No-logs policy – sometimes called a zero-logs policy – refers to the practice of a VPN provider not recording or saving information about a user’s online activity, such as:
- Browsing history: Websites you’ve visited and your actions on those sites.
- Connection timestamps: When user connects and disconnects from the VPN.
- VPN session duration: The amount of time the user remains connected to the VPN.
- IP addresses: The user’s real IP address and the IP address as assigned by the VPN server.
- How much bandwidth is used: The amount of data transferred during a session.
There should be no monitoring or retention of these types of data for a VPN to be regarded as truly “no-logs.” Other VPNs may still keep some minimal logs that are needed for operational reasons, but those that fully embrace a no-logs policy never do anything that has the potential to link a user’s identity with their online behavior.
What are No-Logs Policies on VPN services?
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Privacy assurance
The purpose of a VPN is to protect online privacy by hiding a user’s internet activity from their Internet Service Providers (ISP), hackers, and even government eyes. A no-logs policy reinforces this by ensuring that even if someone tried to infiltrate the VPN’s servers, there would be no user data available to obtain. This is crucial to maintain the trust and privacy users expect when subscribing to a VPN. -
Legal request protection
In some cases, VPN providers may receive legal requests from law enforcement or government agencies asking for user information. With a no-logs policy in place, the VPN provider can honestly claim it has no record of a user’s activity online since there is no data to hand over. This protects users from potential legal liability and the VPN provider from the penalties of noncompliance. -
Enhancing user trust
The VPN industry heavily relies on trust, and users are becoming more aware of data privacy issues. Having a no-logs policy that is clear and presented transparently builds confidence with users that their data will never be tracked, stored, or misused. Many VPNs submit themselves to the scrutiny of third-party audits to verify their no-logs claims, which further enhances trust. -
Less responsibility for VPN services
By not logging user data, VPN services lower their liability. Logs present a legal risk for providers if they are forced to transfer this information, or if a data breach results in the exposure of user information. However, with a no-logs policy, VPN providers remove this risk by ensuring there's nothing to be accessed, shared, or compromised.
How VPNs Substantiate Their No-Logs Promises
As competition heats up in the VPN space, some providers take it a step further to prove their no-logs claims via:
- Independent control: Many reputable VPNs submit their systems and practices to independent scrutiny through audits by cybersecurity firms to verify their ability to abide by a no-logs policy.
- Real-world examples: Several VPN providers have received legal requests or government subpoenas yet been unable to hand over user information as they don’t have any logs to provide. These kinds of cases are evidence of the VPN’s no-logs commitment.
List of VPN services that support the No-logs policy:
- Surfshark VPN (Surfshark VPN's biggest draw is that you can connect an unlimited number of devices to a single subscription, which is not the case with most other VPN providers.).
- NordVPN (Strong privacy protection with military-grade encryption. It offers a large server network, allowing for fast and reliable connections, and is superb at unblocking streaming services. It has a few unique features such as strong security, fast speeds, and global coverage.).
- ExpressVPN (one of the most popular VPN services is ExpressVPN which has servers in over 100 countries globally. Quick, secure, trustworthy, anonymous.).
- TurboVPN (TurboVPN is a popular and ultra-fast VPN service. It has servers across over 110 locations and a simple user interface).
- Proton VPN (Proton VPN is a well-known VPN service with 10 million+ users and is located in Switzerland. The tariff offering is not inexpensive either, but you receive stable and super-fast speed and every protection and innovative data solutions in return.).
- VeePN (VeePN is a very popular VPN service with over 40 million active users. It has a reasonable price, an easy-to-learn interface for all the platforms.).
- PureVPN (PureVPN is a fairly successful VPN service at low prices).
- IPVanish (IPVanish provides a cost-effective 2-year plan, ideal for those who want to use it for a while.).
- PrivateVPN (PrivateVPN is a VPN provider based in Sweden).
