they will use this specifically to prosecute whoever they choose and will only enforce it for that reason
Problematic now that Firefox has a free VPN with 50gb / mo.
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.
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.
Easy solution: stick your website behind a CDN.
I would say the easy solution is to stop serving content to residents of the state
Well that’s the problem. If you’re on a VPN, the site doesn’t know where you’re coming from. So either all VPN services ban Utah, or all websites ban VPNs. It’s a very insidious ploy to ban any anonymity on the internet. It’s essentially letting Utah set the rules for the entire network. And it doesn’t really work anyway. I can create a VPS and set up tailscale or something similar and all my traffic goes through that server. No block of knowable VPN IPs that a website can block. So either Utah blocks all services like tailscale, which is not going to happen, or this is just pointless.
If two computers are connected to the same network, there will always be a way around these sort of restrictions.
There is no way to know someone is connecting to you via a VPN. They just blacklist known IP addresses, so there isn’t really a way to implement this. Sure, you can blacklist well known VPN providers, but anyone can rent a PC in another location to VPN through.
Oh those legislators are two degrees away from something being broken, and it ain’t this dumbass law.
Put Utah websites under a VPN…mic drop
How else are they supposed to find under age girls to marry
Family reunion
Was this all about getting rid of vpns…
Someone explain TOR to them
Irrelevant. The end goal is they can say “you connected to a site without going through our checkpoint, you’re liable”. Then the fun begins.
The teshnikully… discussions are useless against this. Heck, given how some networks operate, I would not be surprised if some people would fall into this without even knowing.
It’s a strict liability law.
If the state chooses to prosecute the site then all they need to do is prove 1. That the user was actually in Utah and 2. That they did business with the site.
It doesn’t matter if the user’s IP shows that they are on the Moon. The law doesn’t take into account their knowledge or intent, only what actually happened.
It’s like manslaugher or statutory rape laws. What the person intended or knew doesn’t matter, only what actually happened.
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
More holding the liquor store liable, which is what already happens.
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.
The horseshoe theory of mass surveillance
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.
Yes, I understand how dumb that is, but sometimes you have to fight stupid with stupider.
Even worse, that would not necessarily help. If someone’s accessing your website through a VPN that’s not located in that state, you would not block it… then become liable.
Better block everything at this point -_-
No, the better solution is for sites that age verification is pointless to block Utah. If you make a mobil app check the GPS or IP and disabl the app if they are in Utah. People should go on sites like Yelp in mass and put down votes on every establishment in Utah so that ths site becomes useless for anyone in Utah. Pretty much just destroy all tech and internet for all things Utah.
Web services and websites should block all Utah IP addresses
That won’t work on a VPN, though. The VPN will say the user is coming from outside the state. That’s the whole point of the VPN.
right, meaning everybody will need to get a VPN, defeating the purpose of the law
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.
If conservatives really wanted to protect children, most of the GOPs leadership would be in prison.
“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.
Utah flexing those evil Mormon muscles huh? Well get bent Utah and get fucked Mormons.
You’ve added an extra ‘m’ to a couple words there.
Me: Ormon uscles? Huh? … Oh right 😅
I’m shaking in my boots, Utah. I’m skared!!! Prove that I’m surfing PORN. Maybe I just want to protect my privacy and stop my ISP from selling my online activities. But also, porn. I know Europe has a few countries imposing this, but damn am I glad to not be in the USA anymore. I’d likely be shot and killed leading a revolution. At least people would have a martyr…
Mullvad has quantum resistance and DIATA. Only when VPNs are outlawed will this be an issue.
Mullvad also has 5 anti-censorship technologies in their app which will help if ISPs in Utah start blocking VPNs. Customers can also request a list of server IPs if servers are being blocked.
I’ve heard Mullvad works even in China, Utah doesn’t stand a chance.
