Can Police Track VPNs?

The police cannot directly monitor your online activities. Using a no-log VPN (no-log VPN) further complicates their ability to identify internet users.

VPNs are designed to safeguard communications over public internet access points, including free Wi-Fi networks in cafes and hotels. This inherent feature of VPNs, aimed at protecting user privacy, naturally complicates efforts to trace the online activities back to their source.

Explore more detailed>>Best No-Logs VPN Services

VPNs Can Anonymize Communications

VPNs are widely recognized as an effective tool for anonymizing internet communications. Under normal circumstances, when you visit a website, that site logs the IP address assigned by your internet provider. However, if you access the site through a VPN, the recorded IP address will be that of the VPN service instead. If the VPN service does not maintain access logs, commonly referred to as a “no-log VPN,” it becomes significantly more challenging to trace who visited the site.

For instance, ExpressVPN , NordVPN and SurfShark adhere to strict no-log policies, thereby ensuring the anonymity of your online activities. Additionally, the option to make payments using cryptocurrency with these services further reduces the risk of personal identification through payment records. NordVPN’s no-log policy explicitly mentions the following:

We keep no logs of your activity online

Worried that NordVPN logs your data? Rest easy. We offer a zero-logs VPN service. That means that we do not store your online activity. Nothing to store — nothing to see — nothing to share with anyone.

NordVPN is based away from the EU and US jurisdictions

NordVPN is incorporated in Panama, which has no data retention laws. We don’t collect your personal data. Your business is strictly your business — enjoy surfing the web, watching streams, playing games, or working in complete privacy.

Reference： NordVPN　

Does a VPN Connection Reveal Your Identity?

Connecting through a no-log VPN significantly reduces the likelihood of your identity being exposed. This dual nature of VPNs serves to protect well-intentioned critics while also making it challenging to trace those with malicious intent.

While your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can detect that you’ve connected to a VPN server, they cannot ascertain the specifics of your online activities due to the absence of logs on the VPN server. This means there’s no trace of the communications that were made.

For instance, in the case of a request to reveal the identity of someone who posted defamatory content online, using a no-log VPN makes pinpointing the individual’s identity difficult. The consensus online is that it’s exceedingly tough for law enforcement to identify someone behind a no-log VPN. The complexity of such a case would likely exceed the capabilities of the police and certainly that of a lawyer, who typically deals with defamation cases.

Scenarios Where Your Identity Could Be Revealed Despite Using a VPN

There are specific scenarios where one’s identity might still be traceable even when using a no-log VPN. These include:

• Logging into a social networking account associated with the slanderous content without utilizing a VPN.
• Being captured by security cameras at locations such as cafes.

Log-in records to an email address used during the account creation or to other services during active periods could serve as additional clues. While it is possible to piece together these bits of information to conclusively identify someone as the perpetrator of slander, doing so requires a significant amount of time and effort.

Furthermore, the challenge of pinpointing the slanderer increases if precautions are taken, such as using a VPN with a dedicated computer and avoiding access to any personally identifiable information. While it might seem extreme to go to such lengths to commit slander, it’s useful to be aware that these measures can significantly obscure one’s digital footprint.

Conclusion

The police cannot directly monitor your online activities. Utilizing a no-log VPN significantly impedes their ability to identify internet users. VPN services that adhere to a no-log policy, including ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and SurfShark, prove beneficial in protecting the anonymity of those engaging in good-faith criticism. However, they also offer a means for individuals with malicious intent to conceal their identities.