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RE: Are there any negatives with a VPN? Why I don't run my VPN all the time!
Finally I've found some time to catch up and read few previously bookmarked posts.
Actually I've been wondering about possible negatives of using VPN for very long time. Let's say that I would use some VPN. Can authorities track down that I'm using it?
Let's say I'm in China and I'm using VPN. Could chinese communist party / police knock on my door and said that I'm commiting a crime (since using VPN is illegal) and confiscate my laptop? How difficult it would be to find out all those who are using VPN services?
Solid read. Upvoted already.
Yours, Piotr
Hello there,
in general, the authorities will see that data is moving, but they will not see what kind of data. There is nothing illegal about using a VPN, after all, most companies use a VPN as well when employees work from home. So a VPN in itself is completely legal.
When it comes to China, this is the answer I got from a leading VPN provider:
"have never heard of a single scenario, where Chinese authorities came knocking at a VPN users door. "
I am not sure if that is comforting or not, but at least, that seems to be the general answer. I am waiting for an answer from a different VPN service, so I will write more here if I learn even more on the matter.
Appreciate your response buddy!
One more reply - Quite a lot of VPN services uses something they call obfuscation. This makes the traffic you run look like normal traffic (and not VPN traffic). As a result, it will seem entirely harmless to the normal people and the authorities, even though they cannot see what you are doing.