🚨 Your VPN might be spying on you

💓 Happy Valentine’s Day, {{first_name | friend}}. Remember when today was mostly overpriced roses and candies that tasted like cardboard? Simpler times. Well, a massive survey of 100,000 college students exposed Gen Z’s idea of romance, and I need you to sit down for this one. It turns out phones aren’t just third-wheeling in the bedroom. They’re fully clocking in.

What percentage of Gen Z adults admit to texting or scrolling social media DURING sex? Let that question really land for a second. A) 12%, B) 22%, C) 35% or D) 51%? Suddenly, those chalky candy hearts that say “Be Mine” feel a lot more romantic than “BRB.” Answer’s at the end.

☀️ Summer is closer than you think: ImproveLife Metabolism is in stock right now. No wait lists. No back orders. No prescriptions. It helps you feel satisfied longer and supports your metabolism without injections or extremes. This Presidents’ Day weekend only, get up to 37% off, free shipping and a free gift.** — Kim

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⚡ TL;DR (THE SHORT VERSION)

📖 Read time: 2.5 minutes

Q: “Kim, I keep hearing you tell me that I need a VPN, but how do I know that the VPN company isn’t spying on me? How do I know who to trust? I use a free VPN now.” — David, Tucson, AZ

David, it’s the right question. A VPN encrypts your internet traffic, so your internet provider, hackers on public Wi-Fi and snoops can’t see what you’re doing. Here’s the catch. You’re handing that trust to someone else. The VPN company.

So the whole game comes down to one thing: Can you verify that trust? Here’s what to look for.

Every VPN says they don’t keep logs of your activity. But saying it and proving it are two different things. A real no-log policy means the company doesn’t store what sites you visit, what you download, your IP address or connection time stamps. None of it.

The only way to know if that’s true? Independent audits. Look for VPNs that hire outside firms (like KPMG, Cure53 or Deloitte) to crack open their systems and verify claims.

No audit? That no-log promise is only marketing copy on a website.

Some VPNs run their entire network on RAM instead of hard drives. 

That means every time a server reboots, everything is wiped. There’s nothing to seize, nothing to subpoena, nothing to hand over. It’s privacy enforced by hardware, not a policy someone typed up.

A VPN headquartered in a country with aggressive data retention laws can be forced to hand over records. Look for providers based in privacy-friendly jurisdictions, outside the reach of intelligence-sharing alliances like Five Eyes.

This is the worst. If you’re not paying for the VPN, you are the product. 

Free VPNs have been caught injecting ads, selling browsing data and even bundling malware. A 2024 study found that over 70% of free VPN apps shared user data with third parties. Don’t do it.

I guess you could say when it comes to free VPNs, you get what you don’t pay for.

Trustworthy VPNs publish transparency reports showing how many data requests they’ve received from governments and what they handed over (ideally nothing). If a VPN won’t tell you that, walk.

My VPN pick? Keep reading.

ExpressVPN* checks every box I described. 

✅ It’s the VPN I use and the one I trust with my own traffic. Get four extra months at ExpressVPN.com/Kim. Btw, I get no kickbacks or residuals if you buy. It’s the best.

🚗 Your carpool lane tricks are cooked: California’s 91 Express Lanes AI cameras see through tinted windows to spot fake passengers. Since August, they’ve busted 150,000 cheaters and recovered over $1 million in unpaid tolls. The system catches mannequins, hats on headrests and gym bags pretending to be people. One in four drivers thought they could outsmart it. Nope. Now this tech is spreading to highways across the country. Pro tip: If your carpool buddy hasn’t blinked since Tuesday, you’re busted.

Windows update nightmare: Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 update KB5077181 is trapping folks in endless boot loops, with some computers restarting over 15 times before giving up. Even worse, those who manage to reach the login screen can’t actually log in. Others lost internet entirely. The fix? Uninstall the update. Windows will try to reinstall it, so you’ll need to pause updates, too. Another stellar Microsoft moment.

💲 Stop getting ripped off: If you’re paying $100 or more a month for phone service, you’re getting ripped off. Consumer Cellular uses the same 5G towers as the big carriers. Same coverage, same speed, way less money. A reader, Ralph, told me he switched and saves $75 a month. That’s $900 a year he was lighting on fire. If you’re 50+, get two unlimited lines for $30 each line. Plus get your second month free.*

Google will remove explicit images of you: If nonconsensual intimate images of you are showing up on Google Search, you can fight back. Click the three dots on any image result, tap Remove result, then select It shows a sexual image of me. Verify your identity, and Google scrubs it from Search. The catch: It removes results, not the actual images from wherever they’re hosted. It’s a lock on the front door, not a force field.

