Famous VPN company faces class-action lawsuit

NordVPN, a prominent VPN provider, is currently facing a class-action lawsuit that calls into question its practices surrounding automatic subscription renewals. While it is common for many VPN services to utilize these tactics, the lawsuit against NordVPN alleges that their approach is deceptive and illegal. The claim targets Nordvpn S.A, Tefincom SA, and Nordsec B.V. with Lanzy Kandeh as the plaintiff.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on March 28, alleges violations of state consumer laws, focusing on the difficulty of canceling subscriptions and the lack of proper warning about auto-renewals from Nord Security. The lawsuit describes this practice as a “negative option” feature, in which silence or failure to take action is interpreted as acceptance to continue the service.

According to the lawsuit, Nord Security’s subscription practices are deemed deceptive and unlawful, designed to trap consumers into renewing subscriptions unknowingly. Lanzy Kandeh, the plaintiff, claims he was unaware that his NordVPN subscription would automatically renew, resulting in a charge of $119.08 for a year that he did not want. The lawsuit outlines six ways in which Nord Security allegedly misleads users, including lack of clear explanations during the subscription process, inadequate information in post-purchase receipts, early renewal charges, difficulty in canceling subscriptions, lack of sufficient notice of renewal, and undisclosed material changes to renewal terms.

In addition to seeking damages of $50 million for himself, Kandeh aims to represent other affected New Yorkers who have been impacted by auto-renewals. He reported subscribing to NordVPN in 2023 and an Incogni data removal service in 2023, only to be deceived by the auto-renewal of the Incogni subscription. Despite managing to obtain a refund through PayPal, Kandeh emphasized that he did not authorize or want the renewals to occur.

This is not the first time NordVPN has faced such allegations, with a similar case in 2024 and investigations against other VPN providers like ProtonVPN in 2022. NordVPN maintains its commitment to providing an excellent customer experience and complying with legal requirements. While they have responded to the lawsuits, they refrain from commenting on specific allegations at this time, citing their longstanding clarity on the recurring nature of their services.