NordVPN introduces transparency reports
3 min read
In our continuous effort to enhance privacy, security, and transparency for our users, we at NordVPN are evolving our approach to how we communicate and report government inquiries and other legal requests. Historically, we’ve utilized a “warrant canary” as a method to inform our users about the absence of secret warrants and gag orders that could result in any disclosure of user data. However, as digital privacy landscapes and user expectations evolve, so too must our methods of ensuring and communicating transparency.
Why transition away from the warrant canary?
While the warrant canary has been a valuable tool, it operates on a principle of omission. The absence of an update or the removal of the canary statement signals the receipt of a secret warrant, which, although effective to an extent, lacks detail and clarity. We believe that a more informative approach is more efficient and useful to our community.
Introducing transparency reports
To address this need for clearer communication, we will be introducing transparency reports. These reports will provide detailed monthly updates on the number of government inquiries and DMCA requests we receive. This initiative aims to offer our users a view into the requests NordVPN receives and how they are handled, aligning with our commitment to protect user privacy and adhere to our zero-logs policy.
The transition period
Understanding the significance of the warrant canary to our users, we are adopting a phased approach. During this transition period, we will maintain the warrant canary and the transparency reports on our website. This dual approach ensures that our users continue to receive the reassurance provided by the warrant canary while gradually introducing them to the more detailed and informative transparency reports.
The future of transparency at NordVPN
Looking ahead, our goal is to fully transition to detailed transparency reports as the sole method of communication regarding government inquiries and legal requests. We believe that this move will foster a deeper understanding and trust between NordVPN and our users.
EDIT: Oct 29, 2024
In October 2024, in connection with a criminal investigation, NordVPN received a binding warrant from the Panamanian prosecutor’s office, issued in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. As a result, we were legally obligated to provide the requested user data in our possession.
We want to emphasize that, in accordance with our privacy policy, the only information we were able to provide was payment-related data and confirmation about the existence of the account tied to the email address provided to us by the authorities. We do not collect or store any internet traffic logs, connection logs, or other information related to online activity. Therefore, we had no such data to provide.
Protecting your security and privacy remains our priority.
We, NordVPN, confirm that we take full control of our infrastructure. We have not provided access to user traffic to any third party. We do not collect user traffic logs and have never been compelled to do so by any third party. We have not disclosed any private keys, and we have not been forced to modify our system to allow access or data leakage to a third party of any kind.
Up until now, we have NOT received any of the below-listed inquiries that led us to disclosing any user-related data:
- binding National Security letters
- binding gag orders
2024-01-01 – 2024-02-01
Number of automated DMCA requests: 783,751
Number of inquiries from government institutions: 35
2024-02-01 – 2024-03-01
Number of automated DMCA requests: 807,659
Number of inquiries from government institutions: 30
2024-03-01 – 2024-04-01
Number of automated DMCA requests: 829,643
Number of inquiries from government institutions: 16
Moving forward, the number of inquiries we receive from government institutions will be updated quaterly.
2024-01-01 – 2024-04-01
Number of automated DMCA requests: 2,421,053
Number of inquiries from government institutions: 81
2024-04-01 – 2024-07-01
Number of automated DMCA requests: 2,484,219
Number of inquiries from government institutions: 59
2024-07-01 – 2024-10-01
Number of automated DMCA requests: 2,450,227
Number of inquiries from government institutions: 52
Up to 2024-12-03 (updated daily)
Orders which resulted in any disclosure of user information: 1