That Hotspot Shield is subject to a complaint about its arguably dubious practices is not at all surprising to anyone who has used the software before. That may be a legal or illegal use depending on the spokesperson for a given industry, but it’s what most individual consumers would use a VPN for, and Hotspot Shield has long been one of the most popular options on the market. However, it’s well-known that VPNs such as Hotspot Shield are mostly used to bypass geo-restrictions on content. Ostensibly its primary use is privacy: VPNs bypass the IP address of the Internet service provider and allows users to connect to a site without identifying their location. Hotspot Shield, like other VPN providers, is used by users for a number of purposes.

These VPN logs serve a variety of functions, ranging from operations to delivery of third-party advertising.” “VPN providers may log data about this connection. “When using VPN service, a user’s internet connections are routed through servers either run by or controlled by the VPN provider,” CDT Director Michelle De Mooy said in a blog post. In addition to the accusation that Hotspot Shield is actively keeping logs on users, the software is also accused of using JavaScript code to forcibly inject its own advertising into web pages being visited by its users. “Hotspot Shield’s description for its iOS and Android mobile applications declares a ‘no logs’ policy however, its Privacy Policy, which covers and includes its Hotspot Shield services, describes more elaborate logging practices,” the CDT claims in its filing. The CDT also said Hotspot Shield is engaging in unfair and deceptive trade practices by interfering with web traffic and redirecting it to partner websites such as those of advertising companies. The accusations come from the Center for Democracy & Technology, which claims in its 14-page filing that Hotspot Shield is monitoring its users in breach of its own stated policies. Popular virtual private network provider Hotspot Shield has been accused of spying on its users and injecting its own advertising into web pages, according to a newly filed Federal Trade Commission complaint.

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