NordVPN is one of our favorite virtual private network providers on the market, thanks to its ability to maintain blisteringly fast internet speeds and its top-notch privacy features. Like most VPN companies, Nord touts a strict no-logging policy, claiming that it doesn’t track your web activity while you’re using its servers. Although you can, and should, remain skeptical of no-logging assertions, third-party audits back up VPN providers’ claims. In an effort to verify that it doesn’t record users’ online activities, NordVPN underwent an audit by Deloitte.
NordVPN provides additional transparency with a fourth no-logs audit
At the end of 2023, professional services firm Deloitte performed an audit of NordVPN’s claims that it doesn’t log its users’ online activities. During its evaluation, Deloitte analyzed Nord’s privacy features, including its base VPN, obfuscation, Onion over VPN (Tor), double VPN and P2P servers (which are meant for use with file-sharing software, like torrent clients). Onion over VPN and a double VPN further encrypt your web traffic for enhanced privacy, making it even harder to determine potentially identifying information like your IP address. Obfuscation tries to trick websites and apps from realizing that you’re using a VPN.
As Deloitte explains in its full report, it found no evidence of activity like web browsing data or IP addresses being stored. But if you’re like me and watch way too much Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, you’ll know that “no evidence” doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be found. A no-log audit shouldn’t be seen as a guarantee that your data isn’t being stored, but more as a trust signal that offers peace of mind. Deloitte can only comment on what it observed during the audit itself. Its analysis, Nov. 30 to Dec. 7, uncovered no evidence of logging. Notably, Deloitte audited Nord in 2022 as well, so these regular examinations compensate somewhat for these quick observation windows.
Ultimately, when you use a VPN, you’re trusting that company with your data. NordVPN’s continued commitment to transparency coupled with its privacy features like a double VPN and Onion over VPN are strong trust signals. Moreover, Nord’s Panama jurisdiction lies outside of the Five Eyes and Fourteen Eyes intelligence-sharing alliances, which is further reassurance, especially for folks with serious privacy concerns like activists or investigative journalists.
With more VPN providers undergoing third-party audits -- our Editors’ Choice ExpressVPN underwent a whopping 12 independent audits in 2022 -- it’s refreshing that this trend continues. For the second year in a row (2022 and 2023), NordVPN contracted Deloitte to verify its no-logging claims, so hopefully this trajectory keeps going with an audit in 2024.
Aside from its excellent privacy features, NordVPN remains one of the fastest VPNs on the planet. If you’re considering signing up, check out how NordVPN and ExpressVPN -- two of our favorite virtual private network services -- compare in our head-to-head matchup.
