No, VPNs aren’t for piracy, or criminal stuff. They technically aren’t even for hiding your real IP. They are for connecting devices over the public network while mimicing the security of a private one, something useful for companies who need to work remotely and some other similar use-cases. It’s usage for criminal stuff, getting around region locks, and all that stuff isn’t it’s intended purpose, but secondary purposes it turned out useful for due to the side-effects.

The fact you use a third party instead of setting up a VPN server yourself like you’d do with it’s intended purpose, means that you are giving all your internet traffic to that third party. That in and of itself already creates an extra weakness. And if you do use your own server, then that server might be traceable to you instead.

Even when using a VPN for privacy, to hide your identity on the web, that doesn’t mean you use it for criminal activities. Wanting privacy and secure systems isn’t neccesarily linked to participating in criminal activities. People who use a VPN just for privacy, are well off with a provider that doesn’t log unless a coord order is received.

People who focus on criminal activities. To be honest trusting on a VPN alone to keep you save from law enforcement is just stupid. There are too many weaknesses related to VPNs that could easily give you away if they really want to find you, even outside of the provider. They simply aren’t made for that, and not as bullet proof as people think. While they are very useful for privacy usage and many of it’s risks can be mitigated, it takes more than turn it on and you’ll be private. Trusting that a VPN alone will keep you safe is foolish in todays age.

As for Proton not logging until they’ve got a court order. You don’t have to assume it from me, a quick online search shows the policies at Proton as well as results of how they handled earlier court cases. Cases where authorities wanted earlier data and Proton couldn’t comply because they didn’t have it, and cases where they logged data they refused to do so until thry received a court order. I say results to legal cases are the best proof there is. I’d take actual trackrecord over any article, no matter what “legit guy” wrote it. Also, I’ve never said a thing about those sketchy top10 lists thingies, they’re as bad and untrustworthy as influencer sponsorships imho. I would trust neither.

I’m not affiliated with Proton, so I have no clue what you’re talking about regarding that sale paragraph…