VPN providers sell you anonymity. So if they can’t operate without disclosing, they will lose their customers. I’m positive no matter what, VPN companies will find a way to avoid these situations . . .

That assumes the full integrity and commitment to transparency of the VPN provider. It also assumes that a specific VPN is an independent operator, and not doing business with or for a specific government. It also assumes that the VPN hardware is based in a country that can and will shield it from international law enforcement and civil lawsuits.

That’s a lot of assumption. Maybe those things are reliable today, but they may not be forever.

I’m not saying don’t trust them, I think they’re in the business because they believe in privacy, but anyone depending on VPNs to do what they do anonymously online should always have their eyes open and ears to the ground on this. Never underestimate the fact that most people can be brought, companies can be sued out of existence, and even “democratic” governments can make an individual’s life absolute hell when they feel like it.

I’m old enough to remember the hell that Phil Zimmerman went through just for creating PGP in to 90s, ditto Penet around the same time.

And while Zimmerman was in the US, Penet was in Finland, which many people thought made it safe, possibly including Julf himself. It did not. Finland did not attack Julf or Penet; instead, organizations from around the globe that were threatened by the existence of an anonymous remailer mounted multiple simultaneous legal charges against Julf and Penet to the point he had to shut it down, and there were many points between start and finish where users had no idea what had been exposed to interested governments and what had not.

I said all that to say this. If your online safety from legal issues depends on a VPN, then never assume. Learn, keep on learning, and be ready to shut down and split at a moment’s notice.