Hotspot shield reviews: Is it legit or scam?

I started using Hotspot Shield because it was super fast, which is great for gaming and streaming. But lately, I've been seeing a lot of chatter online about its history of privacy concerns and allegations of data collection, especially with the free version. Even though they've had some recent audits, I'm still sketched out by their US jurisdiction and past issues. I don't want to trade speed for my privacy.

I need something safe for public wifi and streaming, but I don't want to install something sketchy. I'm trying to figure out if Hotspot Shield is actually a trustworthy VPN for privacy, or if its past issues are still a major red flag. Has anyone here had a good or bad experience with their privacy practices? I'd appreciate any honest feedback.