ExpressVPN becomes the latest VPN provider to be embroiled in an auto-renewal lawsuit
Plaintiff Timothy Millar filed the lawsuit against the company in the US District Court for the Central District of California. He claims that ExpressVPN failed to clearly disclose its auto-renewal fee and did not receive consent before charging him.
Millar is looking to represent a group of Californian consumers who were charged at least one automatically recurring payment.
ExpressVPN isn't the only provider on our best VPN list to face legal action over auto-renew subscriptions. NordVPN is currently facing a similar case in New York over "deceptive" pricing practices.
Millar believes ExpressVPN has violated California's Automatic Renewal Law (ARL). This law aims to stop companies automatically charging customers without their consent.
In September 2022, Millar said he purchased a one month ExpressVPN subscription. He believed this was a one-time purchase as a result of ExpressVPN's "alleged misleading advertisements" and lack of disclosure. He said he did not consent to subscribing to an automatically renewing monthly plan.
A jury trial is being requested, along with damages for Millar and others.
Tom's Guide approached ExpressVPN for comment. The company said: "We are aware of the filing in relation to a subscription from several years ago and intend to defend it. Unfortunately, we cannot comment on the specific allegations made in this complaint."
"ExpressVPN has always prioritized transparency and giving users clear information about pricing, billing, and auto-renewal – this information is clear and highly visible at each step of the checkout process."
"As a cybersecurity company, providing uninterrupted protection is important to our customers. This subscription model ensures that customers get the protection they need, without fail, on their devices. Customers can switch auto-renew off anytime via their account dashboards or by contacting support."
"We remain focused on delivering value to our users; ensuring they retain control over their digital privacy."
ExpressVPN is not alone in its use of auto-renewal subscriptions – almost the entire VPN industry operates them in one way or another.
Plans will also tend to auto-renew at a higher price than what was originally offered. Again, this is common practice but issues arise around how this is communicated to users.
We recently researched VPN renewal prices, and the results weren't pretty. ExpressVPN's two-year plan was found to renew with a 133% price increase. NordVPN renewed at a 241% increase, while Surfshark renewed at a 230% increase.
However, the price increases themselves are not why we are seeing class-action lawsuits. These legal cases revolve around the communication of these prices and the automatic renewal of plans.
Users may not realise plans auto-renew and this is what has led to legal action.
The cases involving ExpressVPN and NordVPN are still ongoing. We do not know what the outcome will be and how, or if, they will affect the VPN industry.
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gizmodo
3 hours ago
- Gizmodo
Bypass Bluesky's Age Check in the UK: Tips for Easy Access
How to avoid age verification on Bluesky in the United Kingdom? It's pretty simple: use a VPN! You may be wondering why Bluesky implemented this system. Again, it's pretty simple: the Online Safety Act in the UK. The new law requires all sites with mature content to verify their visitors' age. While Bluesky isn't an entirely mature site, some of its content is deemed mature. To view this content, users have to verify they're 18+. What if they don't want to? They will get a limited experience and functions, which exclude adult content and direct messaging. If you bypass age verification on Bluesky with our trick, you can regain all these features. Do you know what a VPN is? It's an app that swaps your original IP with a new one in another country. NordVPN is a prime example, as it is the best and most popular VPN. Apart from changing your online location, NordVPN also secures your connection. It uses encryption and a no-log policy to ensure total privacy while bypassing Bluesky's age verification in the UK. This rids you of ISP surveillance and lets you browse and use Bluesky anonymously. How to use this VPN? Access Bluesky anonymously With NordVPN Subscribe to it using the blue button above. Now, install NordVPN on your device, launch the app, and connect to a server abroad, in a country where Bluesky doesn't use age verification. What happens next? You can use Bluesky and enjoy all features and adult content freely! NordVPN offers unlimited bandwidth and servers in 125+ countries. Additionally, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you no longer need it, you can get a refund. You have nothing to lose, and you have much to gain. You now know how to avoid age verification on Bluesky in the United Kingdom. However, some may wonder if it is worth using a VPN for this inconvenience. Many would agree that it is due to countless privacy concerns related to age verification in general. How do you verify your age? By providing an official ID, a credit card, or a face scan. Do you feel comfortable giving out this vital information to Bluesky or a third-party verification company? In this case, it's Kid Web Services or KWS, owned by Epic Games. If you answered with NO, you got it. People don't want to divulge their private information to verify their age. For this reason, they often use VPNs, such as NordVPN, to conceal their identity and use Bluesky in the UK in privacy. Of course, you can always play the game and verify your age. But since you're here, we reckon you want to avoid verifying your age on Bluesky, either way. Yes, it will! The same trick lets you overcome age verification on adult sites in the UK. Similarly, you can use it to sidestep the process on Reddit when you want to access NSFW subreddits. The Online Safety Act is here to stay, and we can only guess its next phase. So far, the future of adult content in the United Kingdom isn't so bright for privacy-focused users. On the other hand, the law is rooted in common sense. Protecting children from adult content is its #1 priority. We reckon it does that well as a nearly foolproof solution. Use this trick if you're an adult. If you're a minor, we're against adult content consumption. Try NordVPN Risk-Free Today
Gizmodo
10 hours ago
