Protecting someone is a good business. Today and in the past, bodyguards are hired to escort VIPs safely to their destination. With the rising popularity of the internet, anyone connected to the worldwide web is starting to realize that they need protection, so tech geniuses have come up with firewalls, anti-viruses and encryption. Do you know how many hardware or software based encryption services are out there at the moment? Approximately 856! Not all of them are VPN providers, but we can assume that VPN companies are main players in this field. Still, this is a clear indication of people’s inherent attachment to privacy. But not everyone thinks so…
While this large number of encryption services can be viewed as the sign of common sense, meaning that web surfers have realized a need to prevent important personal details from leaking, government agencies believe that the same encryption methods are exploited by terrorists. They argue that hackers, scammers and terrorists can just as well benefit from a high quality VPN service as everybody else. But instead of watching more movies on Netflix, they instead use it to evade law enforcement and keep plotting their schemes without the worry of being busted.
So what could be done about this? Well, the U.S. government believes that a mandatory backdoor to every encryption product (including VPNs) is the easiest and most efficient way to counter any possible criminal activities. This means that upon a third party’s demand, a certain message, link, or connection source can be decrypted, revealing a user’s location or any detail. The situation is especially a hot potato for VPN services, as they do log a lot of details about you – like your original IP, browser type, and session time – no matter what they claim upfront. Just check their privacy policy.
Naturally, the government would like its hand on said backdoor’s key, so in case they notice suspicious activity, they could leap into action and unravel the nasty plot. And they wouldn’t use it to eavesdrop on anybody else, just the bad guys. For realsies.
As you might have guessed, not everyone shares the government’s opinion, stating that implementing a backdoor access to an encryption product would render it useless, while also violating privacy rights. People pay actual money for these services in hopes they could enjoy full anonymity. Apple got into the center of the attention recently, as the court of California ordered them to provide access to a terrorist’s phone. They however refused to help the FBI, which caused quite the uproar. This debate isn’t new though, since there were heated arguments about it 17 years ago, during Clinton’s presidency. The law is very unclear about the topic too, leading to different interpretations.
With that said, we must mention that the VPN industry should not, and could not be regulated like this. First of all, VPN providers operate legitimately, similarly to an Internet service. Most of them, like Golden Frog’s VyprVPN, are clear about the time they hold onto your personal information before deleting it, not to mention they don’t log your actual traffic. Which means they only provide a mean for encryption, not for crime. Encrypting your data isn’t something you should be ashamed of; it helps you secure your privacy by encoding your data flow. Not to mention that it’s clearly impossible to fully regulate these kinds of services. There are countless VPN services located outside of the U.S. government’s reach, where the local laws allow them to operate. All in all, adding another toy to the FBI’s hands would only benefit their shadowy needs, while hurting your privacy in the process.
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