Worried about PayPal

[rootbloodyroot 0]

I have considered paying your service with my PayPal account but I'm a bit worried, could you please elaborate in which ways this would endanger my privacy?

Since I assume you have to store the payment information along with the accountname, and also log timestamps when I connect, would it be possible to find out my identity if someone knew the time I was logged in?

[Staff 9972]

I have considered paying your service with my PayPal account but I'm a bit worried, could you please elaborate in which ways this would endanger my privacy?

Since I assume you have to store the payment information along with the accountname, and also log timestamps when I connect, would it be possible to find out my identity if someone knew the time I was logged in?

Hello!

PayPal, just like any other bank or financial organization, will store forever the transaction in your and our accounts, making it possible to show that you are one of our customers and potentially allowing a correlation between your account name and your PayPal account. This will prove that you are one of our customers, however it does not allow any correlation with your activities on our VPN.

We also accept Bitcoin and Liberty Reserve. If you need a much stronger anonymity layer, we recommend Bitcoin. You can also tunnel your Bitcoin client over TOR when you buy a coupon from our authorized reseller http://bitcoincodes.com

Kind regards

[l33t 2]

I too am considering paying with PayPal, as I would rather not have to deal with the extra steps involved with using Bitcoins.

If it is true that Air VPN does not log user activity, I fail to see how a third party could correlate an Air VPN account with a Pay Pal account (and thus fail to see why using a Bitcoin account is needed since outside parties cannot access user activity logs).

Is there some security exploit or other thing I am unaware of that makes Pay Pal a vulnerable method of payment?

[Staff 9972]

I too am considering paying with PayPal, as I would rather not have to deal with the extra steps involved with using Bitcoins.

If it is true that Air VPN does not log user activity, I fail to see how a third party could correlate an Air VPN account with a Pay Pal account (and thus fail to see why using a Bitcoin account is needed since outside parties cannot access user activity logs).

Is there some security exploit or other thing I am unaware of that makes Pay Pal a vulnerable method of payment?

Hello!

You're substantially right, a PayPal payment might be considered a proof that you are or have been an AirVPN's customer, but there's no possible correlation with your activities on our servers. Bitcoin is strongly recommended to those who need to hide their identities completely, even to us. Imagine a person who needs to spread sensitive information about organized crime, or whistleblowing, or someone who lives in human rights hostile countries. He/she might need this additional protection. See also here:

https://airvpn.org/index.php?option=com_kunena&func=view&catid=3&id=54&limit=6&limitstart=6&Itemid=142#1745

Kind regards

[JamesDean 10]

Bitcoin takes a few more steps, but it has gotten easier with BitInstant. Check out the privacy forums on Wilder's Security Forums, there are a few write ups on how to do it.

In a nutshell:

Install the Bitcoin client (free) and run it.

Let it download the blockchain - this will take a while on a new install.

Once it's updated, change the options to connect via Tor, and then shut it down.

Download the Tor Browser Bundle.

Run that, and then start the Bitcoin client back up.

Go to BitInstant and follow the directions for making a cash deposit at a local bank.

Use a Tormail or 30 Day Countermail email address for communication.

Go deposit your cash.

When you get home, check the email you gave and send Bitcoins to your Bitcoin client.

Then buy a Bitcoin code from the AirVPN reseller.

It sounds harder than it is. It takes about 15 minutes total. Maybe do a trial run with a few dollars, until you get the hang of it, then do the main funding.

JD