Published on: May 1, 2024
Private Internet Access (PIA) announced it recently had its no-logs policy audited by a third-party cybersecurity firm. It’s also released a new version of its Android app, featuring a redesign and updates to the app’s underlying code.
The security audit was conducted by Deloitte Audit Romania. The company reviewed PIA’s VPN server network and management systems and confirmed that PIA’s server configurations don’t allow for the identification of any individual user or tracking of specific online activities, per the company’s strict no-logs policy.
“They verified that our configurations are not designed to identify a particular user and
cannot be exploited to pinpoint specific online activity. It’s how we envisioned and designed our VPN service. We’re committed to digital freedom and data protection,” PIA explains in its announcement.
In addition to the server audit, Deloitte examined PIA’s dedicated IP token-based system, designed to prevent any association between dedicated IP addresses and user subscriptions. Users can find the full report in their PIA accounts.
The update to the Android app introduces enhanced customization for users, including a new server sorting feature, which helps users to quickly find the fastest servers available or any server they’re looking for — in addition to filtering server locations by name and latency, you can also search by Favorites.
“Our sleek new interface aims to make navigating through the app a breeze, so you can find what you need faster and with less effort,” PIA says on its blog post.
Arguably, the most important addition to the Android app is Shadowsocks, its obfuscation feature. PIA’s Shadowsocks servers make your VPN traffic look more like normal internet data and freely surf the web in restrictive countries like China.
Finally, the provider says the entire app has been rewritten in Kotlin, a programming language known for its clarity, which supports a clean architecture to streamline future development and feature integration.
PIA plans to extend these interface improvements to other operating systems soon and has made the updated code open-source for public review on their GitHub page. Regarding its audit, the VPN provider said it will “explore the opportunity for future security audits” and noted that it’s ” committed to regular third-party audits, as we want to make sure our service adheres to the highest security standards.”