Privacy Notice modification

[Staff 9972]

Hello!

 

We inform you that the following Privacy Notice paragraph:

 

"When users connect to AirVPN Virtual Private Network, no cookies are stored on their system. On the contrary, when users access AirVPN website (for example to enter the forum) cookies are stored on their systems in order to make possible the access to such additional services. Cookies are temporary; what's more, they can be deleted by the users whenever they wish. Under no circumstance Air uses cookies to track users or to collect any other data."

 

is changed into:

 

"When users connect to AirVPN Virtual Private Network, no cookies are stored on their system. On the contrary, when users access AirVPN website (for example to enter the forum) cookies are stored on their systems in order to make access to such additional services possible. Cookies are stored only for technical reasons and can be deleted anytime by the user. Cookies are specifically meant for technical help. Under no circumstance does Air use cookies to track and/or profile users"

 

with immediate effect. The change is only in the language to use a terminology that's consistent with the transposition of Directive 2009/136/EC in Italy.

 

Kind regards

[surfsafe 0]

Apart from when using them. How long do you keep these cookies?

Forgive me if it is a silly question, but i am a newbee.

[Staff 9972]

Hello!

 

We don't keep any cookie, the cookies are stored on your system. Session cookies expire at the end of the session. Referral cookies have a 1 month expiration. Some preferences cookies of the board (to use the forum) may have a longer expiration time. All of these cookies are defined by law as "technical" cookies and in no way fall under the definition of "tracking" or "profiling" cookies. You can delete all the cookies with a click in your browser.

 

Kind regards

[knighthawk 19]

"Under no circumstance Air uses cookies to track and/or profile users"

---

Shouldn't that read: Under no circumstance does Air uses cookies to track and/or profile users

[Staff 9972]

"Under no circumstance Air uses cookies to track and/or profile users"

---

Shouldn't that read: Under no circumstance does Air uses cookies to track and/or profile users

 

Hello!

 

Yes, it will be fixed soon.

 

Kind regards

[Geomas 5]

On the contrary, when users access AirVPN website (for example to enter the forum) cookies are stored on their systems in order to make access to such additional services possible.

 

In this context, "However" is would be more appropriate than "On the contrary."

[ghostp 5]

"...Under no circumstance Air uses cookies to track users or to collect any other data."

 

 

is changed into:

 

"...Under no circumstance does Air use cookies to track and/or profile users"

 

Does it mean AirVPN now collects any users data???

[Staff 9972]

 

"...Under no circumstance Air uses cookies to track users or to collect any other data."

 

is changed into:

 

"...Under no circumstance does Air use cookies to track and/or profile users"

 

Does it mean AirVPN now collects any users data???

 

 

Hello!

 

Nothing has changed. That was just identical in the old privacy notice. We repeat once again: the change in the notice is only in the language, to use a terminology that's consistent with the transposition of Directive 2009/136/EC in Italy.

 

Kind regards

[PANDABOY 1]

how long would you expect to keep cookies system?

[rainmakerraw 94]

 

 

"...Under no circumstance Air uses cookies to track users or to collect any other data."

 

is changed into:

 

"...Under no circumstance does Air use cookies to track and/or profile users"

 

Does it mean AirVPN now collects any users data???

 

 

Hello!

 

Nothing has changed. That was just identical in the old privacy notice. We repeat once again: the change in the notice is only in the language, to use a terminology that's consistent with the transposition of Directive 2009/136/EC in Italy.

 

Kind regards

 

Hi, 

 

I also wondered about the removal of that part (not collecting users' data). I'm sure it would reassure customers, and not change compliance with the Directive 2009/136/EC, if you added it back in so everything was very clear. 

 

Thanks.

[kiwi 16]

"Under no circumstance Air uses cookies to track and/or profile users"

---

Shouldn't that read: Under no circumstance does Air uses cookies to track and/or profile users

In my opinion it's either 'uses' or 'does use'.

