StraightVPN Review 2024 – A Huge Potential Security Risk
StraightVPN claims to offer fast speeds through its WireGuard servers, which only users have access to. I have found that this leaves a lot to be desired.
it offers unlimited bandwidth and no speed limits on the free and premium plans. Its servers use WireGuard Protocol for increased speed and, depending on the provider, improved connectivity. In addition to these features, StraightVPN servers are only accessible to users.
StraightVPN offers users 1 US-based server on its free plan, and 5 additional servers on Premium; including France (2), the Netherlands (2) and Germany (1). A VPN with a small number of servers isn’t necessarily a problem, but I discovered that this VPN is missing from more servers.
Table of Contents
Lack of time ? Here are my main conclusions:
- 6 servers in 4 countries
- Easy installation, less than 5 minutes
- Unnecessary authorization request
- Android only
Speeds
I tried to connect to the free US server after installation but received the dreaded buffer circle. I gave it about 10 minutes to log in but it ended up expiring.
Free US based StraightVPN server, buffered and then expired.
I checked my internet connection, which was working fine, so I uninstalled and reinstalled the app thinking maybe something had loaded wrong. I tried to connect to the US server again with the same result.
Since it is not uncommon for free servers to be overloaded with traffic and load slowly or buffer, I decided to take advantage of the 3 day free trial to test Premium servers. The FAQ section of the StraightVPN app says you won’t have to deal with disconnections or buffering on Premium servers, so I was hopeful. No chance.
The StraightVPN France 1, Germany 1 and Netherlands Premium servers expired before establishing a connection.
I tested a server in each Premium location. Even though it allowed me to try to connect to the servers, each one only buffered then expired like free server. Not only that, it kept asking me to buy premium. Why would i do this when I couldn’t even connect to a Premium server?
Although it is disappointing, I am not surprised. A server network made up of 6 servers can only handle limited traffic, regardless of server type, protocols or user access only.
security
While WireGuard servers look impressive, very few VPN services have been able to securely integrate the WireGuard protocol. After saying that he offers WireGuard servers only accessible to StraightVPN users, he does not offer any information about the level of encryption, other available protocols, a kill switch, malware blockers, firewalls, or any other standard VPN security information. The site and app claim the service is secure, but don’t offer a lot of detail about what it uses to secure your data.
On top of that, the privacy policy does not inspire much confidence in its ability to secure user data, with a laundry list of information they may keep and cookies they use. You can disable these cookies by disabling them by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page or the browser add-on for opting out of Google Analytics, but most legitimate VPNs offer an in-app option to disable certain types of data collection or cookies.
An excerpt from StraightVPN’s privacy policy, with potentially collected information highlighted.
Digging deeper, I decided to check app permissions like I do for all mobile apps, and what I have found could potentially put your location, image and device data at stake for offers to third parties.
A screenshot of StraightVPN’s lengthy permission requests.
StraightVPN not only asks for permission to read the status and identity of your phone, an application that could potentially leave IMEI information handy, but it also wants permission from take photos and videos. If you look under Other, it also wants permission to use your fingerprint material but a quick check of the app will show that it does not offer connection via biometrics (fingerprint scan). I tested it and never got the option once.
Other permissions are troublesome but these were the most troubling. This is why reading and understanding the application authorization application is so important. While it is incredibly difficult to get personal information like your IMEI by reading the status and identity of the phone, it is possible. Also, the last thing you want is an app that has nothing to do with a camera or photo editing software accessing your camera to take photos and videos.
Pro tip: Downloading VPN apps without reviewing permission requests creates a huge potential risk to your privacy, security, and identity. Be on the look for VPNs that ask for permissions like reading phone status and identity, using fingerprints or biometric hardware (where no fingerprint login option exists), or taking photos and videos. To get a good idea of secure permissions, check out app permissions for our best VPNs for Android. Please note that it is not uncommon for browsers with built-in VPNs (like Opera) to request access to photos and videos as well as biometric material. This is because you can fingerprint certain accounts on your phone using the browser or use a social network site add-on to take photos.
Can it unblock Netflix?
I was unable to access any server to test this feature.
Torrent
Don’t torrent with this VPN, even if you can connect to a server. With no kill switch and the frequent timeouts I encountered while trying to log in, you could put yourself at risk of being tracked when the server finally goes offline. Especially on the free server, as it automatically logs you out after half an hour.
Price
$ 0.00 / month
Money back guarantee
14
Does the VPN keep logs?
No
Number of servers
6
Number of devices per license
1
Immobilizer
Yes
