Solid list. For my own privacy tools, I use everything on this list, except for an antivirus. I've never felt inclined to have one running on my machine. Common sense goes a long ways. But I may check one out at some point.
This is insane. Time to ditch Windows for Mac or Linux.
VPNs built into browsers can be a privacy risk. For example, see all the controversy surrounding the Opera browser and it's "VPN", which is actually not a VPN but a browser proxy.
I agree that basically every VPN service claims to be secure, private, and not collect data logs. In fact, I don't even pay attention to these marketing claims anymore. The audits, however, do hold a lot of weight with me.
Also, any VPN can say anything. And to make this situation even worse, they operate from overseas jurisdictions where there may or may not be laws against false advertising.
I used PureVPN for about 2 months earlier this year, but it was unusable. The software is basically bloatware, constantly crashing on my Windows 11 machine.
PureVPN claims to be a VPN that keeps no logs, but history proves otherwise. Oh and watch out for "Ivacy" VPN - it is run by the exact same company. They share server networks and the apps are basically the same. In my experience, neither of these VPNs worked well. The speeds were slow with the servers I tested, the apps constantly crashed, connections took forever to establish, and it was usually blocked by Netflix and BBC iPlayer. I'd recommend avoiding.
Surfshark has been a great solution for me - I recently switched after growing disillusioned with PureVPN, and that was before I even knew about PureVPN's logging case back in 2017. Surfshark is great, and I love that it has been audited for no logs. I hope they follow in the path of Express and Nord and do these audits every year.
I'm fine with this being used for adult content. I have kids and don't want them seeing stuff they shouldn't on mobile devices, or friends' phones at school. But in general, no, not a fan.
Hopefully something can be done at a national level at some point.
Google is enabling Restricted Data Processing and honoring user opt-outs via Global Privacy Controls signals in light of new state laws.
privacy