The new acquisition might sound good on paper, considering the near one billion dollar deal, but it may not be all good. How might Kape’s acquisition affect users?
In this article, we shall discuss how it might affect users and whether it should matter.
ExpressVPN: An Overview
ExpressVPN is officially a British Virgin Islands-registered company.
It has been operating successfully without any significant issues for years. And, as of now, it remains a reliable VPN service.
Compared to other VPN providers, ExpressVPN proves to be on the expensive side. However, it does offer excellent customer support, satisfactory performance, and some industry-leading features.
Kape Technologies Now Owns ExpressVPN
Kape Technologies is a cybersecurity company that currently owns multiple VPN providers, including Private Internet Access (PIA), Zenmate, CyberGhost, and ExpressVPN.
A cybersecurity company behind VPN services sounds good, right? However, there is more to that.
Kape Technologies was formerly known as Crossrider, where they provided a development platform to make browser extensions, as reported by RestorePrivacy. And, it was a successful platform that let developers create extensions for multiple browsers easily.
Unfortunately, the company was also involved in providing monetization opportunities for ad injectors through their platform. In other words, when someone installs the browser extensions built on their platform, the user will get advertisements injected into their content without their consent.
Crossrider was also under fire because many malicious attackers used its platform to create malicious browser extensions.
Overall, the company may not have the best history to talk about.
Nonetheless, it seems that many subscribers have already canceled their subscriptions and have also asked for refunds after ExpressVPN announced its acquisition by Kape.
VPN Monopoly in the Industry: Bad for Consumers?
Kape Technologies is becoming a powerful cybersecurity force with its acquisitions.
Even though the companies acquired claim to operate independently of their parent companies, you might not trust them with the same level of confidence. The parent organization of a subsidiary influences a lot of things to ensure suitable business practice.
Collectively, with multiple VPN services under Kape Technologies’ umbrella, they can easily compete with independent VPN providers.
Considering they now own one of the most extensive portfolios of VPN services, the consumer will have fewer choices to switch.
Also, Kape Technologies owns review sites like VPNMentor, which operates without clear disclaimers. Is that a conflict of interest?
Overall, a sole entity like Kape Technologies controlling a vast number of VPN providers is bad news and can influence many users without their knowledge.
Should You Continue to Use ExpressVPN?
ExpressVPN services may have been exceptional, but Kape’s acquisition has made some users question whether they can realistically continue using it.
You could always switch to alternatives like TunnelBear, ProtonVPN, and Mullvard while exploring others that are potentially independent or operate with transparency.
Ultimately, the choice is yours. Right now, it’s too early to say with certainty what lies in store for ExpressVPN in the future.
