BVI-based ExpressVPN, recently acquired by Kape Technologies, claims it doesn’t keep logs.
After reviewing its policies, terms of use, and corporate information, I can confirm that ExpressVPN’s logging claims are true, and it doesn’t keep any logs.
If you’re considering ExpressVPN as your VPN provider and want to be certain that it protects your privacy by not keeping logs, keep reading to learn more!
What Does ExpressVPN Logging Policy Say?
According to ExpressVPN’s Privacy Policy, the provider collects minimal information about the usage of its services.
That includes any personal information you submit when creating an account, aggregate apps and VPN connection summary statistics, and crash reports sent via “bug reports.”
However, to establish whether you can trust ExpressVPN, you need to know if it has records of your IP, which web pages you visited, and when.
Does ExpressVPN Keep Traffic Logs?
No.
ExpressVPN doesn’t keep any logs of the websites you visit or DNS queries.
There’s no record of what resources specific users browsed or accessed whilst connected through ExpressVPN.
The only information available to ExpressVPN is the aggregate sum of data transferred by a given user.
And that doesn’t allow any user to be identified.
Does ExpressVPN Keep Connection Logs?
ExpressVPN doesn’t keep connection logs (timestamps of when the users are connected to ExpressVPN).
The provider only records the dates of successful connection, and those dates are collected in an aggregate manner, with no way to tie them to specific users.
Does ExpressVPN Log Your IP Address?
ExpressVPN does not log IP addresses – neither your original one nor the one you get when connected to ExpressVPN.
Has ExpressVPN’s Privacy Policy Been Audited?
Yes, ExpressVPN has commissioned several third-party audits of its privacy policy.
The most recent one, by PwC AG, was in 2019.
The audit (available to ExpressVPN’s subscribers only) confirmed that “the ExpressVPN service is suitably designed and implemented in relation to their privacy policy as of 20 May 2019.”
However, this audit report is outdated by now.
And, given ExpressVPN’s recent acquisition by Kape Technologies (more on that below), it would be beneficial for users to see a more recent audit of the no-logging policy to be certain of ExpressVPN’s continued commitment to their privacy.
Is There Any Evidence of ExpressVPN Logging?
No.
In fact, there is a real-life case that confirms ExpressVPN doesn’t keep logs.
In 2017, the Turkish authorities seized an ExpressVPN server in Turkey to investigate a Russian ambassador’s murder.
However, the seizure and investigation showed no activity logs on the server of any kind, meaning ExpressVPN’s no-logging claim is trustworthy.
Is ExpressVPN Legally Required to Keep Logs?
The British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN’s country of operation, doesn’t require them to keep logs.
The country doesn’t have data-retention laws, so ExpressVPN isn’t breaking any of them by not keeping logs.
What Does Kape Acquisition Mean for ExpressVPN No-Logs Policy?
The acquisition of ExpressVPN by Kape Technologies could imply that they’re legally required to comply with the latter’s policies.
I checked to see if it’s a cause of concern for ExpressVPN logging, and here’s what I found:
- ExpressVPN confirmed it would remain a separate service from Kape’s other brands and remain in the BVI jurisdiction. So far, the terms of use of the VPN provider also remain to be governed by BVI. This means the BVI laws will still apply to it, and the company won’t be obliged to keep logs.
- It’s not clear how long this independence will last. The terms of service of ExpressVPN, however, state the following:
- Therefore, Kape Technologies as the new ExpressVPN owner, is bound by the same obligations to the users, including the no-logging policies. In the event of changes in the policies, ExpressVPN is obliged, by virtue of terms of service, to notify you by e-mail or website update.
After reviewing this, I concluded that ExpressVPN’s acquisition by Kape doesn’t currently change its policy of not logging users’ Internet activities.
A representative of ExpressVPN also confirmed this to me via Live Chat:
FAQ
No, ExpressVPN doesn’t share your logs – because it has no logs to share.
However, it does share your information, such as your email and country, with third parties such as Zendesk and SnapEngage when you contact them via email and Live Chat or payment providers like PayPal.
BVI is a party to the MLAT treaty.
That means if a crime that has a connection to the BVI is committed in a country that’s also a part of that treaty, that country’s authorities can call on BVI to share evidence and information pertaining to the matter.
In practice, however, this means the BVI Supreme Court would have to compel relevant persons or companies to share that information.
And under BVI law, that’s only possible if an equivalent crime is punishable by at least a one-year prison sentence under BVI law, had it taken place in the BVI.
But even if that’s the case, ExpressVPN doesn’t store any logs that it can share with the court or any authorities, and it’s not required to do so under its jurisdiction.
So, the authorities cannot compel ExpressVPN to share logs, as they don’t exist.
Conclusion
After my analysis, I concluded that ExpressVPN’s logging claims are true – it doesn’t keep logs of your Internet activities.
Convinced that ExpressVPN’s approach to privacy is for you?
