At the beginning of May, the HideMyAss! (HMA!) team asked a bunch of Americans, Germans, and French (6,095 of them to be precise) about the organizations they think can access their internet history. Unsurprisingly, 2,002 respondents in the US said ‘government,’ ‘Internet Service Providers’ (ISPs) and ‘Police.’ What is surprising was the respondents’ mixed opinions towards privacy as a basic human right: 55% of those surveyed in the US think that it isn’t one.

We’re here to tell you that privacy is 100% a basic human right, whether you agree with the ‘I have nothing to hide’ argument or not. This is why Jack and team have added a bouquet of new privacy and security features in the lightning-fast version 4.0 of our HMA! VPN. Now, the countless ISPs, evil cybercriminals and government agencies that do track you will have a much, much harder time doing so.

Everyday I’m Shufflin’, Shufflin’

One of the standout features we’re uber proud of is IP Shuffle*, which periodically randomizes your IP address. Think of it as teleportation on the internet. You jump from one location to the next which makes tracking your whereabouts considerably more difficult. And there are plenty of places for you to visit, too. We have over 890 servers in over 280 locations in over 190 countries.

IP Shuffle integrates nicely with another important update that we’d like to share: Kill Switch. Now available across Windows and Mac platforms, Kill Switch immediately cuts your internet connection if your VPN server drops out. It’s the product’s fail-safe mechanism.

We’ve also completely redesigned Location Mode** to make it easier for you to pick and ‘favorite’ the best server locations around the world for your preferred VPN activities like streaming or P2P. And if that’s still not enough, version 4.0 comes with a new connection rule that we’re calling Trusted Networks***. We know there are some (only some, of course) occasions when you might not want a VPN connection. Perhaps you’re connected to a home network you trust. This feature allows you to select the networks you don’t want the VPN to connect to.

HideMyAss! spokeshuman Brad Poole commented, “Technology has enabled mass surveillance and crime on an unprecedented scale. The flipside is that consumers who need greater online privacy and security to protect themselves can also benefit from good tech like a VPN. Recent and new legislation like the Investigatory Powers Act in the UK and GDPR have generated confusion, panic and, let’s be fair, some anger. But in doing so they have helped raise awareness of our human rights when it comes to online activity. However, online privacy and security are still undermined by organizations sharing or storing personal information and internet activity, sometimes without a person’s knowledge. The new updates in version 4.0 add an extra layer of privacy and security to help protect us against snoopers and cybercriminals.”

Let’s get physical, physical

Oh, and just one more thing. All of our servers are fully encrypted with a feature called Full Disk Encryption. Technically, this isn’t part of HideMyAss! version 4.0, but it’s just as important. It offers protection against physical theft of VPN server drives and misuse of sensitive data. Our heavily encrypted disk drives keep them off limits from potential threats such as shady duplication from third parties, covert installation of wiretaps and data modification by hackers.

Version 4.0 of HMA! is currently available in 27 languages on select platforms, including Window, MacOS, iOS and Android. The product is priced at $6.99 per month on a 12 month plan and allows connections for up to five devices simultaneously. Technical information including platform support can be found on the HMA! support page. For any queries, or if you’d like to receive an HMA! version 4.0 license code please contact Jack at PR@avast.com.

*IP Shuffle is currently available on Windows, Mac and Android platforms. It is not available on iOS due to technical limitations of the mobile operating system
**Location Mode is currently available on Windows and Mac products. Release to Android and iOS platforms is coming soon.
***Trusted Networks is currently available on Mac products. Release to other desktop and mobile platforms is coming soon.

Notes to Editors:

The survey, carried out by Censuswide on behalf of HideMyAss! in May 2018, surveyed 8,102 respondents in the UK, US, France and Germany.

About HideMyAss!
HideMyAss! (HMA!) helps millions of people all over the world to safely and securely enjoy the internet, preserving our fundamental right to choose how and when we share personal information. HideMyAss! has more than 890 servers in over 280 locations in over 190 countries and is a global company based in London with offices in the UK and Serbia.

In 2016, HideMyAss! was acquired by Avast (LSE: AVST), the global leader in digital security products, which has added HMA! Pro VPN to its existing portfolio of security software and services.

HideMyAss! is a champion of net neutrality and a committed anti-censorship campaigner. It believes strongly that everyone should be entitled to freedom of association and open access to online information.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.