- Gizmodo
How to Unblock and Use 4chan in the UK: Complete Guide
Are you struggling to use 4chan in the United Kingdom? Consider yourself lucky! 4chan blocked access to all UK residents on July 25th. The decision was brought due to the Online Safety Act. For those uninformed, this act requires all websites with mature content to verify their visitors' age. However, this verification is usually realized through: Such requirements infringe on the user's privacy, which is why they're frowned upon. 4chan seems to agree, and after a tough decision, it decided to block access to all British visitors. But, there's a solution; read on. Unblocking restricted websites is easily facilitated through a VPN. We often recommend NordVPN because it's a jack of all trades. Above all, it's inexpensive, compatible with all devices, and secure. It offers servers in over 125 countries, ensuring you can swiftly change your IP. Unblock 4chan with NordVPN Speaking of which, that's fundamental for unblocking 4chan in the UK. You want to replace your UK IP with an IP address abroad. NordVPN lets you connect to a remote server, get its IP address, and overwrite your original UK IP. Now, you'll appear elsewhere online. Once you go to 4chan, the website should function regularly. Since the block only affects British visitors, any VPN server will work. NordVPN is a premium VPN that offers hefty discounts for long-term plans. However, it also has a 30-day money-back guarantee, which allows a full refund within the given period, so you'll lose nothing by testing it. Yes, 4chan is legal. If you examine its announcement to block access to UK visitors, you'll notice that it stems from the Online Safety Act. All websites with adult content wanting to remain operable need to implement age verification systems. 4chan is one of the rare examples of non-compliant websites. So, instead of breaching the Online Safety Act and violating visitors' privacy, it decided to block access. We've seen this scenario with Pornhub in Florida, for example. Instead of verifying age, Pornhub did the same. This means you can use 4chan in the UK without legal repercussions. 4chan used the 'self-ban' method to restrict access to its site. If the UK government banned it, then it would be illegal. As you've likely noticed, it's getting increasingly difficult to access adult content in the UK. Unblocking 4chan in the UK is easy, and luckily, the same goes for other websites, applications, and platforms. Pornhub requires age verification; so does Reddit. They're different because you can use them IF you comply and verify your age. However, if you use NordVPN or any other VPN, you can bypass age verification and not infringe on your privacy. The Online Safety Act is here to stay, and we reckon it could only be more stringent. We support its goal of protecting children and minors from obscene content. Simultaneously, this comes at the cost of privacy. Fortunately, a risk-free VPN like NordVPN helps alleviate the inconvenience. It provides additional security and privacy for adult content consumers, letting them leave no traces of their digital whereabouts. Try NordVPN risk-free now
Gizmodo
10 hours ago
- Gizmodo
How to Bypass Age Verification on Reddit in the UK
As of July 2025, many Brits are looking for ways to bypass age verification on Reddit in the United Kingdom. The platform's implementation of age verification is a result of the Online Safety Act enacted on July 25th. It explicitly states that all websites with mature content should first verify their visitors' age via a government-issued ID or a face scan. However, you don't have to have eagle-eye vision to see why this is a privacy issue. So, is there a way to bypass age verification on Reddit in the UK? Of course. The trick explained below also works on porn sites. This makes it suitable for watching porn anonymously in the UK or abroad. Let's cut to the chase. You'll need a VPN to fix this problem. We often mention NordVPN as the best pick, and people online agree. NordVPN offers many worldwide servers, impenetrable security, robust privacy, and unlimited bandwidth. But why is this important for this case? Because you must change your IP address to sidestep age verification on Reddit. Connecting to a server from NordVPN will give you another IP address instead of your native UK IP address. Subscribe to it, install it on your device, and connect to a server in the country where Reddit doesn't verify users' age. Bypass Age Verification with NordVPN Once you connect, visit Reddit, and you'll be able to use it normally. NordVPN is compatible with all devices. This means you can unblock Reddit in the UK on your phone, tablet, desktop, or laptop computer. Additionally, it provides ten simultaneous connections per account. Most importantly, NordVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you no longer need it, you can promptly get a refund and lose nothing. Bypassing age verification on Reddit in the UK is straightforward and risk-free. Okay, so the root of the issue is the Online Safety Act. We call this an issue because it obviously is, at least for you. Otherwise, the Online Safety Act is a smart decision, which aims to protect children from mature content. Porn sites are among the first targets. They, after all, provide the 'purest' form of adultery. However, according to the Online Safety Act, sites like Pornhub, YouTube, Google, and Bluesky are also targeted. While they're accessible in the UK, age verification is required only on pages/videos with mature content. Now, there are two ways to go about it: In most cases, this is a one-time process, so once you get over it, you'll never be asked to do it again. However, this applies to a single website. If you verify your age on Reddit, you'll have to do it on Bluesky, for example. Yes, it is. Using VPN services is also legal in the United Kingdom. The problem, at least for us, is bypassing age verification on Reddit or any other site as a child or, generally, an underage person. In a way, you're breaching the law because you're not allowed to see the content. If you're an adult, it's way different. While you're circumventing age verification, you're sure you're old enough to watch porn, read Reddit's mature threads, etc. We'd never recommend minors consuming mature content. Simultaneously, we can't control what you're doing online. And don't want to. Try NordVPN Risk-Free
