Same! This is my situation: finding a decent VPN: I see that there are some recommendations here that say Proton is slow, go with PIA. Someone else says use Mullvad… Here are my thoughts…
I just created a new, much more secure, server running Linux. Prior I used windows and I torrented in the clear, with uBlock origin and a DNS sinkhole. Had to punch a hole through my router. Basically I just raw-dogged it and hoped for the best. Worked pretty good. Never got a nasty letter from my provider. The new box is way more secure. Tor, and FIrefox w/DuckDuckGo. No socials. I’ll use my clearnet laptop for that.
I just purchased Mullvad VPN. Now, come to find out they no longer support port forwarding. If I’m not mistaken, that’s kind of required when torrenting? Now I definitely can’t upload, no one can get to me, and I’m dead in the water until I get a new VPN with a port forwarder.
I considered PIA, accept they are not outside of USA, and that means subject to 5-9-14 Eyes Cyber Alliance, (would take to long to explain here, you’ll have to google it). There are reports of local (USA) 3-letter agencies passing injunctions requiring some of these supposed “secure” companies to inject keyloggers on certain specific users in real time. (I’m not a super baddie, so I pretty much don’t have to worry about that). But I’m still not going with any of VPN’s based in those countries. That was the whole point of the Linux box exercise. And yes, I know many companies have been challenged in court, (I looked, some had positive and and some had negative results regarding their customers), regardless if they have all virtual/memory servers or not.
I may go with a company based in Sweden/Germany or other places that still have stricter privacy laws I think. Any American or NATO alliance, not so much. That would mean Proton. Some say slow, but if they have, or if I can connect to more local servers, (ie: Mexico), then so what?
I’m still trying to decide. But NOT going with Mullvad, that’s for sure.
