Private Internet Access Protects Your Online Privacy
The internet continues to change the way we live, from conducting business to communicating with other people. We use the internet to pay our bills, buy things we need at home, shop for clothes or book flights and accommodation. The web also provides ways for entertainment through access to online games, music, or video streaming services. We can also browse the internet to stay informed on the latest news, look for jobs, or enhance our skills by taking up online courses and workshops.
While the internet has afforded us all these conveniences in life, we need to be aware that the internet also has some flaws. Whenever we go online, we share personal data, such as passwords to different accounts or other security information, especially when we use our bank accounts or credit cards to carry out different online transactions. This is where a VPN, or Virtual Private Network, can be useful.
Private Internet Access (PIA) is a VPN service provider, which can help protect online privacy and shield your personal information from cyber snoops and hackers whose main purpose is to steal your data for their interest.
About Private Internet Access
PIA is a VPN company based in Denver, Colorado. It was founded in 2009 by Andrew Lee after he dropped out of college. In 2019, Kape Technologies, which also operates CyberGhost VPN and Zenmate VPN, acquired ownership over PIA. Since PIA is headquartered in the United States, which is a member of the 5 Eyes Alliance, it may be asked to legally hand over citizen’s data when necessary.
How can PIA Protect Online Privacy?
When you connect your device to one of the PIA’s private servers, your browsing activities are virtually inaccessible to the scanning software or hacking devices used by cyber attackers. Your online behavior remains hidden, even from your internet service provider (ISP). This means your ISP cannot track which websites you have visited or any information you download, upload or share. Your data is unidentifiable because your real IP address is replaced by a temporary IP address. All of your internet activities go through an encrypted tunnel while in transit.
Pricing and Subscription Plans
PIA doesn’t offer a free version, but their subscription packages come with a 30-day risk-free money-back guarantee.
They offer three different packages. You can get the monthly subscription plan at $11.95 per month, the yearly plan at $3.33 per month ($39.95 per year), or the 3-year plan at $2.19 per month ($79.00 per 3 years). If you choose the 3-year subscription package, you also receive a Boxcryptor Cloud Security License as a bonus. You can pay using a credit card, PayPal, Amazon Pay, or cryptocurrency.
Features
Want to know more about this VPN provider? Then have a look at their features;
Multi-layer Protection
PIA is an open-source VPN. They use industry-standard OpenVPN and Wireguard® for their VPN tunnels., and they offer PPTP, IPSec/L2TP, and SOCKS5 as protocol options. For data encryption, they use AES-256 and AES-128. For data authentication, they use SHA1 or SHA256 to protect from active attacks or when hackers attempt to modify data while it is in transit. You can disable the data authentication feature anytime. They also use Handshake Encryption, which is another layer of protection to verify that it is the real user who is trying to access the VPN server. With this multi-layer protection, you can access websites without worrying about trackers, malware, or pop-up ads.
No Traffic Logs Policy
PIA does not keep logs of your browsing activity, so even if they may be legally required to share their user’s online activity by the government, they won’t be able to provide anything.
Transparency Report
Since 2018, PIA has periodically released transparency reports, which you can check on their website. The reports show the number of requests they received from the government to disclose consumer information.
Kill Switch
PIA does not have the split tunneling feature yet, but like most VPN companies, they offer the Kill Switch feature. This feature automatically disconnects your device from the internet in case the VPN server connection drops.
Multiple Devices
PIA VPN servers are compatible with devices that run on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and many others. You can also set it up on Arch Linux, Ubuntu, Debian 9+, and Mint18+. With just one subscription, you can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously.
Wide Network of Servers
PIA’s network of servers includes multiple gateways around the globe, with over 3,000 in more than 76 countries. With this number of servers, you can experience fast connectivity, access to geo-blocked sites, and stream websites or torrent files at high-speeds.
Customer Support Portal
You can visit the PIA Help Center on their website for any inquiry about their products and services. You can send your query via the online form, get in touch with a customer service representative via live chat, or browse their FAQs, guides, and knowledgebase for the information you need.
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So much better than the competition
OMG! Did you know PIA has… drum roll please…more than… 35000 servers?! OMG! I can’t believe companies with 5000+ servers think they are cool when PIA has 29000!
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I like PIA
Customer support seems to be on top of their game as they’ve helped me with a few problems already. Quick to respond and clear with their replies. I like it!
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Wouldn't recommend them nowadays
What is happening with PIA lately? They were once so good and reliable and for a few months now it’s like they are completely different. I wouldn’t recommend them nowadays.
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Find a discount and get it
They are pretty awesome but their prices should go a bit down. When you can get PIA for a discounted price then you’re good to go. Well worth it then.
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PIA VPN makes things easier
Great VPN with up to 10 devices per license, good prices (especially when you can get a deal) and good download speeds.
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I recommend it based on my own experience
Super beginner friendly. If you have questions there’s that huge database that has so many questions and answers. Plus their support staff is very friendly and helpful.
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Totally shocked about PIA
They have so many cool features. I wasn’t expecting PIA to be at this level. I was thinking they’d be a top 30 VPN or something but it’s a top 5 for sure. Totally shocked about PIA.
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A solid 4 star VPN
Wasn’t expecting PIA to be this good, especially when it comes to torrenting. Has a kill switch that works very well (tested it multiple times) and good download speed.
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Great VPN
Easy to switch between servers (and they have over 35500 of them!) and most of them are pretty good. Nice download speeds from most servers, quality torrenting can be done here and support staff is a 10 out of 10.
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PIA is a very good choice
Their VPN is crazy good and they also have a powerful adblocker that will take care of everything. Try it.
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Good VPN
Good service with a good price. It has everything you would need from a good VPN.
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PIA is great!
Private Internet Access is probably investing it’s money towards improving it’s actual service. Other companies prefer to invest a lot in marketing and that’s why they are more known. While PIA flies a bit under the radar this one is far from being a bad VPN, quite the contrary.
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So many options for servers
Many, many servers. Much more than any other VPN out there. It’s hard to get the same server, in most countries. I like that you have so many options.
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Top-notch service
Been using PIA for a few years and never had any issues. It always seems to work well, with some servers having great download speeds while a few are not up to par. For me, it’s a top-notch service.
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Good VPN with a solid CS
I had a few interactions with support and with the exception of one time they did very well. Their knowledge database is very comprehensive and most questions are answered there.
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Used to be great
PIA used to be really great, I mean top 3 material but ever since they were bought by Kape Technologies, their services have gone downhill. Their support is not what it once was and I am not as confident in their security measures as I once was.
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Far better than what I thought it would be
PIA is less known that other companies like ExpressVPN and NordVPN. These last two say they’re the best but seeing PIA in action might change the mind of many. It sure changed mine.
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