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Web services and websites should just ban all Utah IP addresses and redirect to page explaining that because they cannot tell who's using a VPN, their only option is to block all of Utah.
Yes, I understand how dumb that is, but sometimes you have to fight stupid with stupider.
Porn sites have been doing that for years now.
And that's exactly what they want.
They don't want every website to do it though.
I like the thought, but it won't work. The big websites won't be willing to lose money they don't have to, and like ID laws that give them reasons to extract more data from users anyway.
Web services and websites should block all Utah IP addresses and redirect to page explaining that because they cannot tell who’s using a VPN, their only option is to block all of Utah.
But VPN users using a VPN outside of Utah will still get through.
What Utah (and likely other dumb states soon) are trying to do is to force age verification worldwide through a state law, forcing websites to verify the age of every user from anywhere, because any user who accesses the site from anywhere in the world might possibly be someone in Utah using a VPN.
I understand.
Which is why I'm suggesting they preemptively block everyone in Utah. Protesting needs to inconvenience people and good protests redirect that anger towards those in power.
"Utah's new law us makes us legally liable for providing our services to residence in Utah using a VPN. As that is not technically possible, we have no choice but to cease operating in Utah, or allowing Utah residents to use our services."
But whether or not that particular strategy would be an effective from a protest, is a moot point, as big tech is behind these types of age verification and use identification laws, and those are the only websites and services with a large enough user base to make a difference here.
How is this enforceable?
I think this is one if those laws where they get to selectively choose who to prosecute.
..everyone is always a criminal so those in charge can do whateverthefuck they want with little regard for actual laws.
I think this is one if those laws where they get to selectively choose who to prosecute.
Like every law.
The EFF warned that the legal risk could push sites to either ban all known VPN IPs or mandate age verification for every visitor globally.
This is the goal.
Could they not also just selectively ban all Utah-based IPs?
People in Utah could still access with a VPN, but never would, because that would be against the law.
Why is a company or person that doesn’t exist physically in Utah at all responsible for adhering to Utah’s laws? Should be their government’s responsibility to block sites, not the site’s responsibility to block Utah.
Seems like it’s the first step in transferring control of the internet to the government.
It's not, it's an add-on for shifting liability after the fact. Basically, if a site gets dinged as being part of showing some youth something truly evil, like confirming the existence of LGTBQI+ people on earth, then if the youth used a VPN, somehow the site is to blame. And likely fines come into play.
It's like if a person that's 19 buys alcohol with a fake ID in Utah - the liability is still on the place that unknowingly sold the liquor. It's probably based on the same lack of logic.
To date, the only countries that have made progress in blocking VPN traffic with some success are authoritarian regimes with ISP-level surveillance.
You know you're on to something when the only playbook you can find was written by the Chinese government.
Even the Chinese government struggles tracking people using VPN’s, Utah is in for a rude awakening.
Remember when we told people "they'll make it illegal to use a VPN" and we got snarky replies like "it's not enforceable LOL".
The fuck it isn't. Traffic coming from a VPN? That's a paddlin', kiddo.
They're not even trying to masquerade it as… oh, yes, they're still trying to masquerade as a "think of the children!" measure. Those fuckers.
This is like holding a car manufacturer liable when a teenager drives to a liquor store and uses a fake ID.
Or holding the liquor store liable when a person with a real ID drives to the store in a stolen car
Age verification is a red line. I will not comply
The pedophile class has the audacity to dictate access to a utility under the guise of protecting the children
Get a list of every dumbass politician who voted this through, and access their campaign websites through a VPN from a computer in Utah. Boom.
Self owned.
If I were a lawyer arguing against the law in court, my primary argument would be that this violates the interstate commerce section of the US Constitution.
But spoofing a phone number and harassing me all day isn't worth solutioning. This Gov. is not representing us.
I'm so weary of everything getting a little bit worse every day.
I'm sure we all used to be excited about the future of the internet but now it's just shit.
they will use this specifically to prosecute whoever they choose and will only enforce it for that reason
Websites need to block all Utah traffic. If their leaders are going to be shitheads, then no traffic for you until you elect new leaders.
Traffic coming from Utah? Believe it or not, jail.
Wait… this is specifically about websites?
Easy solution: stick your website behind a CDN. That way, people are using a VPN to contact a CDN, and only the CDN ever connects to your website.
And if Utah thinks two degrees of separation isn’t enough… well, it’s likely that every legislator in Utah is two degrees away from someone who will break this law, so they should obviously be the first to be subject to its penalties.
Utah flexing those evil Mormon muscles huh? Well get bent Utah and get fucked Mormons.
It's literally going to be easier for websites to just block all Utah IPs and Geolocations.
I’m ok with blocking Utah from the internet. That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make
Ah Utah
The medieval backward heartland of the USA
More ways to control our lives and track our movements.
"Party of small government".
Personally, I would stop using any site that did this. We all know nothing matters in this country but money. Companies stop making as much, they'll get legislation changed.
if they are so concerned about children, how about doing something about the mormon church and the fucking horrible crimes that are committed against women and children in it?
Religion is delusional mass psychosis.
This from the people who elected a notorious pedophile, "thinking" that he would find the real pedophiles.
So how do they plan on figuring out if any given user behind a VPN is in Utah?
"Designed to prevent bypassing age checks by people who don't understand the technology they are trying to regulate" more at 11.
Legislators should be required to understand technology or consult experts in the field before they enact legislation. This is a waste of tax payer dollars and I'm not even sure it's enforceable.
This is what happens when you elect morons to legislate technology they dont understand.
Problematic now that Firefox has a free VPN with 50gb / mo.
Good thing my firm doesn’t have an office in UT; we’re all on a VPN to work from home.
Have they thought about passing a law that checks to see if the people making the law have an IQ above 50?
This is the dumbest, most waste of time bullshit particularly when the rest of the country is imploding. Maybe they should focus on things that matter.
From my point of view, all I want is that Europe doesn't follow the US into suiciding it's own future in Tech by structurally dismounting the workings of the Internet for the purpose of autoritarian surveillance.
Mind you, given the seeming high amounts of corruption and kompromat for European politicians - especially EU ones - I fear that even here they might send us down the path of Technological Black Age to satisfy whatever large American Tech Companies that pay them or populist American or Israeli politicians holding kompromat on them.
lol Mormons have the NSA servers in Utah.
