computer science

Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Private Internet Access rather than just read about it. In short: Private Internet Access (PIA) is a commercial virtual private network (VPN) service provider operated by Kape Technologies. Founded in 2010 by entrepreneur Andrew Lee under the parent organization London Trust Media, the service was originally created to prevent Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channels from exposing user IP addresses.

Key takeaways

Private Internet Access belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Private Internet Access to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Private Internet Access from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Private Internet Access (PIA) is a commercial virtual private network (VPN) service provider operated by Kape Technologies. Founded in 2010 by entrepreneur Andrew Lee under the parent organization London Trust Media, the service was originally created to prevent Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channels from exposing user IP addresses. In 2018, former Mt. Gox CEO Mark Karpelès was appointed as the chief technology officer of PIA's parent company, a corporate decision that drew public attention due to his prior financial legal history in Japan. The company has since grown into a major international privacy software provider, expanding its footprint across North America and global markets following its acquisition by Kape Technologies in November 2019.

Company The CEO of Private Internet Access (and its parent company, London Trust Media, Inc.) is Ted Kim. The company was founded by Andrew Lee. Lee started the company PIA because he wanted a way to prevent Internet Relay Chat from revealing IP addresses. On November 18, 2019, Private Internet Access announced that it would be merged into Kape Technologies, which operates three competing VPN services, CyberGhost, ExpressVPN and ZenMate. Some users objected to the acquisition, as Kape (under its former name, Crossrider) previously developed browser toolbars bundled with potentially unwanted programs.

History Founded in 2010, Private Internet Access was formed under parent company London Trust Media and entrepreneur Andrew Lee. The company was formed due to Lee's interest to take privacy mainstream. During their acquisition by Kape Technologies, PIA attempted to reassure customers that privacy and security remained the company's top priority. However, due to the history of Kape Technologies, many users were distrusting. After merging with Kape Technologies, Private Internet Access became one of many privacy software products offered by the corporation. Along with PIA, Kape also offers CyberGhost, ZenMate, Intego, Webselenese and Restoro. Previously Crossrider, Kape Technologies changed their name in 2018 in order to go under a type of rebranding and "escape a strong association to the past activities of the company" through which they had issues with their previous image being associated with traffic manipulation. After purchasing various other VPN services, Kape Technologies purchased Private Internet Access in order to "aggressively expand their footprint in North America".

Reception In a 2021 review from TechRadar, Private Internet Access was given a four out five star rating and described as being "A likeable VPN which gives you plenty for your money". According to the review, its most notable features include removing restrictions from streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+. PIA also received a positive review from Tom's Guide in November 2021, which highlighted the service's kill switch feature, compatibility with torrents, and "no logging" policy. Tom's Guide found PIA's speeds to be average among VPN services, and stated that a third-party audit would improve the service's credibility. In a December 2021 test, PCMag determined that PIA reduced "download and upload speeds by just 10.9% and 19.4%, respectively", which was the smallest speed reduction among VPNs tested by the publication at the time. PCMag praised PIA's server selection, connection limit (10 devices), and app, but noted that the service had not yet undergone a third-party audit. In 2022, PIA invited Deloitte, one of the big four auditing firms, to examine its no logs policy and VPN server network. Following the audit, Deloitte Audit Romania announced that, as of June 30, 2022, the server configurations align with internal privacy policies and are not designed to identify users or pinpoint their activities. In later comparisons, PIA has often been commended for combining strong privacy credentials with excellent value. TechRadar’s 2025 ranking of the best US VPNs, for instance, highlighted PIA as one of the most budget-friendly yet reliable providers available. The same review also listed NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost among the top VPN services in the US.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Private Internet Access

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Private Internet Access claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Private Internet Access before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Private Internet Access ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Private Internet Access

In research: Private Internet Access appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Private Internet Access in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Private Internet Access is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2010 establishments in the United States, Internet properties established in 2010, Virtual private network services, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Private Internet Access outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Private Internet Access in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Private Internet Access means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Private Internet Access out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Private Internet Access in simple terms?

Why does Private Internet Access matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Private Internet Access?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Private Internet Access.