I used to be shopping on Reddit just lately, as one does, and seen yet one more cynical remark dissing NordVPN. It compelled me to contemplate why precisely Nord particularly, and different fashionable VPNs generally, have this antagonistic public notion, and whether or not it’s truly honest.
There is a development within the on-line VPN neighborhood, notably on Reddit, the place customers assault main VPN suppliers for any variety of perceived points. The commonest are violations of consumer privateness.
While all VPN providers have skilled some unfavourable criticism, no service appears to take extra flack in these on-line boards than NordVPN.
So is there something to all this criticism, or are they only unsubstantiated rumors? Let’s check out what persons are saying, why Nord is being singled out, and if any of that is legit.
Why are Reddit customers dissing NordVPN?
These are just some of the unfavourable feedback you’re more likely to discover from Reddit customers about NordVPN’s privateness.
Sam Singleton
As you’d count on with any massive, well-known firm, there’s no scarcity of complaints about NordVPN within the Reddit neighborhood. Critiques vary from the nitpicks of power complainers to extra critical accusations, however the commonest is a mistrust of Nord’s dealing with of consumer privateness.
The situation appears to be two-fold: Users are involved with Nord’s connection to an entity referred to as Tesonet, and they’re doubtful about its declare to be primarily based in Panama. There are different secondary considerations about Nord’s late disclosure of a 2018 server breach and deceptive auto-renewal practices, however these are much less mentioned, if not vital, points compared.
For the needs of this text, although, I’ll persist with discussing these points that middle on the best concern to a VPN consumer: privateness. That consists of the corporate’s Tesonet connection and Nord’s reputed location.
NordVPN is owned by the bigger agency Nord Security, which was initially funded partly by a Lithuanian tech incubator and enterprise accelerator referred to as Tesonet. In the previous, Tesonet has come beneath fireplace for concurrently working Nord in addition to Oxylabs, an organization identified for data-mining providers. Users are due to this fact understandably suspicious that there’s a battle of curiosity right here, as VPN customers try to guard their knowledge, whereas corporations beneath the identical possession try to gather it.
Additionally, some customers are skeptical of NordVPN’s declare that it’s primarily based out of Panama—a rustic with sturdy pro-privacy legal guidelines—because it maintains operations in each the Netherlands and Lithuania as nicely. The Netherlands being a member of each the 9 and 14 Eyes data-sharing alliances and Lithuania abiding by the much less privacy-friendly EU GDPR knowledge retention legal guidelines make them suboptimal privateness selections in comparison with Panama.
Furthermore, Tesonet’s complicated company buildings, seemingly opaque possession, and funding networks, and overlapping co-founders with Nord Security solely add gas to the hearth.
In studying all of that it’s comprehensible, on a floor degree at the very least, to see why these Redditors are complaining. For its half, Nord Security has at all times maintained that it’s operated independently from Tesonet and doesn’t share or acquire consumer knowledge outdoors of what it states in its privacy policy.
To higher perceive what is basically occurring right here although, it’s vital to take a more in-depth have a look at the historical past of NordVPN, the place it’s actually positioned, and what connections it truly nonetheless has with Tesonet.
NordVPN: A short historical past
NordVPN was launched in 2012 by Tomas Okmanas (typically generally known as Tom Okman) and Eimantas Sabaliauskas. At the identical time, they based the corporate Nord Security and debuted NordVPN as its flagship product.
In its early years, NordVPN was incubated and largely supported by Tesonet, a Lithuanian startup accelerator and enterprise builder. Coincidentally, Okmanas and Sabaliauskas are each listed as founders of Tesonet as nicely—extra on that in a bit.
Now, NordVPN is among the hottest VPNs available on the market and Nord Security operates a complete catalog of cybersecurity and privacy-related merchandise.
Where is NordVPN primarily based?
One of the principle criticisms of NordVPN regards the discrepancy between the place firm says it’s positioned and the place its staff work. The firm clearly states on its website that it’s “based and operates under the jurisdiction of Panama,” however regardless of this, guardian firm Nord Security is included in Amsterdam and NordVPN is headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania.
To additional complicate issues, Nord Security, the guardian firm of NordVPN, is registered within the Netherlands, however truly operates largely out of Lithuania the place it has its major workplaces. So what’s the deal?
Well, consider it similar to a U.S.-based firm that operates out of a tax-haven state—taking a look at you, Delaware—for the tax advantages, however has workplaces with staff in different states because of comfort or job market components.
