I did despite being quite resistant to the idea at first. Eventually I didn't have a choice, as many things I wanted to read were suddenly hidden. I am paranoid however and worry that the VPN maker is tracking me, but there is only so much I can be paranoid about in the day.

I was trying to follow a tutorial the other day and couldn't because the embedded images were on Imgur and it was so frustrating. It was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I caved, bought a 3 year PIA plan, had my router configured within about 2 minutes (actually impressed how straightforward Unifi made it) and now my browsing experience is fixed.

Just used tor browser when I was back last week.

I should mention that what pushed me over the edge was discovering that the FP problem was [among other things] triggered by a user comment that was then suppressed. However, it had a helpful message that I could solve the problem by uploading identification information to a website somewhere that I've never heard of.

Given the rate at which those sites are hacked, that's basically the following, simple procedure:

Step 1: Share your identifying information with the entire Internet.

I got one to bypass Arizona's internet ID law. It put a crimp in my watching of adult entertainment (for science). Although I don't live in Arizona, IP geo mappers disagree. Borders contain censorship about as well as they contain invasive species.

Nah, but I very occasionally break out ssh port forwarding. Very occasionally.

I did, I don't want the hassle of anything being blocked, and I don't want to upload identity details as they have the potential for misuse.

I notice that some tech companies claim they are "trusted" or have "trusted third parties", I don't trust them at all, I'm not sure why they think I do.

> How many other people have done the same?

For your own personal sake, you may be selfishly wishing it’s as few people as possible. Eventually they’ll outlaw VPNs too and by then you’ll have little recourse. You can’t hide behind them forever, deeper change is needed.

I have a VPN, self hosted, I had one because it was a way to keep my infra in one network for config management. I then extended it for skirting round giving my raw ID to some dogshit start who'll then either get hacked, or sell my details to someone nefarious.

If there had been a free, public and verifiable Age/ID service, that wasn't tied to advertising, then I might be more willing to hand over my ID. But because the VC whispered "freemarket" in the ears of the prick who designed this, we are stuck with the worst of all worlds. A non-secure way to prove ID, and a non-acceptable way to shield those that don't or cant consent, from harm.

I just use TOR for circumventing blocks.

I already had a VPN, because I live in the UK and do business in the US, and the easiest way to get websites to show local prices & shipping is a VPN. I think anyone that is involved with multiple countries needs one.

Localization was supposed to be a browser thing, using headers like Accept-Language, but alas.

I was already using Tor Browser for sites that UK ISPs are banned from letting me access.

I continue to use Tor Browser for entirely innocuous sites that are collateral damage of the OSA.

For example, the Interactive Fiction Archive. All its game files are voluntarily blocked in the UK by its well-meaning but stupid operators. Even games intended for children. They should stop complying and just serve up all their files to everyone. If a teenager learns what a. z5 file even is, they deserve to be able to play it.

Any reddit thread where someone said naughty words? "Oh we're going to need your phone number and a facial". I don't think so, Mr Data Harvester. Click on URL, Ctrl+c, alt-tab to Tor Browser, Ctrl+v, "Are you over 18?" Yes I am. See how easy that is?

I hate my government.

So much of the Internet is broken if you don't have a VPN (and much of it is broken if you do). But the consequence of circumventing laws through VPNs will inevitably be bans on VPNs for individuals. By the way, the people who are writing these laws aren't clueless 60 year olds who need help operating their phones. The EU politicians pushing through chat control understand what they are doing.

The idea of a global internet is becoming increasingly infeasible and I believe that China is just ahead of its time. If you look at the UK, it is really just a matter of time until they figure out that the real issue they are having is that, the Internet allows communication with entities they can not enforce their laws on. The logical consequence for them will be to deny access entirely. The same seems true for the EU, which is moving in a similar direction.

A lot I expect. There were stories about VPNs being top of the App Store, etc. when the law kicked in.

Lots of people using Brave's Tor or Opera's VPN in their browsers, and free VPNs like Proton (which seems like a negative security outcome for the country to me).

I'd have thought the intel agencies would be pissed at all that data going dark, but haven't heard a peep in the media.

I’m in the UK and have been using a self-hosted VPN for years, since the Investigatory Powers Act obliged ISPs to keep records of what you browse and gave public bodies warrantless access to those records (which I think on principle is entirely wrong).

Originally IKEv2 and more recently WireGuard, configured like so:

https://github.com/jawj/IKEv2-setup

https://github.com/jawj/wireguard-setup

People from countries with oppressive governments: first time?