Interview with Andrew Lee of Private Internet Access

We recently had the chance to sit down and talk to Andrew Lee, co-founder of GNOME’s newest advisory board member Private Internet Access. Andrew Lee is a long-time privacy advocate, and has co-founded several other privacy related companies in the past including Mt Gox Live which was later acquired by Mt Gox the leading Bitcoin exchange. To learn more about GNOME’s Advisory Board and the addition of Private Internet Access, check out our press release.
AndrewLee
How did you come to know about GNOME?

We actually knew of GNOME for quite awhile. However, we started using GNOME more actively when it was known as “Ximian GNOME” back in the day.

Do you know what percentage of your users are using GNU/Linux?

We do not have any specific numbers regarding the percentage of our customers who use GNU/Linux. However, with that said, we’re confident that most of our customers are using GNU/Linux in some form, whether on their desktop or mobile device.

Who do you recommend your services for?

We recommend that our services are used by most everyone in the world who values their privacy.

What is your take on private internet use in light of the recent news on
security? Are you worried about PIA’s continued operation?

Private Internet use is definitely set to increase given the newfound awareness amongst society about dragnet surveillance operations and, in general, the overall loss of privacy. We’re not worried about Private Internet Access’ continued operation as we’ve discussed with several subject matter legal experts within this realm, and now, the company is structured in a way that we should be around for a very long time.
With that said, please be sure to read our official response in regards to the PRISM/NSA debacle

Private Internet Access joins the GNOME Foundation’s Advisory Board

Orinda, CA — September 23, 2013 — The GNOME Foundation is pleased to announce that Private Internet Access has joined GNOME’s advisory board. The Advisory Board is a body of stakeholder organizations and companies who support the GNOME Project by providing funding and expert consultation. Last month during GUADEC, GNOME announced that the Linux Foundation was added to the advisory board, joining IBM, Google, Intel and the Free Software Foundation, among others.

Andrew Lee, co-founder of Private Internet Access said “We’ve been very fond of GNOME at Private Internet Access for quite a long time. When GNOME announced its new initiatives towards greater privacy functionality, our fondness quickly became a strong admiration. We’re very proud to support GNOME and its continued commitment to open source, usability and, most importantly, privacy.”

Private Internet Access, founded in August 2010 is a VPN service provider offering anonymous and encrypted VPN. The service operates at the TCP/IP interface level, allowing all applications to be secured, not just the web browser. Private Internet Access has publicly commited itself to user privacy. It is a small U.S.-based company, with thousands of users.

“I am excited to welcome Private Internet Access as a GNOME Advisory Board member,” said Tobias Mueller, member of the board of directors of the GNOME Foundation. “This is a great example of how the support for Free Software is growing and highlights how we are aligned in our missions to put users in control.”

The nonprofit GNOME Foundation is an independent organization committed to supporting the advancement of the GNOME Project and software freedom. It provides financial, organizational and legal support to the GNOME project and helps determine its vision and roadmap. GNOME software is used by millions of people around the world.

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