The demand is of commercial VPN services which provides apps that can be used by anyone. Using social media would be more complicated in comparison. What you say is true if people are renting VPS and provision their own wireguard/openVPN server and configure the client.
you might be underestimating the tech savvyness of today’s youth :)
though for sure you made me wonder if the solution to keeping anonimity while verifying proof of age may light in something unorthodox like “if you can ___ you must be of age…”
When I was 12 I was chaining proxies to play runescape at school. With how many content creators picked up a nordvpn promotion, I would be surprised if the youth doesn't at least have a vague idea. TOR doesn't care about the block either, which I'm sure more and more people have become aware of.
Prior to Facebook and pals getting really big and the money rolling in, pretty much every software developer I knew was someone who got into computing as an early teen.
My parents got an old hand me down computer and I was writing C before we even got dial-up internet.
Kids may not know how a VPN works under the hood, but they are really good (and fearless) at trying out stuff until it works. Also, kids can communicate, and whoever manages to find a recipe that works will spread it quickly.
"VPN" used in context of current day casual Internet conversations refer to paid Web proxy services that typically offer automagic client apps, not VPN technology itself or its traditional use cases.
VPS is usually significantly more expensive (hostings that offer xmr payment are also not the cheapest ones), and less flexible (you can't choose your exit point country). And your anonymity set is... one.
VPS have their uses and VPNs have theirs, they are used for different things.
I wonder how many people will be getting scammed or infected by malicious 'free' VPNs.
Most people affected by this (minors) won't have a credit card to pay for legit VPNs
Whenever I see VPN, I think: Is it tied to a government intelligence agency? Is it owned by a government intelligence agency? All your traffic is routed through a single, easily observable point. If I were an intelligence agency, I would have VPN services as a business, and I would constantly advertise aggressively how secure and private they are.
Anyways, I really hope the US bans porn on a federal level. I have big plans for a second hand, slightly sticky VHS mail order business.
I can't say I'm surprised. I think it's hilarious and fitting that news outlets are referring to Pornhub blocking access as "pulling out". I can't wait to see what term they use to describe unblocking access (if it ever happens).
53 comments
[ 0.30 ms ] story [ 118 ms ] threadSearches for VPNs spike in Texas after Pornhub pulls out of the state (3 points, 10 months ago, no comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39748715
Searches for VPN Soar in Utah Amidst Pornhub Blockage (217 points, 2 years ago, 289 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35807408
The spike was detected/reported by one site only (https://www.vpnmentor.com/news/vpn-demand-surge-florida/). Nice SEO for them.
Note vpnMentor is pretty obscure, the NYT/Wirecutter didn't include it in a recent roundup [The Best VPN Service (2024)](https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-vpn-service/)
So in a way, using a VPN is an indirect proof of age.
though for sure you made me wonder if the solution to keeping anonimity while verifying proof of age may light in something unorthodox like “if you can ___ you must be of age…”
Sure, tech literacy has taken a massive step back, but given how easy modern consumer VPNs are to use, I don't doubt most would manage.
Prior to Facebook and pals getting really big and the money rolling in, pretty much every software developer I knew was someone who got into computing as an early teen.
My parents got an old hand me down computer and I was writing C before we even got dial-up internet.
https://www.privacyguides.org/en/vpn/
At that point, why not just buy a vps with crypto? Then you would at least be in control of the logging.
VPS have their uses and VPNs have theirs, they are used for different things.
https://www.getmonero.org/get-started/what-is-monero/