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Is offshore vps worth it in terms of data privacy?
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Is offshore vps worth it in terms of data privacy?

souensouen Member

From a personal data privacy point of view, Is it worth going with an offshore vps plan?

If yes, why? Which locations do you recommend?

From past LET threads and other lists the countries that come up are Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. Are these still good locations and are there any other with reasonable data privacy laws? (e.g. laws require warrant/court order for data request and providers can notify the individual when such a request is made?)

If no, why not?

Is this technically impractical or not worth it for personal use, e.g. still need to trust the DC? Do you prefer to purchase "privacy-conscious" services rather than set up your own? Is it a concern at all?

Usage: I'm looking to set up a vps for personal VPN, mail and file storage (nothing that might generally be considered illegal and not mission-critical). I'm wondering if there's any major difference for personal use case whether I pick a location within the EU or one of the countries listed above, considering also the price difference among locations.

Thanks for any input or suggestions.

Data privacy in various locations
  1. Offshore vps for privacy?25 votes
    1. Yes, it helps
      24.00%
    2. No, not worth it
      16.00%
    3. It doesn't matter / not a factor
      60.00%

Comments

  • Why would it even matter?

    Do you plan on uploading government secrets to that file storage, or using the VPN to hack the NSA?

  • ben78ben78 Member

    It can help, but in the end it depends your provider & DC...

    A good provider in a not so good juridiction will be better privacy wise that a bad provider in a good juridiction as the provider can hang out your data/identity as he wishes technically, be it legal or not...

  • souensouen Member

    @jeffreywinters: goodness, no. I've been asking myself the same, it's a personal preference (consent), e.g. being notified if somebody needs to look through my files.

    Thought I'd ask others' thoughts on the topic. :) Is it strange to have such a question?

  • emgemg Veteran

    @jeffreywinters said:
    Why would it even matter?

    Do you plan on uploading government secrets to that file storage, or using the VPN to hack the NSA?

    Could it be as simple as guarding your personal privacy against the possibility that a government might exceed its constitutional authority, if not now, then in the future?

    Thanked by 1geekalot
  • @emg said:
    Could it be as simple as guarding your personal privacy against the possibility that a government might exceed its constitutional authority, if not now, then in the future?

    What 'personal' things do you have that you care so much about if the government knows they exist. Don't worry, no government will be illegally sniffing your server for porn just like the NSA isn't checking for sexts.

    Thanked by 1zhuanyi
  • I rather have my data (encrypted of course) and VPN in the US - where I'm protected by the fourth and fifth amendments. No forcing me to release encryption keys or to keep logs.

  • Regardless of what people say, offshore vps might not be 100% safe in terms of privacy as every country have their own agencies but still offshore would be a much better choice than getting a VPS from a USA based provider for sure.

  • J1021J1021 Member

    Silvenga said: I rather have my data (encrypted of course) and VPN in the US - where I'm protected by the fourth and fifth amendments. No forcing me to release encryption keys or to keep logs.

    Ha, the US a safe haven for data..

  • Agreed, @OP, sorry to tell you but you are not important for NSA to spend time on you.

    Thanked by 1Silvenga
  • I don't overly like getting into the NSA nonsense, but saying "you are not important for NSA.." is far from the truth. The NSA has been known to go through your personal info, and if they come across a nude photo, they have been known to share that photo around with their co workers.

    To the people who say "I have nothing to hide, why does it affect me." Why do you have walls in your house? Why not have a house made entirely out of only glass so that the outside world can take a gander at you when ever they please.

    Everyone deserves privacy, it is a human right.

    Back to the topic at hand, an offshore VPS is a "good idea." It won't stop privacy invasion, but it might make it a bit harder. It is also a smart idea to encrypt your data/communications.

    In case anyone was wondering, here is a source about the nude photo fiasco: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/17/edward-snowden-professionals-encrypt-client-communications-nsa-spy

    (Disclosure: This is just my two cents, I'm not highly educated on the NSA issue, nor am I trying to say that I am. This is just my bias opinion.)

    Thanked by 3Silvenga geekalot souen
  • Will it really matter with a US based company if you're "offshore" in US friendly data centers?

    "Offshore" is just hosting buzzword for "Voxility ignore DMCA in Romania"

  • kcaj said: Ha, the US a safe haven for data..

    Not a safe haven (no where is it that safe), just safer than the alternatives. I understand that anyone can get plaintext data, so I encrypt and at least in the US we are never required to handle over keys or to decrypt the data. I know some countries this is required (England).

    If you care about the data, encrypting it is far safer than moving its physical location.

    Thanked by 1souen
  • ihatetonyyihatetonyy Member
    edited July 2014
    • not worth it
    • people seem to forget the NSA loves grabbing offshore data over-the-wire (and needs less legal pretense to do so) even more than it loves grabbing data inside the US
    Thanked by 2lazyt doughmanes
  • souensouen Member
    edited July 2014

    Thanks for the responses so far! Some interesting comments, e.g. regarding the US. I also didn't know about the mandatory decryption in England.

    @zhuanyi: lol I'd hope not, although apparently people could end up on the list for some reason like
    http://www.eweek.com/security/linux-lands-on-nsa-watch-list.html The closest analogy I could think of at the moment to summarise my feeling about it: I don't really mind sightseeing visitors to my house but would prefer a place where the procedure is to knock first and say why they're visiting. I agree though the chances seem relatively low.

    Still, if there were a choice of locations - if there are still viable choices - where there is expectation of some privacy reflected in the laws (maybe costs moderately more than plans offered at other locations), I was wondering if it would be a factor for people buying vps. It also looks like "offshore" may not necessarily be as helpful as my initial guess. Definitely good to get some opinions here.

  • lazytlazyt Member

    Best option is to stay off of the radar. To a spook anything encrypted is a evil challenge. In their eyes you are guilty until proven innocent (by them).

    Don't put everything in one place spread it out. Keep a low profile, be careful who you mention anything to.

    Thanked by 2souen chrisp
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