World-famous VPN company embroiled in class-action lawsuit
A class-action lawsuit has been filed against NordVPN, with the provider's practices around automatic subscription renewals brought into question.
NordVPN is not the only provider to adopt these tactics – many of the best VPNs do, and indeed it's part and parcel of most subscription service industries – but the lawsuit claims that NordVPN's are "illegal" and "deceptive".
The claim names Nordvpn S.A, Tefincom SA, and Nordsec B.V. as the defendants, and Lanzy Kandeh as the plaintiff.
It was first filed on March 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, with violations of state consumer laws alleged.
It is alleged that Nord Security doesn't adequately warn customers that their subscriptions will auto-renew. The lawsuit describes this practice as a "negative option" feature.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says this is a "condition under which a seller may interpret a consumer's silence, failure to take an affirmative action to reject a product or service, or failure to cancel an agreement as acceptance or continued acceptance of the offer."
Put simply, unless you cancel your NordVPN subscription, the provider will assume you want it to continue and automatically renew your subscription – at an inflated price.
The lawsuit claims these are "deceptive and unlawful subscription practices" and argues they are "designed to entrap consumers".
Lanzy Kandeh claims he didn't know his NordVPN subscription would renew automatically. He said he was "charged $119.08 for another year of that subscription that he did not want".
According to the claim, Nord Security is said to mislead users in the following six ways:
As well as himself, Kandeh is looking to represent any New Yorker affected by auto-renewals and is seeking damages of $50 million.
Kandeh reported that he subscribed to a two-year NordVPN plan in December 2023 and then a one-year subscription to Incogni data removal service – which is owned by Nord Security.
He said that Nord Security "deceived" him into believing the Incogni subscription would cease after one year. But the plan auto-renewed and Kandeh said he couldn't work out how to cancel his NordVPN and Incogni subscriptions.
A refund was obtained via PayPal, but Kandeh said he "did not authorize or want his Nord Subscriptions to renew".
A similar case was brought against NordVPN in 2024 and was filed in a Colorado federal court. Again, "deceptive" auto-renewal tactics were the subject of the lawsuit.
It's not just NordVPN that has faced these accusations. In 2022, an investigation was opened against Proton VPN. Its auto-renewal tactics were described as "potentially fraudulent."
Tom's Guide reached out to NordVPN regarding the lawsuit. A NordVPN spokesperson said: "Nord Security continuously strives to provide an excellent customer experience and complies with legal requirements."
"We have responded to the lawsuits but cannot comment on the specific allegations at this time, other than to state that we are and always have been very clear about the recurring nature of our services."
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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Tom's Guide
4 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
We asked cybersecurity experts to build a privacy toolbox for $10 per month – here's what they came up with, and more
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NordVPN Plus: get a $20 Amazon gift card + 4 months freeNordVPN is our #1 VPN. It's fast, secure, private, and great for streaming. What you'll get... • Protection for up to 10 devices• Speeds of 950 Mbps+• Streaming service unblocking• Post-quantum encryption• Threat Protection Pro• NordPass password manager• 30-day money-back guarantee• $20 Amazon gift card (for a limited time only)• 28 months protection for $3.76 per month ($105.36 up front pre-tax) Every tool we recommend here is reputable and will protect your data – that's for sure. But not every product will be right for you. We've therefore tried to include a range of different products, at different prices, allowing you to decide what's best for you. No matter what privacy bundle you want to create, a VPN is a must have in all of them. VPNs protect your privacy online by routing your internet traffic through an encrypted tunnel. 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The software can scan your device and its files for malware, warn you about suspicious links, block sites, and detect data leaks. It can't protect you if you give away your information but it'll do its utmost to warn you before that happens. If you weren't already aware, the computing world is full of potential threats: malware, infostealers, ransomware, phishing attacks and more. Whether you don't know what any of that means, don't want to deal with it or want to make sure you have the best protection against all of it, you're going to need an effective antivirus software. Our top picks: Bitdefender Total Security: from $4.17 per month. Effective, real-time, malware and phishing protection. It can scan your system and is easy-to-use. Norton 360 Deluxe: from $4.17 per month. Security giant with a feature-rich offering, including a decent VPN. Malwarebytes Plus: from $2.81 per month A cheap, light, alternative for those looking for basic malware protection without the fuss. 