Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

It's official: Utah is the U.S. state closest to banning VPNs

tech.yahoo.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

141–150 of 192 posts

Re: It's official: Utah is the U.S. state closest to banning VPNs

#141

Post by dlcarrier »

pseudalopex wrote: post #134
dlcarrier wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does. Journalists are rarely experts on the field they are reporting on (see also: Gell Mann amnesia) so even though the article's author is speaking authoritatively, he has no experience in law, but an MFA. (See the "About Sam" section at: https://tech.yahoo.com/author/sam-chapman-engadget/ ). A more truthful take would be something like "Utah is the latest state to pass yet another law that conflicts with the co…

> A more truthful take would be something like "Utah is the latest state to pass yet another law that conflicts with the constitution and will not go into effect". The law will go into effect probably. It may be negated later.

Technically, unconstitutional laws stay on the books, but they are not enforceable.

You could say that they are in effect when the law becomes official, but for all practical purposes, the prohibition on describing what a VPN is or how to use it is unenforceable and not in effect.

Re: It's official: Utah is the U.S. state closest to banning VPNs

#142

Post by Kim_Bruning »

ButlerianJihad wrote: post #137
dylan604 wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yet there are plenty of sites with written or video instructions on how to pick a lock.

Picking a lock is not necessarily illegal. You could be a locksmith in training; you could be picking your own locks. You could be just in a lab or a classroom or a manufacturer that does this stuff.

You could even be a lawyer! https://www.youtube.com/@lockpickinglawyer

Re: It's official: Utah is the U.S. state closest to banning VPNs

#143

Post by aworks »

ramesh31 wrote: post #43
jespinel wrote: post #9

IMO, this is one of the main strengths of the US: you have 50 different options to live according to your values and beliefs, and relatively little friction if you decide to move to a state that better reflects them.

>IMO, this is one of the main strengths of the US: you have 50 different options to live according to your values and beliefs, and relatively little friction if you decide to move to a state that better reflects them. Also a weakness. Utah, one of the most stunningly beautiful states in the union, is completely under the grip of a regressive theocracy that has controlled nearly every aspect of life there for over a c…

I've visited various parts of Utah in the last year. It doesn't particularly reflect my life choices and I doubt I would ever move there. But their cultural values seem to have resulted in a prosperous state compared to most other Mountain West states (or even most Midwestern states).

I think it's also doing well re: reproductive rate. I expect it to continue be a thriving place for years to come.

Re: It's official: Utah is the U.S. state closest to banning VPNs

#145

Post by aworks »

grahamburger wrote: post #128

Living in Utah is so frustrating. On the one hand, we have a law that protects 'free range parenting': https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/03/2... as a parent, I genuinely appreciate this, especially when compared to stories from other HNers here of pearl-clutchers calling CPS for kids doing regular kid-stuff outside: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47815127 On the other hand, in addition to…

The thriving counter-culture was a surprise when I visited several times last year.

Re: It's official: Utah is the U.S. state closest to banning VPNs

#147

Post by raverbashing »

QuercusMax wrote: post #88
raverbashing wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which in Utah might be a problem (or is it another state, I don't remember)

Are you thinking of Kansas or Nebraska? Utah is famous for having big ass mountains that people ski on.

Kansas, but Google says the flattest is Florida (surprisingly - or maybe not)

Re: It's official: Utah is the U.S. state closest to banning VPNs

#148

Post by kstrauser »

chrisweekly wrote: post #124
f1shy wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Still easier to move country inside the EU, as an example.

What? That seems highly improbable. Moving to a different US state is pretty trivial.

Right? That's a ludicrous assertion. Here's what's required to move somewhere else within the US:

1. Move.

At some point, you have to get a new driver's license in your new state and transfer your car registration there to use their license plate instead of your old state's. Those are "mechanical" paperwork transactions, though. You show up at the Department of Motor Vehicles with proof of your new address and they scowl at you and then issue the new one. You don't have to ask permission: so long as you meet the local requirements to do those things (like pass the local driving test, have a car that passes the appropriate inspections), and have the right paperwork (like proof of address, proof of ownership of the car, etc.), you'll get it. And that's the "hard" part.

I've moved between states multiple times. With the sole exception of car-related stuff, the only difference between moving between a different apartment in the same complex and moving across the country is that you have to pay your taxes somewhere different the next year.

Re: It's official: Utah is the U.S. state closest to banning VPNs

#149

Post by lxgr »

Barbing wrote: post #70

“The internet is built to, and will always, route around censorship. If Utah successfully hampers commercial VPN providers, motivated users will transition to non-commercial proxies, private tunnels through cloud services like AWS, or residential proxies that are virtually indistinguishable from standard home traffic. These workarounds will emerge within hours of the law taking effect. Meanwhile, the collateral damag…

A nice idea in theory, but would you seriously argue that all the Internet censorship in several countries has been completely without effects? A law doesn't need to be impossible to circumvent to cause great damage.

Re: It's official: Utah is the U.S. state closest to banning VPNs

#150

Post by lxgr »

mindcrime wrote: post #116

I'd like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to read Cory Doctorow's novel Attack Surface and to think deeply about the message contained within. He has something significant to say, IMO, about the need for people like "us" (that is, people who care deeply about these issues) to use our knowledge, resources, skills, etc. to help effect changes in public policy through the legislative process as opposed to try…

Couldn't agree more. "I'll just work around it because I know how to" is the hacker's version of "I'll just pay my way out of it because I can afford to".
Post reply on HN