NordVPN Collaborated with White Nationalist for YouTube Promotion

Internet security company NordVPN is facing criticism for collaborating with a white nationalist YouTuber based in the United Kingdom.

The virtual private network company, which frequently advertises its product via video "influencers" and creators on the Google-owned platform, was recently endorsed by Laura Towler, a far-right campaigner based in Yorkshire, England.

Towler's anti-immigration organization, Patriotic Alternative, claims to stand up for "the interests of the indigenous people of these islands." It complains about a decline in the "white British" population and urges readers to home school their children.

On YouTube, Towler said in a recent video that included the VPN sponsorship her efforts are centered around "trying to build a nationalist community in Britain."

Yesterday, writer Mike Stuchbery shared a post highlighting the relationship between the YouTube creator and NordVPN, which is based in Panama.

Stuchbery tweeted: "Hey, @nordvpn, you've collaborated with a white nationalist who wants to deport non-Britons, and who works with Neo-Nazis. You sure you want to do this? I know a few people who'd switch providers if they knew."

The post attracted hundreds of "likes," with some commenters claiming they would be canceling their subscriptions or changing VPN providers as a result of the news.

One Twitter user wrote: "Currently a nordvpn customer, but there's no way I'm giving you a penny more unless you #StopFundingHate." Another person added: "I will be canceling too, you need to do the decent thing and withdraw your support."

Today, NordVPN's Twitter profile responded to Stuchbery, indicating the firm does not have an ongoing deal with Towler, whose video is online at the time of writing.

"This was a one-off sponsorship, and our vetting process has since been improved. We do not endorse racism in any form, and the creator's views do not reflect ours. We do not support hate speech or radical political views of any leaning," it wrote.

A NordVPN spokesperson told Newsweek: "A single video was sponsored through an agency a while back, having slipped through our background check."

"We do not endorse racism of any kind, and the creator's views do not reflect ours. Moreover, we support Amnesty International and RightsCon, the world's leading summit on human rights in the digital age," the emailed statement continued.

"We have since improved our vetting: now all of our partnerships are more carefully reviewed to avoid hate speech or radical political views, regardless [of] left or right."

In an email with Newsweek, Towler claimed Stuchbery is a member of "antifa" and said: "We don't make any money from YouTube. We do it because we love our people."

Responding, Stuchbery told Newsweek: "I am a proud and vocal anti-fascist, but I am not a member, nor have I been a member, of any organization calling itself 'antifa.'
"I follow the rise of the far right, and their means of fundraising. If Laura doesn't want to scrutinized, then she should not be the public face of Patriotic Alternative, a white supremacist group she runs alongside former neo-Nazi Mark Collett.

"They don't make money from YouTube because the platform demonetized them. As for 'our people,' Laura seems to think it's the 'English' without any explanation of what that entails."

Broadly, virtual private networks provide an extra layer of protection when using public internet connections by re-routing traffic via a more encrypted path.

NordVPN has previously been promoted by popular YouTube personalities with millions of subscribers, including Felix "PewDiePie" Kjellberg and Philip DeFranco.

On its website, the security outfit describes an influencer reward program targeted at creators on YouTube and streaming platform Twitch that offers financial incentives for "giving your audience your honest personal feedback about the product."

It includes a sign-up form but the vetting process is unclear.

On YouTube, Towler recently told her viewers that NordVPN approached her about the video sponsorship, of which the financial details remain unknown. She also said that YouTube previously removed monetized advertising from her channel.

"I am a big fan of NordVPN, I have been using it for about six months," Towler said in a video on June 14. "It allows me to remain untraceable when I am on the internet so the people who don't like me, and that number is increasing, can't find me."

She added: "It basically keeps me safe when I am on the internet. Nord asked me to collaborate with them and they're great people, I love their product, so I said yes."

In a tweet today, Towler directly addressed the NordVPN criticism raised by Stuchbery, writing: "You realize that I can't lose anything in this situation right? That collab has already ended, and if they want me to take it down, they'd have to pay me."

While unknown in the United States, Towler appeared in some headlines in June after getting into a spat with a brand of tea, which took issue with an anti-Black Lives Matter comment that she made on Twitter. The brand's response quickly went viral.

"'I'm dead chuffed that Yorkshire Tea has not supported BLM," Towler tweeted June 6 alongside a smiling emoji, referencing the lack of a public statement by the company about the anti-racism demonstrations taking place in the country.

The brand's social media profile hit back: "Please don't buy our tea again. We're taking some time to educate ourselves and plan proper action before we post. We stand against racism." Towler's Twitter bio now reads: "Disavowed by Yorkshire Tea."