Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 15 May 2025 Last Updated: 15 May 2025

1. Introduction

Welcome to VPN Rating (“we,” “us,” or “our”), operated at https://vpnrating.net/ and registered at VPN Rating, 25 City Road, Epworth House, London, EC1Y 1AA, United Kingdom.

We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and what rights you have in relation to it. It applies to all visitors and users of our website, regardless of where you are located in the world.

Please read this policy carefully. By using our website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the practices described herein. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please discontinue use of our website immediately.

A note on our monetisation model: VPN Rating is an independent, editorially driven review and comparison website. We do not display third-party banner advertisements. Our website is monetised exclusively through affiliate marketing partnerships with VPN providers. This means some links on our site are affiliate links. This policy explains precisely how those arrangements work and what they mean for your data.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to operate our website and deliver our services. We do not offer user accounts, membership programmes, or any registration functionality. The personal data we collect is limited to the following categories:

If you choose to subscribe to our newsletter, we collect:

Email address – used solely to send you updates, news, and content relevant to VPN services and online privacy.

Subscription is entirely voluntary and opt-in. You may unsubscribe at any time via the link included in every newsletter email.

2.2 Comments

Our website may allow you to leave comments on articles and reviews. When you submit a comment, we collect:

Name (or display name of your choosing)
Email address
IP address – collected automatically by our commenting system

This information is used exclusively for spam prevention and comment moderation. Your email address will not be published publicly. Your IP address is used to detect and prevent abusive behaviour and is not shared with third parties for marketing purposes.

2.3 Contact Form Enquiries

If you contact us via our website’s contact form, we collect:

Full name
Email address
Message content

This information is used solely to respond to your enquiry. We do not add contact form submissions to our newsletter list without your explicit consent, and we do not share this information with third parties.

2.4 Automatically Collected Technical Data

When you visit our website, certain technical information is automatically collected by our servers and third-party analytics tools (see Section 4). This may include:

IP address (anonymised where technically possible)
Browser type and version
Operating system
Referring URL
Pages visited and time spent on each page
Date and time of your visit
Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)

This data is collected in aggregate and is used for analytical purposes to improve website performance and content quality. It does not, by itself, identify you as an individual.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect strictly for the purposes stated below. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third party.

Purpose	Data Used	Legal Basis (GDPR)
Sending newsletter updates	Email address	Consent
Responding to contact form enquiries	Name, email, message	Legitimate interest / contract
Comment moderation and spam prevention	Name, email, IP address	Legitimate interest
Website analytics and performance improvement	Anonymised technical data	Legitimate interest
Compliance with legal obligations	Any relevant data	Legal obligation

4. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website. This section explains exactly what we use and why.

4.1 What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device by websites you visit. They are widely used to make websites function efficiently and to provide information to website owners. Some cookies are essential for a website to work; others are used for analytical or tracking purposes.

4.2 Analytics Cookies – Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC (“Google”), to understand how visitors interact with our website. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect information such as:

How many users visit our site and how often
Which pages are most visited
How users navigate through our content
Approximate geographic location (country/city level)

The information generated by these cookies about your use of our website is transmitted to and stored by Google on servers, which may be located outside your country of residence, including in the United States. Google will use this information on our behalf to evaluate your use of the website, compile reports on website activity, and provide other analytics services.

Google’s data processing: Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. You can review Google’s Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy.

Opting out of Google Analytics: You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking at any time by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, available at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

4.3 Affiliate Tracking Cookies – Affiliate Links (Critical Disclosure)

This section is essential reading. Some links on VPN Rating – particularly links to VPN provider websites – are affiliate links. This is how our website generates revenue, and we are committed to full transparency about how this works.

How affiliate links work:

When you click an affiliate link on our website, you are redirected to the website of a third-party VPN provider.
At the point of click or redirect, a tracking cookie is placed on your browser by the affiliate network or the VPN provider’s tracking system. This cookie is used to attribute any subsequent purchase or sign-up to VPN Rating.
If you then purchase a VPN subscription, we may receive a commission from the provider at no additional cost to you. Affiliate commissions do not influence the price you pay.
These affiliate tracking cookies are set by third parties (the VPN providers or their affiliate networks), not directly by us. Their duration, scope, and data processing practices are governed by the respective provider’s own policies.

Once you leave our website and arrive at a third-party VPN provider’s website:

Our Privacy Policy no longer applies.
The Privacy Policy and Terms of Service of the respective VPN provider govern all data collected from that point forward.
We strongly encourage you to review the privacy policy of any VPN provider before making a purchase.

We strive to only work with reputable affiliate partners; however, we cannot control or be held responsible for the data practices of third-party websites.

Affiliate disclosure: The presence of an affiliate link does not affect the independence of our editorial reviews. VPN Rating maintains editorial integrity; our ratings and recommendations are based on our own research, testing, and expert assessment.

5. Third-Party Links and Websites

Our website contains links to third-party websites, including VPN provider websites, both as standard editorial references and as affiliate links. These third-party sites have their own independent privacy policies, which we do not control or have any responsibility for.