Ex-tortion: If you get a message from someone you love, double-check it. A survey of about 1,900 people found 64% have gotten a sketchy call or text that seemed like it came from someone they knew. Nearly half were impostors pretending to be exes or close friends, and 38% of poll respondents believed them for days, even the money requests. Breakups and isolation make you 52% more likely to bite. 

💘 Billionaire’s “close friend” alert: Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt is 70, married 45 years and worth $54.6 billion. His new companion? A 27-year-old German model named Gloria-Sophie Burkandt, a politician’s daughter, spotted with Schmidt at Davos. Sources say they’ve been together almost daily for weeks. For the math lovers, he’s 11 years older than her dad. Love is blind, but at $54.6 billion, it doesn’t need to see.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Left your phone in the other room? Don’t get up. With AirPods in, say, “Hey, Siri, play my gym playlist” or “Hey, Siri, call Mom.” On Android, tap your Bluetooth headphones’ assistant button and say, “Hey, Google, call Kim.” Your phone obeys from across the house. Lazy? Maybe. Genius? Absolutely. ICYMI, to turn on this feature, on iPhone go to Settings > Siri > Talk to Siri. On Android, open the Google app > Settings > Gemini > Talk to Gemini hands-free.

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Fix your car’s infotainment system: When GPS tells you to turn into the next lake, it’s time to re-pair your device. For CarPlay, open your iPhone Settings > General > CarPlay > Forget This Car. On Android Auto, open your phone Settings > Android Auto > Previously connected cars > Forget all cars. Bonus: If you’re using a wired connection, try a different USB port.

🧹 Need help around the house? Turn it into a game. Prompt a chatbot with something like, “Turn these house chores into a one-hour family game for my kids [ages]. I need [x] and [x] cleaned. Create teams, add silly challenges every 15 minutes and include reward ideas for each task finished.” Suddenly, there’s less nagging, more competition.

🖥️ Want a second monitor? Use a tablet. On macOS, open System Settings > Displays > Add Display and choose your iPad. On Galaxy Tab, swipe down for Quick Settings and tap Second screen. Then hop on your Windows PC, press Win key + K and select your device from the list.

👂 Listen up! Tune into my award-winning radio show, airing this weekend on 510+ stations. Find yours via our awesome station finder. You can also listen commercial-free on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts.

Love the show? Tell your local station! Hit their Contact Us page or send a social media shout-out. Your 30 seconds keeps the tech talk coming to your city. Thank you!

Is your AI chatbot gaslighting you? New York Times reporter Kashmir Hill talked to over 100 psychologists about how these bots are fueling real-world delusions. It’s a must-hear. 

Don’t just listen! Check out the show on my YouTube channel. You get to see how I react to all the stories and calls. So cool. 

🎧 Or search “Komando” wherever you get your podcasts. I’m everywhere.

You know what your living room is missing? Active tectonic plates. This modular wall concept syncs vertical panels into one massive visual canvas. 

I’m talking about cascading waterfalls, glowing sunsets, slow-burn volcanoes, all stitched seamlessly across a towering grid. It’s wild. Connect them to live cameras, and suddenly you’re monitoring the situation like a Bond villain from your couch.

No word on the price yet. If you have to ask, your walls are staying beige.

🔥 Coming up tomorrow: You’re probably paying for at least five things right now that are completely free. I’m not talking about spare change either. I’m talking $1,200 or more a year in subscriptions, upgrades and plans you forgot you signed up for. I’m going line by line through the charges draining your bank account and showing you exactly what to cancel. You’re going to be mad. Then you’re going to be richer.

The answer: C) 35%. Isn’t that wild? About a third of Gen Z adults admit they’ve checked notifications or scrolled social media during sex. And yes, it gets weirder: 24 students said they actually replied to a text from their mom mid-deed. Yikes.

💖 Since it is Valentine’s Day: A wife sent her husband a romantic text message. She wrote: “If you are sleeping, send me your dreams. If you are laughing, send me your smile. If you are eating, send me a bite. If you are drinking, send me a sip. If you are crying, send me your tears. I love you.” Her husband texted back: “I’m on the toilet, please advise.”

Summer bodies start now, not in June: Don’t wait until it’s sold out everywhere. ImproveLife Metabolism is in stock and ready to ship. This Presidents’ Day weekend only, get up to 37% off, free shipping and a free gift.**

💡 The smartest thing you can do with technology is stay curious and stay cautious. I hope you’re learning both with my free newsletter. — Kim

Kim Komando • Komando.com • 510+ radio stations • Trusted by millions daily

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