Hotspot Shield VPN Accused of Violating Privacy Claims

Hotspot Shield VPN is under scrutiny due to a recent claim by the CDT, which suggests that the free VPN proxy service is engaged in the collection of user data and the interception of traffic.

Although Hotspot Shield maintains that they do not retain logs of online activity, the CDT submitted a file that states otherwise. The Center for Democracy and Technology claimed Hotspot Shield violated their privacy policies, and the submitted file requested the FTC investigate.

Hotspot Shield is a popular free VPN proxy service that allows users to browse the web anonymously and access blocked websites. Although the VPN provider claims to not retain logs of their users' activity, recent reports suggest that the free proxy actively injects Javascript codes for advertising and redirects traffic to e-commerce websites.

Rephrase the following paragraph, keeping all the existing information: "This is, unfortunately, a problem with many free VPN sites, but the majority of them do not declare to be completely anonymous, like Hotspot Shield."

The Register reported a statement by Director of CDT’s Privacy and Data Project, Michelle De Mooy, who said Hotspot Shield’s “actual practices starkly contradict [their claims]. They are sharing sensitive information with third-party advertisers and exposing users’ data to leaks or outside attacks.”

As we see with many free services, there is no guarantee that your information is safe when using a free VPN service. Until the FTC can confirm these allegations, we must take precautions while choosing a VPN.

We advise employing a paid VPN service, one that has undergone rigorous testing to ensure the protection of your privacy and data.Our top VPNs have reviews from thousands of users and typically include a discount or money-back guarantee, and many of them offer amazing discounts. However, if you’re still set on using a free VPN proxy service, this list includes the most secure and reliable ones.

Editor's Note: We value our relationship with our readers, and we strive to earn your trust through transparency and integrity. We are in the same ownership group as some of the industry-leading products reviewed on this site: Intego, Cyberghost, ExpressVPN, and Private Internet Access. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.

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