Traditional commercial television relies on advertising for its revenue. Does that therefore make it "shady"? If a business charges money for its services does it therefore mean that it is "trustworthy"? Would not selling data it acquires simply be another means of earning revenue? So why wouldn't they do that too? Are people who charge money somehow more moral than those who do not?
I never tried Mullvad but it had a good reputation like AirVPN, which I did not have any problems with. But quite frankly I am not qualified to judge whether or not AirVPN was spying on me and selling my data. Just because they CLAIM they would not do such a thing does not make it so. They could... lie about it.
The only paid software I use now is Windows, and everything else is FREE. Including eMule, which does not even have advertising. Why should I believe that open-source free software designers operate out of the goodness of their hearts? That their only motivation is creating useful tools that they can share with others? I have read endless reassurances that open source code can be analyzed for vulnerabities, but why should I trust the honesty and reliability of those who have the ability to do so? Many are precisely the Tech Bros who have been ramming Artificial Intelligence full throttle down our throats. It would be foolish to automatically assume that what they choose to do is "for our own good". (I do not trust doctors either.) And how often have I read sites that might have online discussions about what free software I use is actually malware? Answer: NEVER. I do not have the interest and do not have the time. Someone could very well be reporting that it is spyware and I would never know. As long as it performs the functions I require of it, I keep using it. The Whitehats can identify software vulnerabilites, but that software will still be available online with shill reviews lying about how wonderful it is. Yes, I might even be more distrustful and suspicious than citronleaf.
I am pragmatic in that I use software that I do not necessarily trust, because my alternate choice is using nothing at all.
If citronleaf or anyone else wants to accept the risk of using free software or paid software that is their choice. I have to agree with citronleaf that it is naive to assume that paid software is somehow automatically safe. I don't believe it.
Sorry, citronleaf, I do not know any free VPNs to suggest.
Maybe I am super-dense and I have been using the software wrong. I just figure that surely someone out there uses totally free resources for downloading region-restricted videos .... ?
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