Exposed: How Israeli Spies Control Your VPN

by Alan Macleod

Part 3 - Poacher Turned Online Gamekeepers?

Before 2018, Kape Technologies was known as Crossrider and was often considered a malware company. Crossrider was a platform that allowed its clients to monetize their software by forcing ads in front of users’ eyes. Users’ computers, both PC and Mac, had their browsers hijacked, changing their homepages to a search engine not of their choosing to generate advertising revenue for the company. Although Crossrider did not produce malware or viruses, its platform was notorious for allowing third parties to distribute such malware worldwide.

Thus, few people in the tech community were impressed when it changed its name to Kape Technologies and pivoted towards online privacy and protecting the public from unscrupulous actors. Erlichman told a local Israeli outlet that the name change and rebranding were necessary due to the “strong association to the past activities of the company.” In other words, the group had built up such a bad reputation that a complete facelift was necessary.

In 2017, Crossrider/Kape purchased its first VPN—CyberGhost—for $10 million. It then went on a shopping spree, acquiring several well-known companies, including ZenMate in 2018 for $5.5 million, Private Internet Access in 2019 for $126 million, and ExpressVPN in 2021 for a reported $936 million—by far the world’s most costly VPN acquisition to date.

It also bought a host of VPN review sites, such as vpnMentor and Wizcase – platforms that purport to supply readers with expert information about which VPN would be best for them. vpnMentor insists that this considerable conflict of interest does not affect their ratings. “Everything we do at vpnMentor is centered around providing value through honesty, transparency, and dedication,” they write. It is a remarkable coincidence that their award for the best three VPNs overall went to ExpressVPN, CyberGhost and Private Internet Access – all Kape Technologies products. In fact, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost and Private Internet swept the medal positions in every category: best VPN for torrents, for Windows, for Android, for Mac, for iOS, and for American users. Wizcase’s 2024 top 3 VPN recommendations also went to ExpressVPN, CyberGhost and Private Internet Access. Indeed, when visiting the website ranking page, users are met with a gigantic popup ad for a special deal on an ExpressVPN subscription.

Source, links:

https://www.mintpressnews.com/exposed-how-israeli-spies-control-your-vpn/288259/

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