ExpressVPN
The notoriety of ExpressVPN began to gain prominence in 2016, when Turkish authorities confiscated one of its servers. The device was believed to be implicated in the erasure of evidence linked to the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey. This incident underscores potential abuses of these platforms, illustrating the double-edged nature of digital tools.
The spotlight shone on ExpressVPN again in 2021, but this time due to a change in its corporate structure. The VPN provider was acquired by Kape Technologies, an Israeli company with a concerning history of generating malware and adware. The implications of this acquisition remain debatable, especially considering the parent company’s questionable past activities.
The plot thickened in the same year when Daniel Gericke, ExpressVPN’s Chief Information Officer, admitted to participating in Project Raven. In this scheme, he helped the UAE spy on dissidents and journalists, a revelation that raised alarm bells among privacy advocates.
Collectively, these instances draw attention to ExpressVPN’s tangled engagement with privacy, power, and politics. They suggest a need for more in-depth investigations and disclosures to make informed decisions about the use of such services. Evaluating any VPN service is no longer just about comparing features and prices; it also entails a keen understanding of the company’s ethics, allegiances, and accountability. It’s clear that trust and transparency are vital in the digital age, but the story of ExpressVPN reminds us that these values are often harder to find than we’d like.
It’s also worth discussing ExpressVPN’s questionable advice regarding browser choice. Their marketing team has recommended the Chrome browser to its users, a decision that stands in stark contrast to their ostensible privacy-focused ethos. Chrome, as is well known, is a product of Google, a company with a prominent role in the realm of data collection and targeted advertising. Recommending a browser that has been at the center of various privacy controversies suggests a surprising disconnect from the fundamental principles of data protection. This discrepancy between ExpressVPN’s supposed commitment to privacy and its browser recommendation raises questions about the company’s understanding and prioritization of privacy issues. It serves as a sobering reminder that companies may not always act in the best interest of users when it comes to safeguarding digital rights and freedom.
So, just who’s servers are you using when you’re connected to ExpressVPN? After my testing I have found that ExpressVPN predominantly uses IPXO, Latitude.sh, LogicWeb, and Angani.
Kape Industries
In our original article, we highlighted the evolution of Kape Technologies, formerly known as Crossrider. Initially, Crossrider was involved in the production of a browser development platform that was unfortunately exploited by third parties to distribute malware onto devices. However, in 2016, Crossrider decided to shut down its development platform. Subsequently, the company underwent a significant transformation, acquiring various VPNs starting in 2017 and ultimately rebranding as Kape Technologies in 2018.
Under the umbrella of Kape Technologies, several notable VPN services are now owned, including CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, ZenMate VPN, and recently, ExpressVPN. It is worth noting that Kape Technologies also runs VPN “review” websites, which curiously rank its own VPN services in top positions. This arrangement raises questions about the impartiality and objectivity of these rankings.
Despite the acquisition, ExpressVPN seems to be operating independently for the time being. However, the long-term impact of the ownership change remains uncertain. It will be interesting to see how ExpressVPN develops under the ownership of Kape Technologies. In our latest round of tests, ExpressVPN has performed well, surpassing its performance from the previous year. We will closely monitor the situation and update our ExpressVPN review accordingly to provide accurate observations and insights to our readers.
ExpressVPN’s ‘No Logs’ Policy Put to the Test
In December 2017, Turkish authorities seized an ExpressVPN server in an attempt to obtain customer data. However, the authorities were unable to find any logs on the server, as ExpressVPN does not keep any logs of its users’ activity.
This incident demonstrates the strength of ExpressVPN’s ‘No Logs’ policy. Even when authorities seized a server, they were unable to obtain any user data. This is because ExpressVPN does not store any logs of its users’ activity, including their IP addresses, browsing history, or connection times.
ExpressVPN is one of the few VPN providers that can make this claim. Many other VPN providers claim to have a ‘No Logs’ policy, but they have been caught logging user data in the past. This makes ExpressVPN a more trustworthy option for users who are concerned about their privacy.