Note that this is also one of the criteria in the Vpn comparison chart: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1L72gHJ5bTq0Djljz0P-N...
I mean, sorry if I sound rude and thanks for trying to help, but yeah, I'm not clicking on that link.
As for sorting out my threat vectors, I think you should sort out your threat vectors, if you don't consider the biggest data broker on the planet to be part of that.
But even if you yourself are entirely unaware of Google being a threat vector, I do think I made it abundantly clear in my initial comment that I don't want my IP address shared with Google, so then linking me to a Google webpage has got to either be a bad joke or so incredibly oblivious that I very much do think, it warrants a dick response.
What I know is that Google will store that data point indefinitely and will correlate it with a near-infinite number of other data points to generate conclusions about me. Whether those conclusions are right or wrong doesn't even matter.
They'll also make these data points and conclusions available to intelligence agencies around the world. Which might use it to damage me as part of the ongoing cyber war or if it's my own country's intelligence agency, then they might use it against me, in case I'm unpleasant for the reigning government.
I consider something safe when I know that it's safe, not when I don't know it to be unsafe.
Check out my VPN service, DataBuster[0]. I made the VPN only for myself at the beginning but my friends requested the features and it became a viable product.
The only "tracking" I do on the main page is a passive analysis of Apache logs made with Piwik, so there is no visible JS tracking code or third-party tracker.
The underlying technology used is from Algo VPN, a well-acclaimed open source VPN solution. https://github.com/trailofbits/algo
What I mean is that just by reading this thread, we've all been added to whatever VPN user list the (insert bad guy name here) has set up. From there it's just simple data mining. One of the easiest ways to link user to VPN service might be through tracking scripts, but that's not specific to the VPN sites. Presumably your're researching which VPN and then reading more on specific VPNs as you narrow down your choice. Then you want to be "anonymous" so you search for bitcoin info. Then you suddenly stop searching for bitcoin and VPN info. So, you have the data from all those searches (specific breadcrumbs), the length of time searched (length of time correlated to how serious and educated you are about the topic), the time the searches stopped (correlated to VPN subscription start), your previous un-anonymized topics of interest that led to the search for VPNs, the exit nodes of the VPN you probably chose, etc. That's on top of all the physical variables - when you're likely to be awake, schedule of connections, location, etc.
I would argue that just having a tracking script on the VPN provider's website is a drop in the bucket, even from a legal perspective - it's better to have a preponderance of evidence. You're not giving 'them' any more information than they'd already need for a search warrant, which is the real danger threshold for this conversation.
It's conflating an annoyance with a threat.
Even if you're entirely above board your users may not. Child porn, illegal substances, gambling, stalking/bullying, fake emergency calls, bomb threats, and so on. Your users are just waiting in the wings to place you into law enforcement's crosshairs.
If I opened a VPN I'd spend 10% on equipment and the other 90% on lawyers, fraud prevention, and liability insurance.
Basically, if you offer me the service to protect my IP address and don't even have the decency to let me inform myself about your offering without handing over my IP address to Google et al., then I'm not using your service.
Unfortunately, VPN providers collectively don't seem to be aware of this presentation layer, so it's neigh impossible to find one which doesn't violate privacy here.
So far, I've found exactly two: azirevpn.com and airvpn.org
They load in Piwik, which I'm okay with.
These two providers also check a lot of other boxes for me, but yeah, it's still just two providers after hours of research, so if anyone knows any other VPN providers with privacy-respecting webpages, please do tell.