The internet is a scary place as there are websites that actively track you online. They employ cookies and collect all sorts of data, personal or otherwise. Although they claim to never misuse any of it, can you be comfortable with someone keeping tabs on your online behavior? We are guessing probably not, as we have seen a sharp increase in VPNs over the past couple of years. That brings us to VPN services that track you with cookies.
But why? Is it not because a VPN (a virtual private network) claims that it can counter online surveillance? A VPN is adept at preventing irrelevant parties from gleaning into your digital lives. We have to agree it is one of the most effective technologies at hand that can do so. But then, do you trust them? What if there exist some VPN services that track you with cookies? Will your answer change?
VPN trackers explained
There are VPN services that track you online with the help of cookies while claiming to prevent web tracking. That is ironic. But the only hard fact is that such providers are also selling a service to generate profit. Also, web marketing needs data for analysis to create a more attractive campaign to lure customers. Hence, such vendors can prevent you from target-marketing, but by employing VPN trackers, they make you fall for their advertisement campaigns.
When you use a VPN, the cookies collect data for the vendor. Now, this may not be PII (Personally identifiable information). Moreover, they may not sell it to a third party, but they still use the data generated from your activities to make you a target of advertising. People use a VPN to prevent tracking. Thus, we feel that no one would be happy to learn that while they are safe from outsiders, their VPN apps themselves are tracking them. We are not even talking about free VPNs, as that is a different story. Free VPNs are unscrupulous when it comes to breaching faith and misusing the collected data.
No, we are talking about reputed and well-known VPNs that employ trackers to strategize their next marketing campaign. On the one hand, they do not log any data that you as a user identifies yourself with, but on the other, they silently work their cookies to understand your browsing habits? In this article, we will list a few services that we found out are using trackers in their apps.
VPN services that employ some form of tracking
Given below are a few providers that are leading the VPN industry as of now. But even they do not shy away from trackers. Although we believe that most are using First Party Trackers, it is still a breach of trust as VPNs, and namely, these vendors, claim to be impeccable towards guarding your privacy.
| VPN service | Number of Trackers |
| ExpressVPN | 2 |
| NordVPN | 4 |
| Surfshark VPN | 3 |
| IPVanish VPN | 2 |
| CyberGhost VPN | 7 |
| PrivateVPN | 2 |
| Atlas VPN | 4 |
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN hails from the British Virgin Islands and is considered a reliable service for privacy and data security. It has over 3000 VPN servers worldwide, covering 91+ countries. Although somewhat costly, it is a premium VPN service that can bypass most geo-blocks. As a result, it can aid streaming, torrenting, gaming, and other activities that rely on a VPN. The service boasts of a no-logs policy. Additionally, it has submitted for independent audits multiple times. However, the ExpressVPN app has 2 trackers. Although they are not Third-Party Trackers, users should still heed this information. To learn more about the VPN, read our ExpressVPN review.
2. NordVPN
NordVPN is a decade-old service that operates from Panama, another location well regarded for its data prevention laws. Coupled with a strict no-logging policy and independent audits, NordVPN enjoys an impeccable status among privacy-centric users. It is also a popular VPN due to intensive advertisement campaigns. Hence, it is of no surprise that Nord also employs trackers within its app to learn about user behavior. With a network of 5000+ servers spread across 60 countries, it has a user base of millions. Although you can read more about the vendor in our detailed NordVPN review.
3. Surfshark VPN
Surfshark VPN is an ultra-low-cost service that strives to offer a quality experience on a budget. With 3200+ servers covering 65 countries, the VPN is a value-for-money offering as it can perform most tasks with ease. Streaming, torrenting, or bypassing blocks, Surfshark VPN is one of the leading services in all aspects. However, it also employs trackers in a bid to collect data.
The company is merely 4-5 years old and already serving millions of customers. While we can’t contribute it all to aggressive marketing, as the VPN is a gem of a service, we have to acknowledge the effect of advertisement campaigns that could have been brought upon by using the data collected by the trackers. Learn more about the service in our Surfshark VPN review.
4. IPVanish VPN
IPVanish VPN is somewhat costly but offers quality apps for streaming platforms. It has a network of 2000+ servers spread across 50 countries and a stringent no-logs policy. However, the VPN hails from the United States, which already makes some users apprehensive. Combined with trackers, the VPN can be a bit frustrating. However, we urge users to make an informed decision after reading our IPVanish VPN review.
5. CyberGhost VPN
CyberGhost is a reputed VPN that has served over 35 million users over a decade. The VPN network includes over 7000+ servers with a reach of 90+ countries. Furthermore, it practices zero-logging to protect the privacy of its user. Hailing from Romania, not only is the VPN cheap, but it also offers a free trial and a 45-day money-back guarantee. However, it is one of the leading VPN services that track you with over 7 different trackers. If you want to read about the vendor, give our CyberGhost VPN review a chance.
6. PrivateVPN
PrivateVPN is one of those rare VPNs that offer a quality obfuscation for an affordable price. It is a small VPN that somehow works wonders in bypassing blocks. Although cheap, it does offer around 200 servers that cover more than 60 countries. Since the VPN is from Sweden, a member of the 14 Eyes alliance, it has to ensure data security and privacy behind a robust no-logging policy. But still, the app has a few trackers that collect user data. You can read our PrivateVPN review to learn more about the service.
7. Atlas VPN
Hailing from the US, Atlas VPN is a mid-tier service provider with around 750 servers in 34 countries. It has a working no-logs policy and offers quite a slew of features at budget pricing. However, it is one of those VPN services that follow your activities through cookies and trackers. You can learn more about the service with our Atlas VPN review. However, we pray that you will also visit the official website if you want more information regarding VPN tracking.