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Comment by nkkollaw | Hacker News Reader

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nkkollaw

PIA's server is in the US, though.

Isn't that kind of weird for a privacy-focused company?

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> PIA's server

PIA has lots of gateways [1]. Some of them are outside the United States.

[1] https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/how-it-works/

Right, because they're a VPN.

I'm talking about their website.

Why would that matter?

You can track who downloads privacy software

Who downloads executables from websites?

I've been a PIA customer for years, but part of me has always suspected that PIA was setup and is run by some covert arm of NSA or the sort. But, since their service does what I need, no worries.

I've occasionally had a similar thought. I'm primarily worried about non-state actors though (botnets as well as those aggressive and anti-human AIs known as corporations and trade associations), and I assume that if it is run by the NSA they won't blow their cover just because the MAFIAA is irritated over something I'm doing.

While I appreciate the reluctance to operate in fourteen-eyes/SSEUR, where do people trust to be secure outside SSEUR?

Because of course none of the 14-eyes countries have any influence over non-14-eyes countries, right?

In what sense? The legal overrides that exist in the US for "national security" also largely exist in the EU.

The EU has not been caught spying on everyone.

GCHQ (UK), BND (Germany), France's equivalent (I forget the name), and others I am probably unaware of have been caught doing pretty widespread surveillance.

So, technically not the EU, but multiple EU countries.

I doubt you can compare that to the NSA, but sure.

At least GCHQ is more comparable than you'd think, and they and NSA often work closely together.

GCHQ (UK), BND (Germany), BRGE/Directorate for Internal Security/Directorate for External Security (France) have been spying similarly and engaging in information sharing with the US.

The UK, France, and several other EU countries have passed internal surveillance laws that are as bad or worse than the US.

Depends on whether the country belongs to Five, Nine or Fourteen Eyes AFAIK.

Every EU and Five Eyes country shares intelligence to a substantial degree. They also have MLA arrangements.

None of these countries have strong privacy protections except against corporations.

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