A No-Logs Policy (or zero-logs policy) is a commitment from a VPN provider that they do not collect, store, or share any information about your online activity. This is the cornerstone of VPN privacy—without it, your VPN provider could theoretically track you just like your ISP does.
What Data Should NOT Be Logged?
A true no-logs VPN should never record:
- Browsing History: The websites you visit.
- IP Addresses: Your real IP address or the VPN IP assigned to you.
- Traffic Destination: Files you download or stream.
- DNS Queries: Your search requests.
- Connection Timestamps: Exact times you connect and disconnect (used to correlate activity).
Why Is It Important?
If a VPN keeps logs, your privacy is at risk.
- Legal Requests: If a government demands user data, a provider with logs must comply. A no-logs provider has nothing to hand over.
- Security Breaches: If servers are hacked, logs could expose millions of users. No logs means no data to steal.
- Data Selling: Some free VPNs log and sell your data to advertisers.
How to Verify a No-Logs Policy
Since you can't see the server code, look for these trust signals:
- Independent Audits: Has a firm like PwC or Deloitte verified their claims?
- RAM-Only Servers: Servers that wipe all data upon reboot.
- Privacy-Friendly Jurisdiction: Based in countries without mandatory data retention laws (e.g., Panama, Switzerland).
- Proven in Court: Cases where authorities seized servers but found no data.
Conclusion
A VPN without a verified no-logs policy is just a proxy that shifts trust from your ISP to the VPN company. Always choose a provider with a strict, audited zero-logs commitment to ensure your digital footprint remains yours alone.