Snapshot of the source text at fetch time, not a live mirror of the policy page.
Plain-English summary
TunnelBear indicates that if you are in the European Union, providing your Personal Data means you consent to its transfer to Canada and global processing, which could subject your data to different laws. The service also notes that while it generally doesn't collect full names, if you pay with a credit card, your last name will still be collected. Additionally, geolocation data (continent, country, city) is collected for performance mapping, censorship analysis, and abuse prevention.
90% confidence
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Risk Flags
Critical issues, red flags, or privacy-eroding clauses that are important for the user to know.
high95% confidence
Consent to cross-border data transfer to Canada, if visiting from the European Union
If you are visiting from the European Union, by providing your Personal Data, you consent to any transfer of your Personal Data to Canada and processing of your Personal Data globally in accordance with this Policy.
Why it matters: As a user from the European Union, by providing your Personal Data, you are consenting to the transfer and processing of your data to Canada and globally, which means your data will be subject to Canada's laws and potentially other jurisdictions, which might differ from European Union data protection laws and may reduce your privacy protections.
If you are visiting from the European Union, please note that by providing your Personal Data, you consent to any transfer of your Personal Data to Canada and processing of your Personal Data globally in accordance with this Policy.
How the company collects, uses, and shares your personal information.
medium85% confidence
Customer's last name collected for credit card payment despite previous policy change to not collect full name
If you pay for our services with a credit card, we do still collect your last name along with your payment information.
Why it matters: Even though TunnelBear generally states they no longer require full names, if you pay with a credit card, your last name will still be collected, maintaining a link to your identity with payment information.
If you pay for our services with a credit card, we do still collect your last name along with your payment information, see [1.4 Personal and Financial Data Collected at Payment](https://www.tunnelbear.com/privacy-policy#1.4) for more details.
Provide paid users with unlimited data, paragraph 4 · Citation strength: strong
low90% confidence
Geolocation data collected for performance mapping, censorship analysis, and abuse prevention
Geolocation data, such as continent, country, and city, is collected for mapping performance events to originating countries, analyzing regional censorship tactics, and preventing abuse during sign-up and authentication.
Why it matters: Your continent, country, and city are collected for operational purposes, which means your general location information can be used by the company and could potentially be linked to other data.
Geolocation
Total data used this month, paragraph 6 · Citation strength: strong
Cancellation and Renewal
How to cancel the service, conditions for renewal, and any associated fees.
✓
Looking good
No billing surprises spotted
Verbaterm only flags concerns it can cite. No cancellation, auto-renewal, or refund terms needed attention here.
Gotchas
Potentially overlooked clauses that could be unfavorable to the user.
✓
Looking good
No hidden gotchas
Verbaterm only flags concerns it can cite. Nothing easy-to-miss stood out in this section.
Protections
Features and policies that protect the user's rights and privacy.
Protection90% confidence
Right to ask not to be contacted and to inquire about Personal Data
You have the right to ask us not to contact you and to ask questions about your Personal Data.
Why it helps: This clause confirms your right to control communication from the company and inquire about your personal data, empowering you to manage your privacy.
You have the right to ask us not to contact you. To exercise your choices or ask questions about your Personal Data, please contact us by [visiting our privacy center](https://www.tunnelbear.com/account/privacy).
TunnelBear strives to collect the minimal amount of information required to operate its service.
Why it helps: This commitment indicates that the company aims to limit the personal data it collects, which is a positive for user privacy by reducing the amount of personal information held by the service.
As a provider of an online privacy service, we ultimately strive to collect the minimal amount of information required to operate our service.
[1. Personal Data Collection and Use](https://www.tunnelbear.com/privacy-policy#1.0), paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
Protection90% confidence
Clear deletion policy for account data
Unless legally required to keep it, account data will be deleted 30 days after subscription cancellation or when deletion is requested through the privacy center.
Why it helps: This commitment provides a clear timeframe for data deletion after cancellation or upon user request, giving users control over their data's lifecycle and reducing long-term data retention.
Unless legally required to keep it, we will delete your account data on the earlier of 1) 30 days after you cancel your subscription or 2) when you request deletion through our [privacy center](https://www.tunnelbear.com/account/privacy); see section 2.11 for more information on how you can request that we delete your data.
User control over access, rectification, erasure, and restriction of Personal Data
You have the right to inquire if TunnelBear processes your Personal Data, request access, rectification, amendment, or deletion of inaccurate Personal Data.
Why it helps: This clause empowers users with significant control over their personal data, including the ability to access, correct, or delete it, enhancing data privacy and accuracy.
You have the right to inquire as to whether TunnelBear is Processing Personal Data about you, request access to Personal Data, and ask that we correct, amend or delete your Personal Data where it is inaccurate.
[2.11 Rights of Access, Rectification, Erasure, and Restriction](https://www.tunnelbear.com/privacy-policy#2.11), paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
Protection95% confidence
No sale or trade of Personal Data for commercial purposes
TunnelBear will not sell or trade Personal Data for commercial purposes.
Why it helps: This is a strong privacy protection, ensuring that your personal data will not be monetized or shared with third parties for commercial gain, which helps prevent unwanted marketing or data exploitation.
TunnelBear will NOT sell or trade Personal Data for commercial purposes.
Explicit non-collection of sensitive connection data
TunnelBear explicitly does NOT collect, store or log IP addresses upon service connection, DNS Queries while connected, or any information about the applications, services or websites users use while connected to the Service.
Why it helps: This is a crucial privacy commitment for a VPN service, as it means user activity and identity while connected to the VPN cannot be directly linked or tracked through these common data points, enhancing anonymity.
* IP addresses visiting our website * IP addresses upon service connection * DNS Queries while connected * Any information about the applications, services or websites our users use while connected to our Service
[1.6 Other Data TunnelBear Just does NOT Collect](https://www.tunnelbear.com/privacy-policy#1.6), paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
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