The House of Representatives passed a Bill that will repeal broadband privacy rules put forward by the Obama administration and is just one signature away from majorly impacting US citizen’s privacy. Comparitech.com has found that the number of new VPN subscriptions in the US have already surged by 239%*. Google trends support this sharp rise in searches on VPN by Americans looking to safeguard their privacy. Paul Bischoff, Privacy Advocate at Comparitech.com commented below.
Paul Bischoff, Privacy Advocate at Comparitech.com:
“In just under 24 hours after the House of Representatives passed a Senate resolution to repeal broadband privacy rules in the United States, we have seen a surge in VPN usage. This is a bittersweet moment for VPN providers. On one hand, VPN providers have traditionally supported legislation and policy in favour of consumer privacy. In that respect, what the Republican-led Congress just did is a travesty. On the other, scuttling privacy protections results in a huge influx of new and returning customers.
“But users looking for enhanced privacy beware: Many VPNs that you find on app stores and through Google can actually make your privacy worse off than what you started. They can mine your data, inject advertisements, and even install malware on your device. These are common cases particularly among free VPNs, which also limit bandwidth and implement data caps. So make sure to do your research when choosing the right option for you. Comparitech.com provides its own guide for those concerned about the new US bill or indeed the Snooper’s Charter in the UK: https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/best-vpns-privacy-and-anonymity/”
*239% increase in VPN subscriptions based on aggregate of different VPN providers as referred by VPN Comparison through Comparitech.com taken from 3pm ET Tuesday 28thshortly after the bill passed until 8am ET Wednesday 29th March compared to the same period the previous week.
About the Author
The opinions expressed in this post belongs to the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Information Security Buzz.