We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or security of any linked third-party website. Clicking any link to an external website is done at your own risk. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of every website you visit before submitting any personal information.

We do not sell, trade, rent, or otherwise transfer your personal data to third parties for commercial purposes. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

Service Providers: We may share data with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website (e.g., web hosting, analytics). These providers are contractually obligated to keep your information confidential and to use it only for the services they perform on our behalf.
Legal Compliance: We may disclose your information where required to do so by law, court order, or governmental authority, or where we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our legal rights, enforce our policies, or protect the safety of others.
Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you of any such change via a prominent notice on our website.

7. Data Security and Retention

7.1 Security Measures

We take the security of your personal data seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures include:

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL/TLS) encryption across our website
Restricted access to personal data, limited to authorised personnel only
Regular review of our data collection, storage, and processing practices

However, please be aware that no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

7.2 Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by applicable law:

Newsletter email addresses: Retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
Comment data (name, email, IP): Retained for the duration the comment remains published, plus a reasonable period thereafter for compliance and spam prevention purposes.
Contact form submissions: Retained for up to 12 months from the date of last correspondence, then securely deleted.
Analytics data: Aggregated and anonymised; subject to Google Analytics’ own retention settings (which we configure to the minimum necessary period).

If you are a resident of the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA), you have specific rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) with respect to your personal data. These rights include:

Right of Access (Article 15): You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to Rectification (Article 16): You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data we hold about you.
Right to Erasure / “Right to be Forgotten” (Article 17): You have the right to request that we delete your personal data in certain circumstances (e.g., where the data is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected, or where you withdraw consent).
Right to Restriction of Processing (Article 18): You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations.
Right to Data Portability (Article 20): Where processing is based on your consent or on a contract, you have the right to receive the personal data you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
Right to Object (Article 21): You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interest as our legal basis.
Right to Withdraw Consent: Where we process your data on the basis of your consent (e.g., newsletter subscription), you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing prior to withdrawal.
Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. In the United Kingdom, this is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). If you are in the EU, you may also contact your local Data Protection Authority.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 11. We will respond to your request within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

9. Your Rights – CCPA/CPRA (California Residents)

If you are a resident of the State of California, you have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). These rights include:

Right to Know: You have the right to request that we disclose what categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the purposes for which it is used, and the categories of third parties with whom it is shared.
Right to Delete: You have the right to request that we delete personal information we have collected about you, subject to certain exceptions permitted by law.
Right to Correct: You have the right to request that we correct inaccurate personal information we maintain about you.
Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing: We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not share your data in exchange for monetary compensation. Accordingly, there is no opt-out required in this regard; however, if you believe your data is being sold or shared without your consent, please contact us immediately.
Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA/CPRA rights. You will not receive a different level of service or quality as a result of exercising these rights.
Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: We do not collect or process sensitive personal information (as defined by the CPRA) beyond what is necessary and permitted.

To exercise your California privacy rights, please contact us at the details provided in Section 11. We will respond to verifiable consumer requests within 45 days. If we require additional time, we will notify you of the reason and the extension period within the initial 45-day period.

Authorised Agents: California residents may designate an authorised agent to make a request on their behalf. We may require written proof of the agent’s permission and may verify your identity directly.

10. Age Restriction – 18 and Older Only

VPN Rating is strictly intended for users who are 18 years of age or older.

We do not knowingly collect, solicit, or process personal information from individuals under the age of 18. Our content is directed exclusively at adults who are capable of independently evaluating and purchasing VPN software and related privacy services.

If you are under 18, you are not permitted to use this website, submit any personal information to us, or subscribe to our newsletter.

If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a person under the age of 18, we will take immediate steps to delete that information from our records. If you believe we may have collected information from or about a minor, please contact us immediately at [email protected].

11. International Data Transfers

VPN Rating is operated from the United Kingdom. If you are accessing our website from outside the UK or the EU, please be aware that your personal data may be transferred to, stored, and processed in a country that does not have the same data protection laws as your jurisdiction.

Where we transfer data outside the UK or EEA (for example, to Google’s servers for analytics purposes), we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, including reliance on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or equivalent mechanisms as recognised by the relevant supervisory authority.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changes in our data practices, legal requirements, or website functionality. When we make material changes, we will:

Update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page
Post a notice on our website homepage or in a clearly visible location

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed of how we are protecting your data. Your continued use of our website following the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of those changes. If any changes materially affect how we handle your existing data, we will notify newsletter subscribers by email where practicable.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices – including requests to exercise your legal rights – please contact us using the following details:

Email: [email protected] Website: https://vpnrating.net/

We aim to respond to all enquiries within 5 business days and to all formal rights requests within the statutory timeframes outlined in Sections 8 and 9.

This Privacy Policy was prepared to reflect compliance with applicable data protection legislation including the UK GDPR, EU GDPR, the UK Data Protection Act 2018, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). This document does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your jurisdiction, consult a qualified legal professional.