Can VPNs be traced by the police?

Virtual private networks are designed to preserve online privacy by encrypting internet traffic and hiding IP addresses that can be used to determine user location. Most users are aware of this when trying to access a site or service when abroad. The IP address generally triggers the loading of a URL in the local area and can limit access to a US service or site. A VPN can be used to bypass such restrictions and restrictions. For example, a US user traveling in Europe may be blocked to access paid streaming services that the user could access if he or she was physically located in the United States, a VPN masks the local European IP address and can allow the person to view US-based content.

A VPN server then replaces an IP address with its own as it passes on the encrypted data to the public Internet. For example, if you live in New York, your IP address shows that you are connecting from New York. But if you connect to a VPN server based in Amsterdam, the IP address seems to indicate that the user is based in the Netherlands.

On the surface, VPNs appear to hide a user’s digital footprint. However, they are not a guarantee of complete anonymity. E.g. ISLY APPLICATIONS ARE ASSESSMENT OF WHEN SOMEONE USE A VPN, but they don’t see specific online activity protected by a VPN, such as browser history, DNS queries, downloaded files and personal data. However, VPNs are useful for preventing big brother – in the form of different government agencies – from grabbing users and where they visit online. The use of an encrypted VPN tunnel offers a high degree of protection against unwanted eyes.

But VPNs are not a universal agent. If a system is hacked, a cyber criminal can learn what is going on, regardless of VPN. And in certain circumstances, the police and state agencies can be granted access to VPN data.

How can the police track a VPN?

Most of the time, the police are not allowed to track online behavior or access VPN data. But serious crimes change the equation. In the event of a major crime, the police may make a request to receive online data from a user’s ISP. If a VPN is used, the VPN provider may be asked to provide user information. For example, law enforcement has been able to access VPN data to track suspects of child pornography

VPN logs allowed investigators to find the perpetrators actual IP addresses. A direct IP address will not be available to the police as VPNs encrypt data and route them through their servers. However, other data provided to the police by a VPN provider can enable them to find out where a user is located.

What information can the police get from your VPN?

Police can legally apply to get certain types of information from a VPN provider. This includes:

• Log files on all the sites a user has visited.
• Services used while connected to VPN.
• Actual IP addresses.
• Connection logs (which provide details such as the time someone used a VPN to connect to a server).
• Billing information displaying your mailing address and bank details.

That said, some VPN providers promote a policy without logs, ie, they say that their service does not store any logs to give a further layer of anonymity. When the provider is forced to meet a request for access from the police, there is no data to disclose. But in most cases, there is some kind of data that exists. Billing information is typically available, which is why those who want secrecy prefer to pay in cryptocurrency.

Furthermore, some of those who say they have a policy without logs hold a kind of log files on down-low. The declaration of confidentiality must tell the story. And if a provider cannot provide a security audit or some form of independent verification of their privacy approvals, they can safely log some data.

In addition, VPN providers vary in their level of cooperation. Some are happy to give information to the police when they are provided with the right paperwork. Others are largely not cooperative. But even for them, enough pressure can be brought to bear that they are forced to comply.

Can the police track IP addresses?

If the police can access VPN connection logs, they may find a user’s actual IP address along with other information related to data usage and the times the user most often connects to VPN. If the police get such broad access, they can generally put the pieces together to identify a particular user device and determine the user’s identity.

Can Live Traffic be tracked?

The good news is that there is almost no way to track live, encrypted VPN traffic. Law enforcement can only get data if they are available, about visited sites and so on. Otherwise, hackers and snooping government agencies are generally blocked by the fact that the data is encrypted.

There are exceptions. If a user device is hacked or a VPN provider is infiltrated, malware can calmly feed VPN protected data for hackers and cyber criminals. Basic about security such as not clicking on malicious links and suspicious E emails apply, just as all the usual warnings not to fall prey for social technical tricks and fraud.

