this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2025
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cross-posted from: https://programming.dev/post/35967051

Most people turn to a VPN for one reason: privacy. And with its verified badge, featured placement, and 100k+ installs, FreeVPN.One looked like a safe choice. But once it’s in your browser, it’s not working to keep you safe, it’s continuously watching you.

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[–] RedPandaRaider@feddit.org 110 points 1 month ago (9 children)

Never use VPN add-ons for your browser. Unless you get them along with your paid VPN. You should run your entire network through the VPN, not just a browser.

[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.dbzer0.com 30 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Do you not run into issues doing this? I'm constantly having to split my VPN or disable my VPN for certain logins to work, such as banks, government sites and shit.

[–] cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Most people don't need to run everything though a VPN. That just slows everything down. You would normally only use them to access resources on a private LAN such as when working from home or accessing your self hosted services when away from home.

[–] exu@feditown.com 19 points 1 month ago

That's a completely different VPN than what the rest the comments are talking about

[–] Wildly_Utilize@infosec.pub 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Seperate browser for Clearnet /KYC

For example "mullvad-exclude trivalent"

I actually go further and have seperate VMs with different networks (VPN1, VPN2, whonix, i2p, or clearnet

That way split tunneling feature Is not needed and I can have 2 mullvad clients on lockdownmode connected at once

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[–] RedPandaRaider@feddit.org 7 points 1 month ago

For some games and websites I have to turn it off yeah. Or at least switch the server to one that isn't blocked.

It's a shame that websites are allowed to track and block VPNs.

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[–] acosmichippo@lemmy.world 69 points 1 month ago

it’s FreeVPN.One

[–] ComradeRachel@lemmy.blahaj.zone 63 points 1 month ago (8 children)
[–] Electricd@lemmybefree.net 10 points 1 month ago (2 children)

is ProtonVPN a scam then? no.

Most are, but not necessarily

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[–] artyom@piefed.social 8 points 1 month ago (3 children)
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[–] abbiistabbii@lemmy.blahaj.zone 46 points 1 month ago

Hey, you know when people in the UK were saying that the online safety act would drive teenagers to use dodgy vpns? This is what we meant.

[–] TheGreenWizard@lemmy.zip 45 points 1 month ago (1 children)

God that ai image the article uses is such shit

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 17 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

The dingy color scheme gives it away immediately. AI thinks comics should look dingy. Are all LLMs trained on comics printed on old newspaper or something?

[–] TheGreenWizard@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 month ago

It's similar to something we'd do on purpose in the mid 2010's, deep frying, when people made satirical MLG compilations they would throw memes in as many filters as possible, making a piss yellow slowly cover the meme the more filters you used.

[–] turdburglar@sh.itjust.works 39 points 1 month ago

pay an illustrator, ai slophorse.

[–] cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone 32 points 1 month ago (3 children)

good thing they got rid of adblockers to make users safer tho

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[–] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 25 points 1 month ago (1 children)

First mistake: using Chrome.

[–] arin@lemmy.world 17 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Malicious extensions are also found in Firefox, and every other modern browser is Chromium.

[–] Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 month ago

Except for all of the WebKit ones

[–] sefra1@lemmy.zip 25 points 1 month ago

Sure THIS will protect the children!

/s

[–] TheMinister@sh.itjust.works 20 points 1 month ago (1 children)

How the fuck else do you think a for profit company is offering free tech?

[–] Amir@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Free trial with limitations is a classic method that has worked well

[–] TheMinister@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 month ago

I’m saying it’s literally a free VPN. But they’re q company. If they’re offering you free shit, you’re the product.

[–] kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world 18 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

There are things on the internet that are free and fine to use. VPNs are not one of them. They have ongoing hosting and bandwidth costs. They are not eating those costs without recouping them somehow.

[–] MacStainless@piefed.social 17 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Stopped reading as soon as I saw an AI image for the article.

[–] Sasquatch@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)
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[–] callouscomic@lemmy.zip 12 points 1 month ago (2 children)

VPNs are wild to me. "Hey! Pay some company to promise not to watch you so you can pretend to be private and not have some company watching you."

[–] Electricd@lemmybefree.net 17 points 1 month ago (4 children)

better than having a company that is directly known as watching you and sending all of it to your government

some companies have built a strong reputation

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[–] Zetta@mander.xyz 13 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Generally speaking, if you're paying for a VPN, then you should be paying for a provider that is no log. Free VPNs, you get what you pay for, which is nothing. So you don't really get any security with that.

[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (4 children)

How do we know the "no log" VPNs don't log our activity?

Also any recommendations? I can't find one that says they don't log and refuse to cooperate with 14eyes.

[–] Zetta@mander.xyz 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

ProtonVPN is no log and so is Mullvad I think. Basically it's mostly reputation, some also pay for outside audits of their systems so they can more effectively boast.

No log vpns probably do cooperate with authorities, but the fact that they are no log means they don't provide anything. They get a warrant for logs and identification, they comply and send a letter "we have no logs, or way to trace the identity of a user".

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[–] Natanael@infosec.pub 5 points 1 month ago

Best you got is recurring audits

[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Many VPN companies post audits, and build up reputations. Not that I'd recommend it specificlly (since I only use it for a lifetime subscription I bought in a sale), but FastestVPN advertises the former.

...I guess it depends what you're doing, too. If you're, like, a government whistleblower, you might want to look into Mullad layered with something else instead of a more traditional commercial provider.

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[–] pHr34kY@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

People won't plug their phone into a USB socket in an airport lounge, but they will install software that sends 100% of their web traffic to a third party and has unfettered device permissions.

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 13 points 1 month ago

But you have to understand that it's still preferable to a wanking license.

[–] drmoose@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

There's no such thing as free vpn. Any idiot who falls for this quite frankly deserves it.

[–] RiQuY@lemmy.zip 9 points 1 month ago

So Microsoft Recall but by a third party?

[–] HeyJoe@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

What about Firefox? Looks like it exists for more than just chrome. I know because I literally used it this week for the first time ever due to being on vacation in a state that wants my photo to view porn... I couldn't believe this shit actually exists now.

[–] moseschrute@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (17 children)

Ubiquiti router with all traffic (excluding streaming sites and video games) encrypted via Mulvad. Checkmate atheists.

Also PS, if you’re not paying for the product you’re the product. Checks notes: I’m not paying for Lemmy?

PPS reminder to donate to Lemmy/PieFed

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[–] rozodru@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

use either Mullvad (yes, I know, the GUI sucks) or set up your own VPN.

the mullvad cli is very quick and easy. it's a lot faster than what it was. OR set up your own wireguard VPN on your server, again very easy to set up.

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[–] goatinspace@feddit.org 6 points 1 month ago

Not unexpected

[–] firepenny@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

You can't trust extensions these days. Granted if you are using a "free" vpn, you are the product.

[–] LBP321@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

I guess the P in VPN stands for "Public."

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