Outcry over ExpressVPN ownership: What the Israeli connection means for user privacy

Social media users are calling for the mass cancellation of ExpressVPN subscriptions after it was revealed that a cybersecurity firm with Israeli ties owns the popular privacy service.

In 2021, The Times of Israel reported that Kape Technologies, a British-Israeli digital security company, acquired ExpressVPN, one of the world’s largest virtual private network (VPN) providers, for nearly $1bn.

The calls for cancellation intensified after social media users began circulating information about Teddy Sagi, the Israeli billionaire and owner of Kape Technologies. Many shared that in 2023, as reported by The Jerusalem Post, Sagi donated $1m to transport soldiers during the Israeli war on Gaza.

This is not the first time the calls have been made since the acquisition, but they are more widespread now, given Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza.

A VPN is a tool that encrypts internet traffic and masks identities by routing connections through secure servers. VPNs are widely used for privacy, anonymity, and bypassing censorship. Ownership of such services is considered highly sensitive by privacy advocates.

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