The growing concern around free VPN data breaches
A VPN is built to protect the path your internet traffic takes, using VPN encryption to create a secure tunnel to the provider’s network. When you connect, the VPN client negotiates encryption keys with a remote server operated by the provider and sends your traffic through that tunnel, so websites see that server’s IP address instead of yours, and anyone on your local network sees only encrypted data. This encrypted tunnel is the core of how a VPN works and the basic answer to a question many people ask: How does a VPN work?
Free VPNs draw people in by removing the cost barrier and packaging VPN protection as something you can switch on in seconds. The problem is that running a VPN is not free at all. Servers, bandwidth, ongoing maintenance, and security work all require funding, which is what shapes the cost of a VPN, even when users are not paying a subscription fee.
The economics leave little room to have it both ways. Sure, free VPN providers may advertise strong privacy, but some only manage to stay afloat by collecting user data, plugging into aggressive advertising networks, or running on sparse, fragile infrastructure. And when there aren’t enough resources to secure databases or monitor systems for signs of exposure, the risk of a data breach skyrockets.
With more reporting coming out about data breaches involving free VPN services, concern about their actual level of protection has become harder to ignore.
Security and privacy risks of free VPNs
Behind the promise of “free,” many VPN services carry security and digital privacy risks of their own. The big ones are:
- Weak security practices. Because they operate on slim budgets, a lot of free VPN services end up using outdated servers, weaker access controls, or poorly configured databases — precisely the kind of setup attackers look for.
- Data logging and resale. Some free VPNs collect user data to generate revenue. This data may include account details or connection metadata, which can later be shared with third parties or become vulnerable in the event of a breach.
- Malware and tracking. Investigations have found some free VPN apps that bundle tracking libraries, aggressive adware, or components that behave in ways similar to malware, undercutting the very safety they advertise.
- Misleading privacy policies. A free VPN service may promise minimal data collection in its marketing while its privacy policy quietly carves out broad exceptions that allow for extensive logging and retention.
- Excessive app permissions. Many free VPN apps request access to device features that are unrelated to VPN functionality, expanding the personal data they can collect and increasing how much is at risk if the app is compromised.
Real-life examples of data breaches in free VPNs
Data breaches involving free VPN services do not make headlines every week, but they do occur often enough to form a clear pattern. Several well-documented incidents show how user data can be exposed when security controls fail.
SuperVPN, GeckoVPN, and ChatVPN records are put up for sale
Back in 2021, a post came out on a popular hacker forum where a user offered three separate databases for sale. According to reporting later published by Cybernews, the seller claimed the data came from three Android VPN services — SuperVPN, GeckoVPN, and ChatVPN — and that the combined haul contained about 21 million user records. SuperVPN and GeckoVPN were free VPN apps, and ChatVPN was reportedly marketed as free at the time or offered a free trial.
What made this case even more bizarre was that it was then reported that the threat actor claimed to have exfiltrated the data from publicly accessible databases that the providers allegedly left vulnerable after developers kept default database credentials in place. In other words, the exposure came from basic backend negligence rather than a sophisticated break-in.
What was reportedly exposed:
- Payment-related data
- Randomly generated password strings
- Full names
- Email addresses
- Geographic locations
- Login histories
- Device serial numbers
- Device information
- Usernames
Seven Hong Kong-based VPN apps leave databases exposed
Another major exposure and one that drew attention because of its sheer volume involved seven Hong Kong-based VPN providers: UFO VPN, FAST VPN, Free VPN, Super VPN, Flash VPN, Secure VPN, and Rabbit VPN. It turned out the services exposed more than a terabyte of user logs, even though these free VPNs marketed no-logs claims that implied the services should not have stored that level of user data in the first place. The records were reportedly left publicly accessible, without the protections a service handling sensitive user information should treat as non-negotiable.
