There is no shortage of VPN comparison sites, and users rightly expect these to offer an independent and balanced assessment of the providers they are reviewing. But it is a very different matter when we are talking about comparison sites.
We can see the merits of both positions when talking about VPN providers themselves. Advocates argue that acquisitions allow providers to offer the best possible service to customers and they promote innovation. There is undeniably a debate to be had around the benefits or otherwise of consolidation within the VPN sector.Ĭritics will say that it stymies competition, and the inevitable end result is an oligopoly of providers. Back in October 2021, they bought a company called Pango, an identity protection tool that, among other things, can block robot calls. Kape picked up Wizcase another VPN review site as part of the deal.Īura is clearly looking to follow in Kape Technology's footsteps, and this is not the first such purchase they have made. Kape Technologies, which owns ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost, and Zenmate, also recently acquired the site. This is not the first time a VPN review site has been bought out by a VPN owner. Great news for Patterson but potentially less so for Comparitech readers as some might question the site's editorial independence as it is now owned by a company with a vested interest in the sector.
It has been very successful, and the deal for Aura to buy the site is claimed to be between US$50 million and US$100 million. Its focus is on VPNs, but it does also look at a wide variety of other online security and privacy technology.
HOTSPOT SHIELD VPN NETFLIX FREE
You are probably not familiar with Aura, but they are the owners of the often controversial free VPN service Hotspot Shield.Ĭ a UK-based site was founded in 2016 by Richard Patterson and targets its reviews at consumers in the UK, USA, and beyond. It has been revealed by recently launched and little known VPNCheck that has been acquired by a company called / Pango. The latest VPN review site to be bought out by the owner of a VPN is Comparitech.
Hotspot Shield owner now owns Comparitech too Sadly, that is not the case with all review sites. uk remains 100% independent, and our relationship with VPN providers stretches no further than the affiliate payments we are open and transparent about throughout our site. But when it comes to review sites, websites like .uk that review and rank VPN providers, it is not unreasonable for readers to expect some editorial independence. This is the nature of the free market, of course. It can be hard to keep track of which provider is linked to which. Purchases and acquisitions are making the VPN world more and more convoluted as big providers buy out smaller rivals.
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