←back to thread

201 points sdsantos | 3 comments | | HN request time: 0.642s | source
Show context
fujigawa ◴[] No.45118394[source]
Commercial VPNs will go down as one of the greatest money-making schemes of the last decade. Outside of a few specific use cases their sales often rely on leveraging non-technical users' fear of what they don't fully understand.

I have non-technical friends and relatives that have fully bought into this and when I asked why they use a VPN I got non-specific answers like "you need it for security", "to prevent identity theft", or my personal favorite: "to protect my bank accounts".

Not a single person has said "I pay to route my traffic through an unknown intermediary to obscure its origin" or "I installed new root certificates to increase my security."

replies(16): >>45118443 #>>45118486 #>>45118558 #>>45118644 #>>45118672 #>>45118693 #>>45119064 #>>45119252 #>>45119261 #>>45119717 #>>45119817 #>>45119936 #>>45120136 #>>45120782 #>>45124630 #>>45126517 #
aydyn ◴[] No.45119717[source]
Are you sure they aren't just giving you a politically correct answer?

In my estimation the main reason people use VPNs is for pr*n and piracy and they may not want to just flat out admit it.

replies(1): >>45122139 #
1. nobody9999 ◴[] No.45122139[source]
>In my estimation the main reason people use VPNs is for pr*n and piracy

I get the piracy part, but why would someone want/need VPN for pr0n? That's not a gotcha or snark, I don't understand why folks would "need" vpn for that (assuming it's not* non-consensual, which includes hidden cameras and/or animals or children -- neither of whom can actually provide meaningful consent) as long as it's legal.

replies(1): >>45123611 #
2. ookkay ◴[] No.45123611[source]
Pornhub is blocked in 21 U.S. states (including Texas and Florida) and heavily crippled in the UK.
replies(1): >>45123860 #
3. nobody9999 ◴[] No.45123860[source]
>Pornhub is blocked in 21 U.S. states (including Texas and Florida) and heavily crippled in the UK.

Fair enough. And likely a host of other sites too, I guess.