StartPage Started Blocking Access via VPN?

I've run into this three times now, over the past couple of days.

When accessing StartPage through a VPN, I get this message telling me my access has been blocked and inviting me to email them to explain how I'm trying to access their service. [0]

Has anyone else seen anything like this recently? I've been using StartPage for years and fairly often use a VPN. This is the first time I've ever had anything like this happen and, as I said above, three times now in the past two days.

It doesn't exactly do StartPage's claims to be the "most private" search engine much good, if they've suddenly started blocking IPs belonging to VPNs.

[0] https://i.imgur.com/MgxL7GT.png

2 comments

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accrual 5y ago ↗

Although not with StartPage specifically, I've noticed CreditKarma (a free credit score tracking site) doesn't allow me to login when behind a VPN.

karinakarina 5y ago ↗

If you’re on a VPN and you get blocked by Startpage, it usually means the IP address that you’re using is shared with spammers causing malicious traffic. Try releasing your IP address and getting a new one.

FYI: Startpage's anti-abuse mechanisms do not store your system's IP address. Startpage's team devised intelligent methods to filter out bots and abusive parties.