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A VPN “no-logs” or “zero-log” label is not enough to tell you what data a provider collects. There is no standardized, independently enforced distinction between the two terms in the evidence reviewed here. To assess a VPN, check its specific promises about browsing and DNS activity, connection metadata, diagnostics, account records, retention, and independent audits.
What counts as a VPN log?
Logging covers several different kinds of information. The key questions are what is recorded, how long it is kept, and whether records can be linked to you or your account.
Activity and traffic data
Activity logs can reveal what happens through the VPN tunnel: websites visited, DNS queries, destinations, app or service use, or traffic contents. A claim that a provider does not log browsing activity is a claim about this category; it does not automatically cover every other kind of data.
Connection metadata
Connection records describe a VPN session rather than its contents. They may include your original IP address, the VPN server used, session start or end times, and bandwidth. Even without browsing history, identifying connection details may matter if they can be linked to a person or account.
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Data outside the tunnel
Providers may also hold account, subscription, payment, support, reliability-diagnostic, or aggregate performance information. These records are not necessarily activity logs, but they still matter to the broader question of what information a company has. Mozilla, for example, says it does not log browsing activity while describing technical information collection for reliability and quality, including connection stability and crashes, as well as feature-use data. Mozilla’s VPN privacy information illustrates why “does not log browsing” is not the same as “collects no data.”
Does “zero-log” mean something different from “no-logs”?
Do not assume the labels describe two formal, universal standards. The reviewed evidence does not establish “zero-log” as a standardized category with independent enforcement. Treat either phrase as a provider’s claim, then read the policy for the data categories it excludes, any information it retains, and the conditions under which records could be linked.
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For a useful comparison, ask the provider what it means by “logs” and whether its promise covers activity, DNS, destinations, traffic contents, and identifiable connection metadata. Then check separately for diagnostics, aggregated metrics, account data, and payment information.
How to compare VPN logging policies
Compare providers using the same categories. A clear policy should explain what is collected, why it is collected, whether it can be associated with a user, and how long it is retained.
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| Category | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Activity and DNS | Whether browsing activity, DNS queries, destinations, app or service use, and traffic contents are recorded. |
| Connection metadata | Whether the original IP address, assigned VPN IP, server identity, timestamps, or bandwidth are recorded. |
| Diagnostics and performance | What reliability, crash, feature-use, or aggregate metrics are collected, and whether they can be linked to an account or session. |
| Account and payment | What subscription, billing, support, and account records exist outside the VPN tunnel. |
| Retention and linkage | How long each category is kept, whether it is de-identified, and whether separate records can be combined. |
| Audit | Who conducted it, when, which systems and regions it covered, and whether it examined active server configurations and logging practices. |
| Transparency reporting | Whether the provider dates reports, identifies request types and jurisdictions, and explains what information was available to disclose. |
The VTI Principles 2.0 call for providers to explain what connection logs they keep, why, and for how long. VTI Principles 2.0 are useful as a checklist, not proof that a provider complies.
What can an audit prove?
An independent audit is evidence about the systems and period that were actually examined; it is not a blanket guarantee about every server, configuration, subscription tier, or future change. Before relying on one, check whether its scope covers production VPN servers, DNS and timestamps, destinations, account linkage, regions and plans, active logging configurations, and change controls. A review of policy wording or a limited app review cannot, by itself, establish how every part of a provider’s infrastructure behaves.
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Proton VPN’s 2026 audit
Proton says Securitum’s 2026 review was its fifth consecutive annual audit and describes checks of server configurations, operating procedures, traffic, metadata, destinations, and change controls. Proton reproduces the auditor’s finding: “The technical evidence reviewed during the engagement did not indicate that the examined Proton VPN server infrastructure logs users’ browsing activity, DNS queries, destination services, network traffic contents or user-identifiable connection metadata.” This is a finding about the examined infrastructure, not a statistical claim about all VPN services or a guarantee of future practices. Proton’s account of the 2026 Securitum audit links to further audit information.
DuckDuckGo VPN’s audit
DuckDuckGo says cybersecurity firm Securitum audited its VPN and supporting infrastructure between October 2025 and January 2026. The company’s summary describes technical inspection, proprietary source-code review, and live-system analysis, and reports no user-attributable connection metadata such as DNS traffic, no traffic inspection or logging, and no active logging directives. Those are DuckDuckGo’s descriptions of the audit; consult its summary and linked report for the scope and findings. DuckDuckGo’s VPN audit information.
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What provider policies and transparency reports show
Policy statements, audits, and legal-request reports answer different questions. Policies set out a provider’s stated practices; audits offer scoped evidence about examined systems; transparency reports show how a provider says it handled particular requests. None should be stretched beyond its stated scope.
Proton VPN
Proton’s VPN privacy policy, last modified July 30, 2025, says the service does not log traffic or communication content and does not log VPN session data. Its transparency page, last modified January 6, 2026, says Proton VPN is not required under the Swiss legal framework it describes to save activity logs. Proton reports that it received 59 Proton VPN orders in 2025 and denied all 59; it says they sought identification based on a VPN server IP and timestamp, which Proton says it could not provide. These are provider statements about Proton VPN and its legal context, not a general result for VPN providers or Swiss services. Proton VPN’s transparency report.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN’s Trust Center says it does not retain browsing history, traffic destinations or metadata, DNS queries, or assigned VPN IPs. It also reports request counts by period and says none of the requests listed on the page resulted in disclosure of user-related data. Its figures for January–June 2026 are 137 government, law-enforcement, and civil requests and 1,361,382 DMCA requests. These are provider-reported counts for those request categories and dates, not a standalone measure of privacy quality; check the Trust Center for the reporting method and current figures. ExpressVPN’s Trust Center.
Why jurisdiction matters—but cannot settle the question
A provider’s legal location can affect which legal processes apply and whether retention duties exist. That does not establish what its systems record, how long operational data persists, or how well policy statements match technical practice. Consider jurisdiction alongside the policy, audit scope, and transparency reporting. Proton’s statements about Swiss law apply to Proton VPN and should not be generalized to other providers.
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Quick Recap
A practical checklist before choosing a VPN
- Does the policy address browsing activity, DNS queries, destinations, and traffic contents directly?
- Does it say whether original or VPN-assigned IP addresses, timestamps, server identity, and bandwidth are recorded?
- Are diagnostic and aggregate metrics described, with their purpose, retention period, and account or session linkage?
- What account, billing, support, or subscription records remain outside the tunnel?
- Is there a dated independent audit, and does its scope cover production infrastructure and actual logging configurations?
- Are transparency reports current and specific about request categories, jurisdictions, outcomes, and what information was available?
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