Similarly, it is recommended to keep operating systems, applications and VPN software updated via patching. Vulnerabilities need to be corrected to prevent violations. And in very rare cases, hackers can achieve the very encryption keys used to protect VPN data. It gives them access to VPN traffic.

How does the Nations’ Data Store Act affect VPN trace?

Some countries have the law on data storage and others do not. When data is sensitive, it is best to choose a VPN provider in the nations that are confidentiality conscious. Some regions make it clear that the provider has no legal obligation to share user data with governments. The British Virgin Islands, Panama and Switzerland provide a high degree of user data protection.

Other nations may be more cooperative with law enforcement. For example, certain nations require data to be stored for certain periods or within national borders. This means that there is a data warehouse somewhere containing VPN user data. This can again open the door to agencies within this country that can request or seize data from VPN companies in their jurisdictional area. Countries to see include USA, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Sweden, Spain Israel, Japan, Singapore and South Korea. VPN providers in these countries pose a certain data risk. In fact, all these countries are likely to cooperate with each other to force the VPN provider to pass on user information.

There are also very regulated countries such as China and North Korea, where the Internet is blocked unless national approved places and browsers are used. China has devised many ways to detect and limit the use of VPNs used to undermine its content limitation mechanisms. Anyone in China should suspect their data is available for any government agency that wants to review them.

Can VPNs be traced by someone in general?

The more technically sharp the individual, the higher the possibility that they may be able to track VPN data somehow. Although VPN changes an IP address and encrypts data, there are some ways to prevent anonymity. Netflix has been aggressive in finding ways to prevent any VPN user from illegal access to country-specific content. Few VPNs can now bypass this protection.

A hacker can also use malware to infect a device and reveal an actual IP address and confidential data. Also, be aware that cookies can give the game away. Even with all protection in place, VPN users can be averted by a cookie cache that contains preferences, visited sites, IP address, shopping basket history and more.

In addition, sophisticated users, agencies and businesses can utilize the browser’s fingerprints for profiles based on us and software installed on their device, their time zone, hardware specifications, screen resolution and other unique identifiers of the individual’s digital fingerprints. By crossing reference to all this, the user’s identity may be located or at least narrowed.

See: It Leader’s Guide to Cybersecurity Awareness Training (TechPublic Premium)

Are Corporate VPNS private?

On the business side, users of a company’s VPN may be subject to snooping from their own business. Employers generally have permission to track user activity online if they wish, and it applies to VPNs. It all depends on the commercial VPN that is in use. Some prevent employers from tracking employee data. Others allow it. But companies are likely to choose the VPNs that give them proof that a user is involved in espionage, intellectual property theft, malicious activity or visiting unproductive sites such as porn or entertainment. Therefore, those in a company environment that uses Corporate VPN tools should be aware of the risk and obligations of using some commercial systems.

And what about the good people on Google? They are former masters to trace everything that does something on the web. It includes tracking a user, whether they use a VPN or not. All you have to do is log in to a Google account, browser or service and “Google sees you.”

As an experiment, you need to log in to a VPN, then use a Google search engine or service and look for a very specific product, something you have never searched for before, e.g. A Stetson Hat or Crystal Lampshade. During the next day or two, see how many ads you suddenly get served on that item.

User tips

For anyone who wants to keep their IP address or data privately by using a VPN, the moral of the story is simple.

• Observe standard security practices while using a VPN such as patching, using anti-malware tools and avoiding social engineering fraud.
• Use paid VPNs and avoid free.
• Make sure your selected VPN not only has a policy without logs but an independently revised on it.
• Check which country your preferred VPN provider operates from and assess whether the country’s data storage law is in accordance with your needs.
• For employees, you need to learn what your organization’s policies are about VPNs. It is safe to expect those who use company-delivered machines to probably have some kind of company’s VPN that tracks their online traffic.

This article was originally published in May 2024. It was updated by Luis Millares in March 2025.