN by both StackPath and J2 Global. This ownership arrangement raises concerns about the handling and use of user data by these VPNs. StackPath maintains a strict no-logs policy for its VPNs. They acknowledge the possibility of sharing user information with its affiliates, partners, and service providers. StackPath indicates that it may release user data in response to legal demands or to safeguard its rights and assets.
NordSec
NordSec serves as the parent entity for NordVPN and its associated products, including NordPass, NordLayer, NordLocker, and NordWL. Additionally, it owns Atlas VPN, acquired in October 2021. In February 2022, NordSec partnered with Surfshark, which continues to operate independently. NordSec has been a participant in the VPN industry’s consolidation, a trend sparked by Kape Technologies’ purchase of ExpressVPN in September 2021. Such strategic maneuvers are indicative of the ongoing mergers and acquisitions that are transforming the VPN landscape. NordSec’s engagement in this trend underscores its active stance on industry dynamics and its competitive edge. We place greater trust in NordSec over Kape due to its established role as a VPN provider and its abstention from acquiring review platforms. Nonetheless, we believe that consolidation may ultimately disadvantage consumers by diminishing competition and choices within the VPN marketplace.
Pango Group
Pango Group, a security entity, manages multiple VPN services including Hotspot Shield, Betternet, VPN 360, Touch VPN, UltraVPN, and OVPN. However, Pango is not the ultimate proprietor; it operates as a subsidiary under Aura, a company specializing in various digital security products. Aura appears to have consolidated its VPN offerings under the Pango umbrella. The arrangement can be perplexing and does little to instill confidence in these VPNs’ quality. Hotspot Shield is particularly controversial regarding its privacy and security measures, while Betternet has gained infamy for disseminating malware and trackers. The performance of the remaining VPNs also fails to impress.
Gaditek
Gaditek, a Pakistani company, claims to be the country’s largest tech product provider, managing 12 brands including WebAffinity and Disrupt.com, an alleged startup accelerator. Which offers PureVPN, Gaditek has erased all references to its previous product, Ivacy VPN, from its website. This may be due to discoveries that PureVPN and Ivacy VPN shared servers. Ivacy VPN now lists “PMG Pte. Ltd” as its owner, sharing an address with Innovative Connecting, another VPN firm. This suggests possible use of the same third-party services or secret shared ownership. Notably, some Gaditek employees have also penned reviews for VPN services on sites like BestVPNService.com and BestVPN.co, such as Aazim Akhtar, who contributed to VPNRanks and BestVPN.co.
While many may not see an issue, as VPN review sites commonly profit from referrals, the problem arises when the reviewers own the products they assess. Payments for referrals are acceptable, but owning the reviewed products can lead to bias and dishonesty. The key difference is the transparency and objectivity of the reviewer’s stance; referrals can preserve neutrality, but personal ownership risks compromising review impartiality.
Ziff Davis
Formerly known as J2 Global, the company now boasts a remarkable collection of VPNs, with IPVanish standing out following its acquisition of SaferVPN. Encrypt.me, after merging with Buffered VPN, StrongVPN, and segments of Perimeter 81, is noteworthy for its services. Ziff Davis, which owns the VPN review site PCMag, seems to uphold its integrity in reviews, giving its own VPNs like Encrypt.me and StrongVPN a three-star rating out of five. Nonetheless, vigilance towards large corporations is essential. Ziff Davis also operates FastVPN, formerly known as Namecheap VPN, highlighting its significant presence in the VPN market.
A report by Restore Privacy uncovered that Namecheap VPN utilized IPVanish’s servers. This situation illustrates the potential for VPN providers to discreetly rebrand services under various names, leading to misinformation risks. In a hypothetical scenario where PiedPiperVPN suffers a server compromise and rebrands as EyeCrudVPN, the company must prioritize transparency. It is crucial for the company to proactively inform users about such changes, ensuring that they have all the necessary information regarding the rebranding and the implications for their data and privacy. Such candor is crucial in maintaining trust and equipping users with the necessary information to make knowledgeable choices regarding their privacy and security.
Some VPN Providers and Their Owners You Need to Know About
McAfee, a company mired in numerous scandals from financial fraud to the eccentric claims of its late founder, owns TunnelBear. This link has subjected the renowned VPN service provider to scrutiny and controversy. The tumultuous past of McAfee overshadows its acquisitions, impacting their reputations. Nevertheless, this does not appear to affect the VPN market through its acquisitions. McAfee possesses its own VPN service, primarily as an adjunct to its antivirus software, rather than a direct competitor to TunnelBear.
Hide.me is owned by eVenture, as mentioned earlier in this article. No ties to Chinese companies were found, but its Malaysian base poses concerns due to the country’s reputation for government surveillance. However, Malaysia’s data protection laws do provide safeguards for personal data in business transactions.
ActMobile Networks is also noteworthy, offering various iterations of the mobile-exclusive Dash VPN.
To sum up: VPN Ownership
The VPN market is at risk of reduced diversity and competition as larger corporations acquire smaller services. This trend may restrict the public’s options and the overall quality of VPN services, making it prudent to support independent providers when feasible. Nonetheless, this does not necessitate abandoning your current VPN, even if it is owned by Kape or Ziff Davis. There is no evidence that these companies have undermined the privacy or security of leading VPNs.
It is advisable to steer clear of VPNs linked to China, as they tend to be opaque regarding their operations and personnel. The ownership of your VPN service is more a matter of personal principles and preferences than a direct concern for online safety. In the absence of evidence that Kape Technologies is monitoring its users or inserting ads on their devices, ExpressVPN remains a trustworthy choice.
Some of the information in this article was obtained from PrivacyJournal.net. Attribution: Who Owns Your VPN in 2024? Discover the Top VPN Companies By Samuel Chapman Last update: November 29, 2023