[rainmakerraw 94]

 

"Under no circumstance Air uses cookies to track and/or profile users"

---

Shouldn't that read: Under no circumstance does Air uses cookies to track and/or profile users

In my opinion it's either 'uses' or 'does use'.

 

 

 

On the contrary, when users access AirVPN website (for example to enter the forum) cookies are stored on their systems in order to make access to such additional services possible.

 

In this context, "However" is would be more appropriate than "On the contrary."

 

To be fair, English is clearly not the first language of AirVPN given that they are based in Italy. While you may be correct, it doesn't change the tone or meaning of the document and as such is pretty meaningless so don't worry about it. I'm much more interested in the omission of 'or collect any other data' in the new version...

[rainmakerraw 94]

@Staff This is a very big deal to most of your customers, given that you're a privacy company. You've been really very quiet on this matter and haven't replied for some time. Can you please clarify whether you'll be re-adding the original term about not collecting 'other data' from users? If you aren't, will you be processing pro rata refunds for annual subscribers who don't wish to be bound to these new terms of business, which weren't in force when they paid (i.e. you have specifically removed a statement of privacy and non-profiling/logging)?

 

I hope you'll be listening to users and re-adding this important term forthwith.

 

Out of interest, due to which part of the Directive are you amending the policy to ensure compliance? It seems to deal mostly with access to telephony services for disabled people. Section (30) on users' right to privacy of information transmitted over networks was reassuring however. I look forward to your comments.

[ghostp 5]

 

"Hello!

 

"...Under no circumstance Air uses cookies to track users or to collect any other data."

 

is changed into:

 

"...Under no circumstance does Air use cookies to track and/or profile users"

Does it mean AirVPN now collects any users data???

 

 

 

 

Nothing has changed. That was just identical in the old privacy notice. We repeat once again: the change in the notice is only in the language, to use a terminology that's consistent with the transposition of Directive 2009/136/EC in Italy.

 

Kind regards"

 

 

 

 

@Staff Sorry but I don't feel satisfied with your answer. I fully understand that you are obliged to fulfill law requirements which are

imposed by the European Union BUT I have a huge problem to understand how you as an privacy company can delete one of the most important rule which is "We don't collect any user data" and then say that "Nothing has changed"? The directive is a guideline and tells you how to handle things etc. but it is definatly not telling you on how to phrase your terms of service!  I have read the directive 2009/136/EC and there is nowhere forbidden to use the phrase "We do not collect any user data".

 

I fully comply with rainmakerraw and I think we can speak for all users here that this is a very big deal to us! For me and from law perspective deleting the phrase "we don't collect any user data" means that you can collect user data if you want to or if you are being forced to do so. Please consider in case this is true your service than can turn to be useless to some users. I personally would be very dissapointed! Please don't get me wrong and I really don't try to make you look bad or something! Quite the opposite, I'm VERY satisfied with your service and I would be very sad if it would change somehow. You just are the best out there on the market! I think you owe us an understandable and clear statement/declaration in this particular issue. At least if it's really necessary to collect any user data than please clarify specifically which particular data are you collecting?

 

Further and like my predecessor wrote, I also would like to know what happen to users who do not agree with these changes? Can they look forward to get a refund?

 

I also look forward to hear from you

 

P.S. Sorry for my horrible english

[rainmakerraw 94]

To be fair, on balance, the privacy policy is abundantly clear that no logging or tracking is taking place. The removal of the wording above is, though, certainly unfortunate. I'm actually still happy that AirVPN are the best and most private VPN. I am however more concerned that Staff have not bothered to reply for so long on such an important matter.

[ghostp 5]

I am however more concerned that Staff have not bothered to reply for so long on such an important matter.

 

I will be further more concerned if Staff will not reply on this matter at all. But let us think positive, they'll definitely reply.

 

cheers

[rickjames 106]

People this privacy statement change has Nothing to do with VPN data.

