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VPN⁰: A Privacy-Preserving Distributed VPN

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Re: VPN⁰: A Privacy-Preserving Distributed VPN

#111

Post by sdan »

cheez wrote: post #65
sdan wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably. Given that AWS/GCP can't trace back to me then maybe. But at the same time I'm afraid government surveillance is government surveillance and petty tactics around hiding your identity to AWS/GCP won't cut it.

How do you know that AWS/GCP can't trace it back to you?

They probably can as I've (hopefully) implied in my comment. When I sign up for AWS/GCP for a bit more credits for free, I use a burner phone (if necessary), burner emails (catchall emails), and a debit card (although GCP and AWS can detect if you're using one made by privacy.com or DoNotPay... so I have to call my bank and get one every now and then).

Given this relatively bad information, it's somewhat hard to trace. But as I've said: Government surveillance is government surveillance. These petty tactics to get around AWS/GCP won't cut it. Pretty sure they'll call up my bank using the card details and get my info real fast.

Re: VPN⁰: A Privacy-Preserving Distributed VPN

#112

Post by sdan »

mirimir wrote: post #48
sdan wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably. Given that AWS/GCP can't trace back to me then maybe. But at the same time I'm afraid government surveillance is government surveillance and petty tactics around hiding your identity to AWS/GCP won't cut it.

Me too, think. What about sharing it as an internal non-exit VPN in a nested chain?

Can you elaborate? Not sure what an internal non-exit VPN nested chain is... although I some vague idea on what that may constitute to be.

Re: VPN⁰: A Privacy-Preserving Distributed VPN

#113

Post by bogomipz »

jonathansampson wrote: post #93
safeplanet-fesa wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. I am a big hater of everything that even remotely feels like a shitcoin. BAT is a silly useless project; I would not hate it if there was no conflict of interests, even if it's a silly project; but there is a huge conflict of interest - the developers want to make money out of thin air by issuing their tokens. I already wrote this before in another comment. Basic Attention Token is not a secure cryptographic…

There seems to be some confusion here; users aren't paid for watching ads in Brave. When an ad notification has been delivered, the user is paid. There's a subtle difference there. Brave (because it is the browser) is able to determine when an ad has been displayed, better than any JavaScript-based client that exists today on the Web. Presently, ads are only shown as desktop notifications (no publisher ads at this ti…

I applaud all of the privacy efforts by Brave so far. Can you say what the long term business plan is for Brave? At some point you have to monetize it to make it sustainable. Is this where the crypto coin mentioned here comes into play? If so will there be an alternative subscription-based model?

Re: VPN⁰: A Privacy-Preserving Distributed VPN

#115

Post by asdkhadsj »

JMTQp8lwXL wrote: post #109
jonathansampson wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hello, John! I'm Sampson, a developer on the browser. The BAT component is not on-by-default in Brave. By default, you get a browser that blocks third-party trackers (and the ads that rely on them), prevents fingerprinting, crypto-jacking, auto-play media, and more. Unfortunately, the ad-system that has become infested with malicious tracking and more is also a means by which creators across the Web find support. Thi…

Given that IP address, user agent, fonts, screen dimensions, and a few other data points easily found via JavaScript can create a fingerprint [0], isn't a bit disingenuous to suggest any browser can truly block tracking, especially if JavaScript is enabled? I could use cURL to perform all web browsing, but my IP Address + User Agent could still be tracked by the website I visit. With time, what seems to be occurring…

To extend your comment; Even your mouse movements can be used to form an identity of you. Not only that, your mouse movements even correlate to demographic information about you (eg age/gender/etc).

With that said, I think you're correct in that it'll be a game of cat and mouse, but I'm not sure what the alternative is. Are you implying that there is anything that can be done beyond the traditional cat and mouse? Because I feel that's the same with security, crypto, etc etc.

Re: VPN⁰: A Privacy-Preserving Distributed VPN

#116

Post by bogomipz »

colordrops wrote: post #106
Spivak wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Better than Chrome is such a low bar though. Chromium is better than Chrome, Kiwi is better than Chrome, Edge is better than Chrome.

Is it a low bar? Chrome has the best JS and rendering engine in existence. Brave has all that, being a fork, and also the best privacy, except maybe the Duck browser. It's only missing the configurability and extensibility of Firefox, but that's arguably a privacy liability.

I believe the post was referencing the OP's statement that "Certainly better than Chrome when it comes to privacy.", not any kind of purely technical merits.

Re: VPN⁰: A Privacy-Preserving Distributed VPN

#117

Post by ignoramous »

jonathansampson wrote: post #95
Spivak wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s not really one or the other. Firefox and Safari both exist and the incentives of the companies that run them are reasonably aligned with user privacy.

Our CEO co-founded Mozilla and Firefox. There is still a problem of invasive tracking and surveillance capitalism on the Web, and neither or these are hit as hard in Safari and Firefox as they are in a default install of Brave. The BAT component is off-by-default in Brave. Only enabled when the user explicitly opts-in to the feature. This is a necessary component, as blocking-alone is not a solution to the sustainabi…

I may not necessarily agree with BAT, but I do suggest Brave to anyone who is too flustered to use Firefox with uBlockOrigin and other extensions [0]. It really has a great UX.

As for long term sustainability of the web [1], Brave, imo, has a better idea on their hands than Google's proposed privacy-sandbox [2]. For the sake of competition and innovation, I hope there are many more such initiatives.

Best!

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20783339

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20809574

[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20767891

Re: VPN⁰: A Privacy-Preserving Distributed VPN

#118

Post by solidsnack9000 »

Spivak wrote: post #84
teh_infallible wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This seems like a nonsense argument. You prefer a browser that spies on you? Over a cryptocurrency you don’t have to use?

It’s not really one or the other. Firefox and Safari both exist and the incentives of the companies that run them are reasonably aligned with user privacy.

The issue isn't aligning the incentives of browser vendors with users so much as aligning the incentives of content creators with users.

Re: VPN⁰: A Privacy-Preserving Distributed VPN

#119

Post by solidsnack9000 »

otterley wrote: post #99
tlholaday wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Two comments: * BAT is a non-financial utility token, not a currency. * The Brave Referral Program specifically prohibited participants from making statements that BAT is a currency, a store of value, or an investment. Examples of real-world non-financial utility tokens are amusement-park ride tickets and beer-garden food-and-drink tickets.

If it's not a currency, what value does it have to the holder? It should also be noted that the law determines what qualifies as a currency, not the issuer. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck - you know the rest.

Utility tokens are, like arcade game tokens or food and drink tickets at a fair, valuable for their use with a particular venue or service -- not for their exchange value. Generally, the law does not recognise these kinds of things as currency.

Re: VPN⁰: A Privacy-Preserving Distributed VPN

#120

Post by smitop »

tlholaday wrote: post #92
johnpowell wrote: post #51

I refuse to use a browser with a cryptocurrency attached to it. It feels like the only reason it is being pushed so hard is so BAT holders can make a buck. It might be a great browser but I will always think of it as onecoin with a some chrome tossed in.

Two comments: * BAT is a non-financial utility token, not a currency. * The Brave Referral Program specifically prohibited participants from making statements that BAT is a currency, a store of value, or an investment. Examples of real-world non-financial utility tokens are amusement-park ride tickets and beer-garden food-and-drink tickets.

Amusement ride tickets have inherient utility: you can redeem them for a ride. What utility can you get from BAT, other than selling it?
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