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Its quick and custom scans learn your computer's file structure and the Advanced Threat Detection can monitor your system for suspicious activity in real-time to stop infections before they occur. The interface is clear and efficient to use, there's a firewall, and webcam protection. You'll also get a free VPN and a secure browser, but you'll likely want alternatives to these. If you want more than NordPass, 1Password is our top choice. It's accessible on a variety of platforms and has a Travel Mode feature that can hide your passwords at international borders. The "masked" email addresses feature is a privacy bonus and there's autofill and passkey support. Security monitoring tools will list weak or reused passwords, and alert you about unsecured or breached websites and logins. 2FA, mobile app PIN unlock, and biometric login are also present. Secure browsers are more of a personal preference. 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Signal is the most popular WhatsApp alternative, but you do have to sign up with a phone number. All of these products will protect your online privacy, but in this bundle we'll detail some tools that have the highest levels of privacy – and even some that delve into the world of anonymity. Total Cost = $21.27 per month Mullvad VPN is one of the most private VPNs available. Mullvad is a no-logging VPN and its privacy policy goes into specific detail of the types of data it collects and for what purpose. Mullvad VPN is open source so you can examine it for yourself and it protects your data with post-quantum encryption. You can even pay for Mullvad in cash and its €5 per month price (approx $5.82) never changes. Mullvad also launched its own secure browser. Proton Pass is an encrypted password manager and Proton makes privacy its mission. It uses AES-256 encryption and is open source. It's zero-knowledge, so only you can see your passwords and it supports biometric logins. There's 2FA, passkey support, and account recovery capabilities. Tor is a decentralized network, run by volunteers, that focuses on anonymity and privacy. The Tor Browser routes your traffic through three relays before connecting to the internet. The website, and anyone watching, will see a connection from Tor and not your IP address. There's no browsing history and cookies are only valid for one session. Fingerprinting is prevented as all users look the same and your traffic is encrypted at each relay. Because of the relays, Tor is a much slower browser than others, so you may find it harder to use on a day-to-day basis. For messaging apps, we're going with Session. It's based on Signal but has more privacy-focused features. You don't need an email or phone number to sign up – instead you get a random Session ID. Like Tor, it's decentralized and your messages are end-to-end encrypted. Almost no metadata is collected and it's been audited. 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If you want any privacy issues fixing automatically, you'll need to pay $109.99 per year for Norton's Privacy Monitor Assistant add-on – and that's quite a considerable downside. It's not just your desktop that requires privacy protection, it's your mobile too. NordVPN has great iPhone and Android apps. They might be a little complex for absolute beginners, but if you're familiar with VPNs then you shouldn't have any trouble. NordPass is the best password manager for mobile. It's intuitive, simple, and is included with all NordVPN plans except NordVPN Basic. Total Cost = $5.01 per month Bitdefender Mobile Security offers its top-tier antivirus in mobile form, for both Android and iPhone. It's fairly cheap and has a tonne of security features. One of which is app lock which can turn off apps that may pose a security risk. Again, secure browsers are a personal preference. Although I use Brave on my laptop, I prefer Vivaldi on my phone. 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Newsweek
8 hours ago
- Newsweek
Zohran Mamdani Ends Triumphant Week With New Endorsements
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Let's stand with Zohran." Mamdani on X on Thursday: "On Tuesday, New Yorkers delivered a mandate for a Mayor who puts working people first and makes this city affordable for all." What Happens Next? Mamdani is now expected to ramp up general election campaigning, widening his coalition and consolidating support from key Democratic constituencies. With national attention focused on New York, endorsements and opposition will likely intensify ahead of the mayoral general election in November.
Boston Globe
12 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Lindsay Clancy's testing by government experts to be streamed live for defense but not recorded, prosecutor says
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