There was clearly no need for another Vpn Provider when we launched SnowHaze VPN back in 2017. Why did we do it then? At first, we just wanted to partner with a VPN provider to offer an all in one solution for your online privacy. However, while there is a staggering number of VPN providers around, none of them have provided the privacy and security we were looking for. Specifically, we were looking for a VPN offering privacy by design – some guarantee that the provider keeps the claims made. We were not able to find one. That’s when we decided to create SnowHaze VPN – the first VPN with privacy by design thanks to Zero-Knowledge Auth.

We are thrilled to announce that we have worked hard to extend Zero-Knowledge Auth and make it even better for everybody. By the end of this year we will release Zero-Knowledge Auth 2.0 and with this the most private VPN solution for all platforms.

But wait, what is privacy by design and what is Zero-Knowledge Auth? Why the hell should I care? Read on to find out.

Privacy by design

Since your entire internet traffic is rerouted through a VPN, your VPN provider now is your single point of failure. Apparently, the VPN provider has to be trustworthy and handle your data with uttermost care. Accordingly, most VPN providers usually claim to be the safest, no-log, most private, … provider ever. Often located in poorly regulated countries, owned by undisclosed people, participating in dubious business practices, and with no way of proving the (big) claims made, VPN providers have a hard time keeping up to the level of trust needed.

SnowHaze VPN is different as we are the only VPN provider to offer privacy by design. This essentially means that there is no technical way of identifying our users. Your privacy is not only our policy but our only option, as it is not possible for us to track you. We named the underlying process Zero-Knowledge Auth. The protection delivered by Zero-Knowledge Auth is essentially based on the fact, that every user gets the same access token, thus disabling us from distinguishing our users. Here are the exact specifications of Zero-Knowledge Auth.

Zero-Knowledge Auth 2.0

With Zero-Knowledge Auth 2.0 we had to go even a step further, as we were currently limited to a single platform. However, with our Android version coming up and a planned extension of our VPN to all platforms, something new was needed. We had the following requirements:

1. Privacy by design – We should not be able to track you
2. No disclosure – Nothing can be compromised if a third party/government gets server access
3. No user accounts – You should not have to sign up and have an account with us
4. Easy to transfer – You should be able to use your subscription on all your devices, without us knowing about these devices or without the need of an account
5. Fraud protection – We should be protected from passing on the subscription and resulting overuse
6. Anonymous payment methods – It should be possible to pay anonymously and with cryptocurrencies
7. Money-back guarantee – unsatisfied customers should get their money back quickly

Although these requirements seem to be hard to fulfill, we are currently patenting Zero-Knowledge Auth 2.0 that will achieve precisely this. It’s primarily based on cryptography, and the technical details will follow soon.

Summary

With Zero-Knowledge Auth 2.0 we will be able to offer a VPN service with privacy by design. The VPN will be available on all platforms and will require no user account. Still, you can use all your devices with a single subscription. You can pay anonymously using cash or cryptocurrencies, and there will be a 100% money back guarantee if you’re not satisfied with our service!

We are currently in the process of filing a patent for Zero-Knowledge Auth 2.0 and will release technical details and the entire source code, too. Although there was no need for yet another (standard) VPN provider, we firmly believe that with Zero-Knowledge Auth we can bring something fresh and new to the industry! Please let us know what you think on Wire, email or sign-up for our newsletter!

We do not track our users because we hate tracking: that means we also need your help to tell us what you like and dislike about SnowHaze, so please do reach out!