What was reportedly exposed:
- Clear text passwords
- Account and connection details
- Home addresses
- Email addresses
- Internet activity logs
- IP addresses
BeanVPN connection logs appear in an open database
BeanVPN offers another example of how a VPN can fail in the least dramatic way. Security researchers reported that an exposed database tied to this free VPN service contained connection log records, including identifiers and timestamps that should never have been reachable from the open internet. The problem again was not that someone "broke the VPN tunnel." The problem was that the provider reportedly left stored records accessible without proper protection.
What was reportedly exposed:
- Google Play service IDs
- Device IDs
- IP addresses
- Connection timestamps
- Other diagnostic information
These incidents don’t sit at the top of the “biggest data breaches” list, but they count for a different reason. Together, they trace the same fault line through many free VPN services, where privacy promises rest on infrastructure that was never hardened enough to support them.
What happens when a free VPN suffers a data breach
Free VPN or paid, a breach involving personal data can have real consequences. And depending on the type of data exposed, stolen information that falls into the wrong hands can lead to identity theft, fraudulent accounts opened in a user’s name, and financial or legal headaches if payment details or verified contact information are pulled into the breach.
Even when no immediate harm follows, a breach permanently removes control over exposed data. Once personal information circulates outside a secure system, users rarely regain control over where it ends up or how it gets used. This is why a trustworthy VPN protects you from hackers not only through strong encryption but also through disciplined handling and storage of user data. Without those safeguards, encryption alone cannot compensate for poorly protected backend systems.
What types of data are exposed in free VPN data breaches?
Free VPN breaches that have been documented so far look less like “VPN tunnels being cracked” and more like ordinary database exposures. Reports describe leaked records that include names and surnames, email addresses, payment-related details, and device or account identifiers such as device IDs or Google Play service IDs. In some cases, IP address data was also exposed, which raises the sensitivity of the leak.
Importantly, available reporting does not confirm that browsing history or VPN-encrypted traffic was included in these incidents. The underlying problem was unsecured storage, not broken encryption. Still, the sensitive data that was exposed can carry real risk, especially if attackers manage to combine it with personal information from other breaches.
How to protect yourself from free VPN data breaches
Pretty much any online service can suffer a data breach, but free VPNs may face a higher risk because many operate without the staffing and security budgets needed to protect user data properly. The only way to avoid data exposure altogether is not to use or register with a free VPN service in the first place.
If you already have an account with a free VPN provider, a few steps can reduce the risk of follow-on harm:
- 1.Limit what you share. Do not provide extra profile details that the service does not need to function.
- 2.Close accounts you no longer use. Delete inactive accounts and request data removal where the provider offers it.
- 3.Harden the email account tied to the VPN. Use a strong, unique password and enable two-factor authentication.
- 4.Stay alert for misuse. Treat unexpected login alerts, password resets, and payment notices as warning signs.
- 5.Prioritize providers that can prove their claims. A trustworthy no-log VPN should back up its policies and security posture with transparency and independent audits, not marketing language. For example, a NordVPN no-logs quality assurance gives the public an outside check on the provider’s claims.
Should you use free VPN services?
No, you shouldn’t use free VPN services. A free or cheap VPN can sound like a bargain, but the price tag rarely tells you what the provider cuts to keep it that low. The free VPN vs. paid VPN question usually comes down to what the provider collects, what the provider secures, and what the provider can prove. Weak security controls, vague or open-ended logging policies, and advertising-based revenue models are all common in free VPN services, and each of them introduces risks that sit directly at odds with what a VPN is supposed to provide.
Paid VPN services operate under different incentives. They invest in security teams, publish clear policies, and bring in independent auditors because accountability keeps the service alive and thriving. NordVPN reflects this standard through regular third-party audits and a documented commitment to data protection, which is also the lens people should use when judging NordVPN features and any other provider’s claims. In any serious decision about providers, this kind of evidence means more and it is better than a free VPN asking you to trust it.
A VPN should reduce uncertainty, not add to it. And if online privacy is the whole point, the safer choice is a service that can show, in concrete terms, how it protects user data rather than asking people to accept its claims on trust alone.
Your online security, privacy and freedom are worth it.