 

This only pertains to COOKIES stored from using this forum, the main website or other sites they own.

 

The EU passed some absurd law requiring sites to notify the users when cookies are being stored on their computers or the server. -as if we weren't already aware...

 

 

My guess is some politician sitting on his ass read something, somewhere and suddenly realized websites store data on his laptop/computer. He then sat down with his politician buddies and tried to make a law restricting cookies. Realized they couldn't get the worlds websites to stop using cookies they decided to make this asinine law that most sites simply ignore...

 

Thus here we sit reading modified privacy policy's and looking at additional div's at the top of a handful of sites we visit telling us they're making cookies... Nom Nom Nom I love cookies...

 

So relax, don't fret as this has nothing to do with VPN traffic or data. Its just standard stuff that site owners have to deal with.

[ghostp 5]

Yeah, the behavior of the EU politicans sucks sometime! I bet, somewhere in the future they will regulate how to clean up our asses

[rainmakerraw 94]

@rickjames I realise it's only about the cookies. A few of us are just a little concerned, or at least have a raised eyebrow, that Air took the opportunity to remove the 'or collect any other data' when it was completely unnecessary to do so. No part of the listed directive insists one shouldn't mention this phrase so there was no need to remove it. We are just curious why, and why staff haven't responded since. As I said in an earlier post, the privacy policy as a whole is still comprehensively clear that there's no logging, but for a privacy service the minutiae is important and we want Air to be explicitly clear.

[rickjames 106]

@rickjames I realise it's only about the cookies. A few of us are just a little concerned, or at least have a raised eyebrow, that Air took the opportunity to remove the 'or collect any other data' when it was completely unnecessary to do so. No part of the listed directive insists one shouldn't mention this phrase so there was no need to remove it. We are just curious why, and why staff haven't responded since. As I said in an earlier post, the privacy policy as a whole is still comprehensively clear that there's no logging, but for a privacy service the minutiae is important and we want Air to be explicitly clear.

Technically Under no circumstance does Air use cookies to track and/or profile users is a broader and more correct statement.

 

Php by default creates a php-sessions folder on the server. Application depending "forum software or website cms" php session data can be created in that folder if needed. So the previous statement or to collect any other data would actually be in conflict with normal php functions if your application requires the use of server side php sessions.

 

Because of this most of the servers I deal with that require sessions we'll toss the session folder in a ramdisk/tmpfs, then have a cronjob wipe it every few hours. -it also helps reduce ssd wear and tear.

 

My point is this is all pretty standard stuff for servers.

 

I'm not trying to defend anyone and I fully respect what you're trying to say. But if you're worried about what your vpn provider is doing with cookies you're really worrying about the wrong thing -> Most vpn's have access to every packet of data you send/receive. So the concept of a vpn company tracking by cookies when they have access to nonstop data flows is kinda funny.

[ghostp 5]

@rickjames Please consider that not every user here has an advanced technical knowledge like you and can judge how the terms of service relates to the technical issues. For me as a noob if there was a phrase says "or to collect any other data" and than it disapears, I start to raise eyebrows and ask these kind of questions But despite the fact that I'm a technical noob I am really not sure if the phrase or to collect any other data" even relates only to cookies! You have to read the whole sentence, it was saying

 

"...Under no circumstance Air uses cookies to track users or to collect any other data."

 

There are the words "OR" and "OTHER"! For me it says for instance "Black of White", which means, on the one side they are talking about the cookies issue and on the other side there is collecting any other data. And it is not clarified if the "to collect any other data" refer ONLY to cookies or maybe in general to "any other data besides cookies".

 

Nevertheless the old phrase said exactly that there was no collecting of any data, regardless related to cookies or not. Thus the statement was clear! Now they have deleted it and I want know why?!

 

I really hope the Staff will hope in this conversation asap, I don't want start to be concerned about privacy issues