When I reached out by e mail to inquire about this, a NordVPN spokesperson replied as such, “NordVPN is incorporated in Panama, that’s always been the case. Although Nord Security does have an establishment in the Netherlands that can be referenced, when it comes down to NordVPN’s matters, we request all inquiries regarding user data to be directed through the relevant institutions in Panama and adhere to the processes established by Panamanian law.”
So, NordVPN included itself in Panama as a result of the nation has restricted data-sharing legal guidelines, however maintains a world group primarily based in different European international locations. While this company construction could elevate eyebrows, many different multinational companies have set themselves up in comparable methods.
Panama is due to this fact a handy location for NordVPN’s authorized registration. Its providers are explicitly designed to function beneath the authorized framework of Panama to make sure that its no-logs insurance policies are upheld. Lithuania doesn’t have the identical data-sharing protections that Panama does, so it makes extra sense, as a digital privateness firm, to deal with your self in a location that lets you higher defend your customers and their knowledge.
NordVPN and Tesonet
A screengrab from the Tesonet web site exhibiting its portfolio of “Founded & Kickstarted companies.” Note each Nord Security and Oxylabs.
Sam Singleton
That brings us to the ultimate and most persistent criticism on-line: Nord’s connection to Tesonet. What is their present and previous relationship and do they share consumer knowledge with each other?
Remember, Tesonet is the tech incubator that partially funded NordVPN at first. Both share the identical founders and homeowners. It’s a connection that has led many to take a position there may be extra to the Nord/Tesonet relationship than simply venture-building.
NordVPN’s spokesperson had this to say, “In the past, Tesonet supported Nord as a tech accelerator, providing resources that helped Nord develop and launch its service…Nord operates independently. Tesonet’s role has been limited to acceleration and investment support, and Nord runs its business autonomously, with its own operations, strategy, and decision-making processes. This separation has been in place from the start.”
Tesonet, in the meantime, has but to answer my requests for remark about its relationship to Nord Security and NordVPN.
Nevertheless, the administration overlap between Nord Security and Tesonet is noteworthy. And all of this wouldn’t essentially be a difficulty if it weren’t for Tesonet’s different corporations, notably Oxylabs.
Oxylabs has a doubtful historical past and has been embroiled in quite a few lawsuits through the years, together with one the place it was found guilty in 2018 of stealing data-scraping tech and embedding it into its personal merchandise. Additionally, Oxylabs and some different data-mining providers had been just lately sued by Reddit for scraping the feedback of customers on an “industrial scale” for business acquire.
All of that is to say that NordVPN being owned, or at the very least partially managed by the identical firm that owns a infamous knowledge scraper comparable to Oxylabs is a bit regarding. While I’ve to confess that the waters we’re treading listed here are a bit murky, any direct connection between NordVPN customers and Oxylabs or different Tesonet entities simply isn’t that convincing. Up till now, no hyperlinks have been confirmed and nothing has materialized.
Is criticism of NordVPN justified?
To an extent, however not absolutely. The reality is that NordVPN, similar to different corporations, is out to earn a living and that might lead it to conduct enterprise in ways in which may appear a bit shady to many customers however seemingly isn’t placing their privateness in danger.
Sharing co-owners with Tesonet and receiving funding from the identical firm that owns a data-mining service isn’t very best. But there isn’t any proof, and by no means has been, that something is being shared between NordVPN and Oxylabs. Besides, NordVPN states that it follows a strict no-logs policy, which suggests it doesn’t document, retailer, or share consumer exercise. And that is backed up by the utilization of RAM-only servers and a number of impartial audits—most just lately the service handed a third-party no-logs audit in late 2025 by safety agency Deloitte.
Also, establishing an organization beneath the jurisdiction of Panama however working it with most of your employees out of Europe may elevate eyebrows. But it’s one thing practically each different worldwide company does and, proper or flawed, it’s not unlawful. It’s only a shrewd enterprise and advertising and marketing technique to entice customers and supply further privateness.
It’s really easy in as we speak’s age to get caught up in rumor mongering and the unfavourable suggestions loop of our on-line ecosystem. Much of the dialogue on Reddit and elsewhere seems to be speculative, fairly than rooted in precise reality—there was no confirmed proof that NordVPN has violated its said privateness insurance policies.
Until confirmed in any other case, customers can safely belief NordVPN. But if you happen to’re critical about counting on a VPN to spice up your privateness and safety, then it’s best to at all times be cautious of any service you employ. And if for no matter cause you continue to don’t like NordVPN, then there are a plethora of different great VPNs accessible to make use of as an alternative.