Industry Investigation
VPN Review Site Conflicts of Interest
Many VPN review sites are owned by the very companies they review. Here's what you need to know.
Why This Matters
When a VPN company owns a review site, there's an inherent conflict of interest. The review site has financial incentive to promote its parent company's products, even if they're not the best choice for consumers. This page documents known ownership conflicts in the VPN review industry.
Major VPN Review Site Ownership Conflicts
Companies that own both VPN services and review sites
| Parent Company | VPN Services Owned | Review Sites/Media Owned | Conflict Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kape Technologies (Unikmind) | ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, ZenMate | vpnMentor, Wizcase | Critical |
| Ziff Davis (J2 Global) | IPVanish, StrongVPN, Encrypt.me | PCMag, CNET, Speedtest (Ookla) | Critical |
| Aura / Pango Group | Hotspot Shield, Betternet, Ultra VPN, VPN 360, OVPN | Comparitech, ProPrivacy (formerly) | Critical |
| Gaditek | PureVPN, IvacyVPN | Multiple VPN review websites | High |
Kape Technologies: The Largest VPN/Review Conflict
Formerly Crossrider (adware company), now controls 4 major VPNs and 2 major review sites
VPN Services Owned
- ExpressVPN - Acquired for $936M in 2021
- CyberGhost - Acquired in 2017
- Private Internet Access - Acquired in 2019
- ZenMate - Acquired in 2018 (merged into CyberGhost)
Review Sites Owned
- vpnMentor - Major VPN comparison site
- Wizcase - VPN reviews and guides
Why This Is Problematic
- vpnMentor and Wizcase frequently rank Kape-owned VPNs (ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, PIA) in top positions
- Kape was previously known as Crossrider, a company associated with adware/malware distribution
- Company rebranded to Kape in 2018 after reputation issues
- Disclosure of ownership on these review sites is often minimal or buried
- In 2024, layoffs (~180 jobs) and departure of ExpressVPN co-founders raised questions about company direction
Ziff Davis: Media Giant with VPN Conflicts
Owns major tech publications AND VPN services AND the speed test tool everyone uses
VPN Services Owned
- IPVanish - Consumer VPN
- StrongVPN - Consumer VPN
- Encrypt.me - Consumer VPN
- WLVPN - White-label VPN service
Media Properties Owned
- PCMag - Major tech review publication
- CNET - Acquired in 2024
- Speedtest by Ookla - The speed test tool
- Mashable - Tech news site
Why This Is Problematic
- PCMag reviews VPNs while its parent company owns IPVanish, StrongVPN, and Encrypt.me
- Disclosure only appears on the US version of PCMag; international redirects hide it
- Ziff Davis owns Speedtest (Ookla) - the tool many reviewers use to test VPN speeds
- With the 2024 CNET acquisition, the conflict extends to another major tech publication
- Link cloaking practices can obscure the affiliate nature of VPN recommendations
Aura / Pango Group: Consumer Security Conglomerate
Digital security company with VPN portfolio and review site ownership
VPN Services Owned
- Hotspot Shield - Major consumer VPN
- Betternet - Free VPN service
- Ultra VPN - Consumer VPN
- VPN 360 - Mobile VPN
- OVPN - Acquired by Pango in May 2023
Review Sites Connected
- Comparitech - VPN comparison and security research
- ProPrivacy - VPN reviews (previously connected)
Timeline of Consolidation
- 2015: AnchorFree acquires JustVPN & TouchVPN
- 2016: Pango purchases Betternet
- 2020: Aura acquires Pango
- 2023: Pango acquires OVPN
- 2024: Aura spins off Pango Group as separate entity
How to Identify Conflicted VPN Reviews
Red flags that suggest a VPN review may be biased
Warning Signs
- 1.No clear disclosure of ownership or affiliate relationships
- 2.Same VPNs always rank in top positions across all categories
- 3.Testing methodology is vague or not published
- 4.Negative reviews of parent company's competitors
- 5.Disclosure buried in footer or separate page
What Independent Reviews Look Like
- 1.Clear ownership disclosure on every page
- 2.Published, reproducible testing methodology
- 3.Evidence citations for claims
- 4.Willingness to criticize popular VPNs
- 5.No ownership ties to VPN providers
The VPN Matrix Independence Guarantee
How we maintain editorial independence
The VPN Matrix is not owned by, affiliated with, or invested in by any VPN provider or parent company that owns VPN services.
Our Commitments
- We purchase all VPN subscriptions ourselves
- We will never accept payment to review a VPN
- We will never accept payment to improve a rating
- Our methodology is published with weighted criteria
- Revenue breakdown is publicly disclosed
Verification
- Registered UK company
- No VPN company investors
- No parent company with VPN holdings
- Evidence citations on all claims
- 28-criteria methodology with public weights
Sources & Further Reading
- Privacy Guides: "The Trouble with VPN and Privacy Review Sites"
- Kape Technologies SEC filings and acquisition announcements
- Ziff Davis corporate structure and subsidiary disclosures
- RestorePrivacy/TechNadu investigations into VPN ownership
- FTC Endorsement Guides (USA) - Disclosure requirements
Last updated: January 21, 2026
This page is part of our commitment to transparency in VPN reviews.