this post was submitted on 12 Aug 2025
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Privacy

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[–] peoplebeproblems@midwest.social 11 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Well, that would be one way to force people to return to the office.

But you also couldnt have anyone travel, it would be tough to get contractors, forget anything international, no more business confidential communications at all, etc.

The moment a government does this, that countries economy will suffer greatly.

[–] FizzyOrange@programming.dev 13 points 2 months ago (1 children)

They won't ban corporate VPNs.

[–] lIlIlIlIlIlIl@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

What’s a “corporate VPN,” and how could anyone tell the difference?

[–] FizzyOrange@programming.dev 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

"A corporate VPN is any VPN used primarily for private business purposes." -Online Safety Bill (2029), probably.

Courts will determine the difference.

[–] lIlIlIlIlIlIl@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

OK, but a VPN packet in practice looks exactly the same as the next. There’s literally zero difference in a “business VPN” packet vs any other, which is my point. The courts literally cannot differentiate.

[–] FizzyOrange@programming.dev 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Why do the courts need to differentiate VPN packets? They will just say "uhm, Mozilla, your public VPN product that is offered for purchase in the UK is not compliant with the Online Safety Act. Change it or we'll fine you one miillllion dol..pounds.".

Not saying I like it, but the idea that they can't do it is silly. And there are increasing levels of "China" that they can go to it they way:

  1. Block access to foreign VPN websites.
  2. Block VPN access to foreign VPN providers (trickier, but they could definitely degrade the experience).
  3. Block all VPN connections at the ISP level except to whitelisted IPs. Companies can apply to the government to get their VPN IPs whitelisted.

Don't imagine that they can't become China for technical reasons. The only thing holding them back is politics and it isn't doing a good job of that.

[–] lIlIlIlIlIlIl@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Right, but what stops you and I from using a VPN? Your logic is sound from the provider point of view - but I can set up my own VPN quickly and cheaply. So for me the end user nothing has changed as far as I can see it.

And if anyone asks? Oh Im just using

[–] FizzyOrange@programming.dev 0 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Step 3 stops you from doing that.

Also I don't think you can set up a VPN very easily. If you're thinking of using a VPS, apparently they are mostly blocked by major sites.

Best you can do is domain fronting with VPN over HTTPS but China can even block that based on traffic analysis.

[–] lIlIlIlIlIlIl@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

“Block all VPN connections”

OpenVPN packets can be disguised to look like regular non-VPN packets. This won’t stop anyone who’s mildly determined

[–] FizzyOrange@programming.dev 1 points 2 months ago

China can even block that based on traffic analysis.

[–] AntiBullyRanger@ani.social -5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (3 children)

Governments use VPNs, wtf is 𐑞s baitline? Unless 𐑞s is ano𐑞r useless hitlist 𐑓 𐑬𐑞oritarians 𐑑 target privacy defenders.

[–] lazynooblet@lazysoci.al 11 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] AntiBullyRanger@ani.social -2 points 2 months ago

wot wot? UK.gov has VPNs. Fightforthefuture won't do 💩. This is just a hitlist in disguise.


Unless, you too haven't learned to salt comments?

[–] uhmbah@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

I down voted you because there's something wrong with your keyboard. Fix it

[–] AntiBullyRanger@ani.social -1 points 2 months ago

Because you asked, I can translate it:

spoilerGovernments use VPNs, wtf is this baitline? Unless this is another useless hitlist for auoritarians to target privacy defenders.

And no, my vkeyboard is fine. It just you were not taught Shavian.

[–] KSPAtlas@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 months ago

Mixing shavian and Latin script is interesting