VPN Transparency Project

Tag: datapacket

  • Mullvad

    Mullvad

    Mullvad is a small but mighty VPN provider that offers incredible speeds along with security and performance that stacks up with the best VPNs. Mullvad VPN is fast, great for torrenting, and excellent at keeping you safe online. It uses AES-256 encryption, OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols, multi-hop, and a dependable kill switch. However, Mullvad prioritizes internet privacy over entertainment. Despite its excellent privacy and security offering, the VPN is terrible when it comes to unblocking streaming services.

    But when you are using Mullvad VPN, who’s networks are you really using? After my testing I concluded that Mullvad uses 48% M247, 15% 31173, 11% Tzulo, 8% DataPacket, 7% 100TB, 3% xTom, and the remaining servers use Blix, QuadraNet, and Intergrid.

    Looking at the chart above, you can see that Mullvad VPN has effectively surrendered a significant degree of control over their VPN network to the British authorities. This means that M247 and DataPacket may be required by the courts to monitor, censor, or eliminate certain nodes. The UK is notorious for mandating that internet service providers keep records of every website visited by a user for a year. Furthermore, the country has proposed that social media and ISPs block posts containing “legal but harmful content.” Additionally, the so-called independent regulator Ofcom, which is not truly independent, has the power to censor anything it deems to be misinformation or disinformation, much like China and Russia.

    Either the government or Ofcom could easily categorize M247 and DataPacket as ISPs, rather than web hosts. This would result in the enforcement of censorship on their global networks or a 10% global turnover fine. M247 provides internet services to UK-based businesses, making it an obvious candidate for ISP classification. DataPacket, on the other hand, could potentially be classified as offering an internet service due to their active advertising to VPN providers, although this is a weaker argument.

    App Privacy

    Other Security Features

    • Kill Switch — A kill switch acts as your last line of defense when your VPN connection unexpectedly drops. Mullvad has a built-in kill switch that can never be disabled, but it’s only available on its desktop apps. I tested it by trying to load a page when changing servers on my laptop, and it said my connection was cut off.
    • Split Tunneling — Split tunneling allows you to use your VPN connection and local network at the same time. The advantage is that you can use local apps while bypassing geoblocks on your browser. Mullvad only enables split tunneling on its Android and Linux apps, and are currently building a Windows version. When I tried it on my Android smartphone, I could use my local banking app while watching US Netflix through the encrypted VPN tunnel. If you’re not using Android or Linux, then you can configure your routes on your OpenVPN or WireGuard protocol to enable split tunneling.
    • Double VPN — Mullvad’s Bridge servers are a version of Double VPN or MultiHop. This is when your internet traffic gets redirected through 2 VPN servers instead of just 1 for extra security. It can also help you bypass firewalls on restricted networks. You can easily toggle Bridge on or off in settings. I was impressed that I didn’t notice any decrease in speed when I used them — usually, the extra encryption layers reduce your speeds. However, you can’t use Bridge servers on mobile devices, which was disappointing.
    • Tor compatibility — You can configure your OpenVPN connection to use the Tor network through Mullvad. Once the configuration is done, then you’ll need to configure your Tor browser to connect to Mullvad using the Shadowsocks proxy. This means that you can only connect to the Tor network through the Tor browser by using Mullvad as the exit node. Luckily, there are instructions available for this.

  • IVPN

    IVPN

    App Telemetry

    In our analysis, IVPN primarily establishes connections to its own domain, api.ivpn.net, which can be logically tied to the app’s core functionality. A notable feature is its lack of telemetry, reinforcing its standing as a true privacy-focused application. Additional connections to Apple’s ecosystem, namely inappcheck.itunes.apple.com and mzstorekit.itunes.apple.com, are indicative of routine in-app functionality rather than invasive tracking or advertising. Furthermore, domains such as apps.identrust.com and r3.i.lencr.org relate to certificate authorities and secure communications, which are essential components of any robust VPN service.

    Given that the connections are largely restricted to primary service domains and standard app functionality, IVPN maintains a strong commitment to user privacy. The absence of telemetry data adds to its credibility as a privacy-centric application. Thus, IVPN achieves an A rating on our privacy grading scale, serving as a benchmark for what a privacy-focused app can offer.

    Privacy Policy

    IVPN’s privacy policy is pretty much a gold standard if you’re looking for anonymity and data security. They collect the bare minimum of information needed to operate their service—no personal info like your name or email required at sign-up. Even better, they have a strict no-logging policy for your VPN activity. They’re also transparent about what little data they do collect, mostly for transactional purposes, and give you options for anonymous payments. On the legal front, they’re under EU jurisdiction, which has strong data protection laws. Overall, if you’re concerned about your online privacy, IVPN seems to tick all the right boxes.

    One of the most striking features of IVPN’s privacy policy is its commitment to collect the “minimum information required to operate our service.” The company explicitly states, “When you sign up for IVPN, you will not be asked for any personal information e.g. email address, name, etc.” By not collecting personal identifiers, IVPN makes it extremely difficult for any external entity to link VPN activity back to an individual user. This minimal data collection is a significant pro for those concerned about anonymity and privacy.

    IVPN’s no-logging policy is another cornerstone of its privacy-centric approach. The company states unequivocally: “We do not log any data relating to a user’s VPN activity.” This includes no traffic logging, no connection timestamps, and no DNS request logging. Without these logs, even if the company were compelled by legal authorities, it couldn’t provide information about user activities. This no-logging policy significantly enhances user security and privacy.

    IVPN sets itself apart by being transparent about what limited data they do collect, specifically for transactional purposes. They state: “When you add time to your account, the following information is stored: Payment ID, Account ID, Amount, Currency, Timestamp, Transaction ID.” While this data is necessary for transactions, the company also offers anonymous payment methods such as cash and cryptocurrency for those who wish to take extra precautions.

    On the legal front, IVPN is subject to European Union (EU) law, widely considered to have strong data protection regulations. The company assures users that “if it ever becomes required by law for us to keep a persistent log of our customers’ connections or any personal data relating to their network activity, we will immediately notify our customers and do everything in our power to move jurisdictions or close the service.” This commitment to privacy even in the face of legal challenges further strengthens the company’s standing as a privacy-focused service.

    Speed Test

    Speed tests, by their nature, are highly contextual. They depend on various factors, such as the user’s location, hardware configuration, and the quality of the network infrastructure. That said, they still serve as valuable frames of reference. For our tests, we chose a server located in the Seattle region. The results were impressive: IVPN delivered 516 Mbps on the download and 24 Mbps on the upload, with a latency of just 18.5 ms. Unlike many other VPN services that often suffer from server overutilization or speed throttling, IVPN showed no signs of either. The high-speed performance and low latency indicate a well-maintained and robust server network.

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