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The VPN Trust Initiative (VTI) has expanded its Trust Seal program into a yearly reaccreditation model, shifting the focus from one-time certification to ongoing review. The update is intended to make it clearer which of VPNs continue to meet the initiative's standards over time, rather than relying on a static designation.
The change comes as the best VPN services face increasing scrutiny from users and policymakers, with questions around transparency, data handling, and advertising practices becoming more prominent.
What is the VTI Trust Seal?
The VTI Trust Seal is awarded to VPN providers that demonstrate alignment with the principles set out by the VPN Trust Initiative.
It is designed to indicate that a provider meets defined expectations around responsible operation and transparency.
Assessment for the Trust Seal is based on five core areas:
- Security
- Privacy
- Disclosure and transparency
- Advertising practices
- Social responsibility
Under the expanded program, providers displaying the Trust Seal are subject to recurring review rather than a one-time evaluation.
VTI says the annual reaccreditation process is intended to reinforce long-term adherence to these standards and make it easier for users to distinguish services that continue to meet them.
What is the VTI?
The VPN Trust Initiative is an industry-led working group organized by the Internet Infrastructure (i2) Coalition.
It brings together VPN providers with the stated goal of improving transparency, defining shared best practices, and addressing policy and regulatory concerns related to VPN technology.
According to VTI, the initiative was formed in part to respond to confusion around how VPNs operate and how claims made by providers can be assessed.
Its principles serve as a reference point for both the industry and policymakers, and form the basis of the Trust Seal program and its newly introduced annual accreditation process.
Some of the top VPN’s on the market are a part of the VTI. VPNs like NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN are all members of the VPN Trust Initiative and all three have the VTI Trust Seal.
Other VPNs that are members of the VTI are:
- encrypt.me
- golden frog
- Hide.me
- IPVanish
- Ivacy VPN
- Net Project
- PureVPN
- SaferVPN
- StrongVPN
- Vipre
- VyprVPN
- WLVPN
- Ziff Davis
- fastvpn
- Mysterium VPN
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
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