Many people are drawn to the possibility of getting something valuable for free. For this reason, free VPNs are thriving. But can such providers guarantee quality services? My experience tells me that freeloaders often have to sacrifice their confidentiality in return for free cheese. Betternet, a relatively new player in the VPN industry, promises it does things differently than its less scrupulous counterparts. So, does it mean we can trust it? I was keen to learn more about this provider to answer one simple question: “Does Betternet keep logs?” I found some interesting information and I would like to share it with you.
Betternet’s Jurisdiction
A VPN’s jurisdiction indicates how well a service is protected from authorities’ intervention and encroachment upon confidential information. To ensure clients’ peace of mind, VPNs tend to base their businesses in offshore countries or states that are not involved in surveillance programs. Unfortunately, this is not the case with Betternet. It is registered in Canada, which has a quite strict legislation and is a member of a secret spy treaty called the 5 Eyes.
The country has legal ways to obtain data stored on Betternet’s servers. If a court’s warrant is issued, the company will be forced to turn over everything it has about a particular user. A close collaboration with the USA and other partners implies that the state authorities will aid FBI, NSA and other law enforcement agencies with their investigations. The bottom line is that Canada is not a good jurisdiction.
Plus, Betternet may be pressured through its parent company, AnchorFree, which is registered in the USA.
Logging Policy
Betternet positions itself as a service that doesn’t collect, log or store user data. I examined their privacy policy to learn if it’s true.
The provider collects certain data about devices you connect to its network. This information includes ID of your device, hardware model, operating system, language, and details about your network.
The service also registers users’ IP addresses but they are kept only for a duration of a VPN session and upon its completion, they are immediately deleted. The provider uses this information to improve the service, implement analytics, and troubleshooting. There is one minor detail that I noticed, however. The privacy policy says that “service providers may collect IP addresses for marketing attribution purposes’. It is not clear how long they store this data but the very fact that third-parties may get access to sensitive information is a huge disappointment.
In addition, Betternet keeps some data about websites accessed by the clients. However, this information is presented in aggregate form, so that the service does not know which web resources were visited by specific users.
A paid version of Betternet serves no ads but if you opt for a free VPN, you are sure to see some annoying advertisement. The service claims it shares no personal information with advertisers but it may disclose your approximate location (city). Moreover, it does not prevent third-parties from collecting information about users on their own through the Betternet app.
Summing up, Betternet doesn’t retain the most potentially harmful records (aka traffic logs) but it collects enough information to help identify particular users if needed.
The Best (No Logs) Alternatives to Betternet
Betternet can’t boast a solid privacy policy. Apparently, it collects too much information and shares it with third-parties even if you purchase a premium subscription. You can avoid monitoring only if you choose a trustworthy service such as NordVPN. This provides carries out an airtight zero-logging policy across the board. It knows neither your IP address nor details about your connection. Its apps don’t serve adverts so no third-parties can track your browsing habits bypassing the NordVPN’s privacy policy. As a bonus, you will get a whole bunch of security features that help maximize your anonymity online.
Betternet Logging Policy Conclusion
Betternet is another provider that promises no-logging service but is not able to make it come true. Invasive traffic logs are absent indeed but connection records may say too much about users. Plus, the service shares information with third-parties and allows them to collect data independently. Considering its registration in Canada, such a practice may be harmful to Betternet’s clients.