Comcast throttles traffic to sites it doesn't like and is (most likely) selling poorly deanonymized usage data. This just moves the trust problem to mullvad, but comcast sets a low enough bar that $5 a month is worth it.
Ask HN: Why do you use a VPN?
61–70 of 86 posts
Re: Ask HN: Why do you use a VPN?
#62"aside from nefarious purposes" It's not that nefarious to go around region blocks to get access to content that probably shouldn't have been blocked from you in the first place. If I'm traveling, I'm still the same person they let watch the same program at home. Or, if I want to watch Russian State controlled news, why does my government get to block it?
> Or, if I want to watch Russian State controlled news, why does my government get to block it? Woah, is this a real example? Where do you live?
Yes, it's a real example. Here's the EU press release:
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022...
And to head off any speculation, I'm aware of what RT is, I just don't need any nannies that think I might not understand how propaganda works.
Re: Ask HN: Why do you use a VPN?
#63Avoid IP-based geo-location of street address. Combine with anti-fingerprinting. Avoid restrictions from non-network-neutral ISP.
IP can't be geolocated to a street address. Translating your IP to your street address would require some larger network compromise (probably at the ISP level) or actually getting PII from your ISP.
There are multiple public databases available via web search, which can map residential, relatively static, IP addresses within a few city blocks, at least in large urban areas. That's usually enough to cross-reference with other sources and obtain an exact street address.
There's also geolocation data compiled by browsers, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_Location_Service
Re: Ask HN: Why do you use a VPN?
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's one, but a bigger one is accessing out-of-region media. Most (all?) streaming services are geo-locked, and do not contain the same libraries in different markets (if they are available at all.) So VPNs are a common way of accessing streaming which would otherwise be unavailable. While this is "piracy of a sort", it does imply an actual paid subscription, albeit in the wrong territory. So its more-honest than t…
Piggybacking off of this comment, I’d be very curious to know the HN sentiment on piracy as a whole Net good, net bad, somewhere in between?
As one who makes a living selling software, I'm against piracy, and would prefer people to be honest. I prefer not to pirate myself if it's avoidable.
That said, I'm aware my stuff is pirated, for various reasons, and I pretty much ignore that. Pirate users might turn into customers one day. I make minimal effort to prevent piracy, mostly to make sure the experience for paid users is as simple and streamlined as possible.
I prefer to consume my media via paid channels, and that is easy and convenient (and cheap) to do (now) so that's much easier to do now than it was 20 years ago.
My attitude to open source licensing is the same. I'll happily integrate MIT licensed material into commercial offerings, but I respect the rights of GPL authors, and I understand that is off the table. I believe authors have a right to choose the license they want, commercial, open or free, and it's up to me to respect that right.
Re: Ask HN: Why do you use a VPN?
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's one, but a bigger one is accessing out-of-region media. Most (all?) streaming services are geo-locked, and do not contain the same libraries in different markets (if they are available at all.) So VPNs are a common way of accessing streaming which would otherwise be unavailable. While this is "piracy of a sort", it does imply an actual paid subscription, albeit in the wrong territory. So its more-honest than t…
Piggybacking off of this comment, I’d be very curious to know the HN sentiment on piracy as a whole Net good, net bad, somewhere in between?
It's a mistake to think there is a general "HN sentiment"
In general my view is "piracy bad, working around geo-blocks ok".
Interestingly this roughly reflects the view of regulators in my jurisdiction[1]:
> The Productivity Commission (PC) in December 2016 recommended that the Government make it easier for consumers to access legitimate copyright-protected content by:
> amending the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) to make clear that the circumvention of geo-blocking technology by consumers is not an infringement of copyright; and
> avoiding international obligations that would prevent or ban consumers from circumventing geo-blocking technology.
> the ACCC supported the PC’s recommendation,
[1] https://incompetition.com.au/2017/12/blocking-geo-blocking/
Re: Ask HN: Why do you use a VPN?
#66In Australia there are metadata retention laws[1]. I have a mild objection to that in philosophical terms and using a VPN gives me some control over that.
[1] https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/our-portfolios/natio...
Re: Ask HN: Why do you use a VPN?
#67I bought a month of Mullvad because Steam could not fathom that I lived in country X (and wanted to pay with an Xian card) but was vacationing in country Y
Re: Ask HN: Why do you use a VPN?
#68In China,an ordinary people need VPN to access google,youtube,twitterm,etc
Re: Ask HN: Why do you use a VPN?
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Or, if I want to watch Russian State controlled news, why does my government get to block it? Woah, is this a real example? Where do you live?
Not OP but, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian state-backed media in France has been blocked/blacklisted. RT had three (or four?) different channels on TV here (English, French, Spanish, and Arabic I think) and they all have been disconnected.
That's just from broadcast TV, where a VPN is useless. The website is still readily accessible for those intent on consuming Russian propaganda for whatever reason.
Re: Ask HN: Why do you use a VPN?
#70Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not OP but, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian state-backed media in France has been blocked/blacklisted. RT had three (or four?) different channels on TV here (English, French, Spanish, and Arabic I think) and they all have been disconnected.
That's just from broadcast TV, where a VPN is useless. The website is still readily accessible for those intent on consuming Russian propaganda for whatever reason.
It was also blocked from various streaming services. One example: https://www.voanews.com/a/6468770.html