About Safety 1st Consumer Protection
Independent Reviews You Can Actually Trust
Since 2020, we've been a small team of security researchers and consumer advocates who got tired of biased, pay-to-play reviews. So we built the resource we wished existed — and this site is our new home.
Welcome to Our New Home
Safety 1st Consumer Protection has been publishing independent security reviews since 2020. After six years of growth, we've moved to this dedicated site to better serve our readers. All of our reviews, guides, and recommendations — built up since our founding — live here, continuously updated to reflect the latest product changes, pricing, and independent lab results.
Our Mission
Safety 1st Consumer Protection was founded in 2020 on a simple belief: consumers deserve honest, independent guidance when choosing security software. The identity theft, antivirus, VPN, and password manager markets are crowded with products that range from genuinely excellent to outright dangerous — and most review sites are paid to push specific products regardless of quality.
Over the past six years we've published hundreds of reviews, tracked pricing changes, monitored FTC enforcement actions, and watched products rise and fall in quality. We test every product we review. We read the fine print. We check independent lab results from AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs. Our editorial opinions are formed before we ever look at affiliate commission rates — not after.
What We Stand For
Independence First
No brand pays us for a positive review. Affiliate relationships are disclosed on every page and never influence our ratings or recommendations.
Evidence-Based
We cite independent lab tests, regulatory filings, and verifiable data. We don't repeat marketing claims without checking them.
Consumer Advocacy
When a product has a history of deceptive billing, misleading claims, or poor customer service, we say so — even if it costs us affiliate revenue.
Transparency
We disclose every affiliate relationship, explain our testing methodology, and update reviews when products change significantly.
How We Review Products
Our review process is designed to surface what actually matters to consumers — not what looks good in a press release.
Independent Lab Data
We cross-reference results from AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs for antivirus and security products. We don't rely solely on vendor-supplied benchmarks.
Real-World Testing
We install and use products on real devices. We test setup flows, interface usability, customer support responsiveness, and cancellation processes.
Consumer Complaint Research
We review FTC complaints, BBB filings, and verified user reviews on Trustpilot and Reddit to identify patterns in billing disputes, hidden fees, and support failures.
Pricing Verification
We check advertised prices against actual checkout prices and renewal rates. Many security products advertise first-year discounts while burying steep renewal costs.
Affiliate Disclosure & Editorial Independence
Safety 1st Consumer Protection participates in affiliate marketing programs. This means we earn a commission when you purchase a product through links on our site — at no additional cost to you.
Not all links on this site are affiliate links. We link to products and resources without compensation when it serves the reader. Where affiliate relationships exist, we disclose them clearly on the relevant page.
Affiliate commissions do not influence our editorial ratings, recommendations, or the content of our reviews. A product with a high commission rate will receive a low rating if it doesn't merit a high one. We have declined affiliate relationships with products we consider harmful to consumers.
We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by LifeLock, NortonLifeLock, NordVPN, 1Password, McAfee, or any other brand we review. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.
Who We Are
Safety 1st Consumer Protection is an independent publication founded in 2020, run by a small team with backgrounds in cybersecurity research, consumer law, and investigative journalism. Six years in, we're still independent — no venture funding, no brand partnerships, no pay-to-play.
Editorial Team
Reviews & Research
Our reviewers hold certifications in cybersecurity (CompTIA Security+, CEH) and have covered consumer technology since our founding in 2020. Every review is fact-checked and updated when products change materially.
Legal & Compliance
Disclosure & Accuracy
We consult with consumer protection attorneys to ensure our affiliate disclosures meet FTC guidelines and that our coverage of regulatory actions — including the 2022 FTC action against LifeLock — is accurate and current.
Get in Touch
Have a tip, a correction, or a product you'd like us to review? We read every message.
For press inquiries, please include 'Press' in your subject line.