You in all probability already know that with top-of-the-line VPN providers you possibly can safe your on-line anonymity, whereas bypassing web restrictions. 

What you won’t anticipate is that the federal government of a rustic like Iran, the place a brand new draconian web legislation will additional cut back on-line freedoms and criminalize circumventing software program, is by some means linked with an abroad VPN supplier. 

That is why allegations that Hamid Rezazadeh – son of Vice President for Ladies and Household Affairs Ensieh Khazali – is behind the Vancouver-based Betternet VPN have sparked many issues, each at dwelling and throughout the worldwide VPN sector. 

The Iran VPN saga

The controversial hyperlink between Iranian officers and the Canada-based free VPN software program got here to gentle when Swiss-based Iranian journalist Abdollah Abdi (opens in new tab) launched a protracted thread the place he shared incriminating proof on his social media pages. 

Ensieh Khazali’s response was not lengthy in coming. In a sequence of tweets (opens in new tab), she rejected such allegations, explaining that his son is definitely in Canada for a brief journey geared toward “knowledge-based” analysis. 

Nonetheless, it wasn’t troublesome for Iranian social media customers to get deeper into the story by discovering the Rezazadeh’s profile on the skilled web site Rocketreach. This clearly describes him because the software program supervisor, chief government officer and founding father of Betternet VPN. 

Regardless of the submit now disappearing from the location, the vice chairman’s brother Mehdi Khazali confirmed the truthfulness of such accusations. 

“He closed his firm in Iran and moved to Canada the place he created one other firm that’s energetic within the discipline of VPNs,” he advised to RFE/RL (opens in new tab).  

رحالی سرکار خانم انسیه خزعلی به دروغ ادعا کردن که پسرشان برای سفر کوتاه کاری به کانادا رفته است که پسر گل ایشان درکانادا شرکت تولید وی پی ان VPN زده است!همین کارو من جرجندی بکنم میشم جاسوس و بی پدر مادر و مجرم امنیتی!یه نکته مهم دیگه هم داره.. 1/Three https://t.co/sIcixPilOF pic.twitter.com/A7uiCq1GtgSeptember 8, 2022

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With the Iranian authorities’s strict stance on the usage of VPN providers and on-line liberties, requires Ensieh Khazali to resign from her official function inevitably observe go well with. 

The story has additionally result in resentments round what Iranian known as aghazadehs. This describes the hypocrisy round governmental figures who, whereas strongly criticizing the West at dwelling, nonetheless ship their kids to review and work there. 

What’s extra, Canada and Iran have been in a conflictual relationship since 2012, and the North American nation has been refusing to grant visas to many Iranian residents.                      

Is Betternet VPN protected to make use of?

Whether or not or not a malicious intent to reap customers’ delicate knowledge lies behind Betternet’s controversial Iranian possession exists is unimaginable to determine. What’s simple is that its software program is just not well-known for being probably the most safe VPN in the marketplace. 

Regardless of being a preferred freebie – it has been downloaded greater than 50 million occasions on Google Play alone – a 2016 analysis report (opens in new tab) found the presence of malware and monitoring libraries embedded in Betternet Android app.  

Betternet LLC Inc. is registered in California. And, the US along with Canada are two of the founders of the intelligence-sharing alliance often called the 5 Eyes. That is not in all probability the perfect information for these trying to safe their knowledge from authorities prying eyes.

When it comes to possession, Betternet is a part of the Pango group which was purchased final yr by digital safety agency Aura. The parental firm additionally owns different VPN suppliers like Extremely VPN and Hotspot Defend. It’s value noting that the latter made headlines just a few years in the past following allegations of abusing VPN customers’ knowledge. 

Wanting on the Betternet privateness coverage (opens in new tab) it additionally grew to become clear that Aura collects tons of customers’ info. These embody approximate geographical location and ISP to share with third events, device-specific info and as much as three years of VPN connection timestamps. 

TechRadar cybersecurity specialist Mike Williams wasn’t impressed both, when he reviewed the Betternet VPN premium model. 

He concluded: “Betternet is a quick VPN and really simple to make use of, however the lack of options, a number of privateness issues and poor unblocking outcomes are actual issues.”

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