I came across the following post on Reddit (and have a few comments):
What’s accurate in that Reddit “take”
1. Mullvad’s privacy posture is elite.
This is not marketing hype. Mullvad:
- No email required
- Random account number, not an identity
- Accepts cash mailed anonymously
- Proven no-logs stance, tested by real-world raids
- Flat pricing, no upsells, no “privacy BS”
2. Proton is a legitimate second place.
Proton VPN is:
- Jurisdictionally strong (Switzerland)
- Transparent
- Technically competent
That said, it’s still a brand with an ecosystem and growth incentives. Better than most. Not as purist as Mullvad.
3. Streaming + VPNs is a losing arms race.
Correct. Netflix, Disney, Amazon, etc. block IP ranges aggressively.
This has nothing to do with privacy quality and everything to do with commercial whack-a-mole.
If someone’s primary goal is streaming access, privacy is already a secondary concern whether they admit it or not.
What’s overstated or sloppy
1. “Any VPN can bypass geo-blocks” — false in practice.
Technically possible ≠ reliably usable.
Many VPNs can, few do it consistently, and none guarantee longevity.
2. The Israel comment is emotionally charged, not analytically clean.
There are Israeli cybersecurity firms with close military ties.
There are also Western firms with deep intelligence cooperation.
The correct rule is simpler (and harsher):
- If a VPN is ad-heavy, influencer-heavy, or “90% OFF TODAY” heavy — it’s not privacy-first.
Nationality is a signal, not proof.
Where Reddit is 100% right but people ignore it
1. Nord’s problem isn’t “logs”. It’s incentives.
NordVPN is:
- Built for scale
- Built for affiliates
- Built for mass adoption
That means:
- Broad data minimization claims
- Heavy marketing spend
- Compromises made in UX, defaults, and telemetry decisions
That doesn’t make it “evil” but it does make it misaligned for anyone serious about threat reduction.
The real takeaway (the part Reddit barely understands)
A VPN does one thing:
It shifts trust.
From:
- Your ISP
to:
- Another private entity
So the only question that matters is:
Who has the least incentive — and least ability — to know or sell anything about you?
By that standard:
- Mullvad — best-in-class, especially when used with Optery
- Proton (and even Surfshark) — acceptable
- NordVPN and everyone else — convenience products
Ivan Jimenez is DIGITAL IVAN and when he’s not building websites, he advocates for online safety — because he worked in AdOps and knows modern ad tech operates like privatized intelligence justified by profits.