Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by on Thursday March 30 2017, @03:43AM   Printer-friendly
from the sipping-from-a-firehose dept.

The FCC broadband privacy rules have now been repealed by both the Senate and the House, and the repeal is highly likely to be approved by President Trump. This has generated interest (and advertising) for VPN services:

The vote by the U.S. Congress to repeal rules that limit how internet service providers can use customer data has generated renewed interest in an old internet technology: virtual private networks, or VPNs.

[...] "Time to start using a VPN at home," Vijaya Gadde‏, general counsel of Twitter Inc, said in a tweet on Tuesday that was retweeted by Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey. Gadde was not immediately available for comment. Twitter said she was commenting in her personal capacity and not on behalf of the company.

[...] Some smaller broadband providers are now seizing on privacy as a competitive advantage. Sonic, a California-based broadband provider, offers a free VPN service to its customers so they can connect to its network when they are not home. That ensures that when Sonic users log on to wi-fi at a coffee shop or hotel, for example, their data is not collected by that establishment's broadband provider. "We see VPN as being important for our customers when they're not on our network. They can take it with them on the road," CEO Dane Jasper said.

[...] Private Internet Access, a VPN provider, took a visible stand against the repeal measure when it bought a full-page ad in the New York Times on Sunday. But the company, which boasts about a million subscribers, potentially stands to benefit from the legislation, acknowledged marketing director Caleb Chen.

VPNs have drawbacks. They funnel all user traffic through one point, so they are an attractive target for hackers and spies. The biggest obstacle to their routine use as a privacy safeguard is that they can be too much of a hassle to set up for many customers. They also cost money.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 0, Disagree) by jmorris on Thursday March 30 2017, @06:28AM (4 children)

    by jmorris (4844) on Thursday March 30 2017, @06:28AM (#486356)

    Yea, about that network neutrality. You did know the current Chairman isn't a fan of Obama's antics in that department either. So don't you worry about that, all of it is being unwound. As for the courts, can't remember if that ruling depends on the FCC takeover of privacy (now reversed) or what, or if is just yet another insane court ruling but all this stuff is getting sorted out. Just be patient, eight years of lawlessness doesn't get fixed in a month or two abd there are lots of places that need attention beyond just the tech sector.

    And for the record, no I am not in any way tired of the winning yet.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   -2  
       Flamebait=1, Troll=1, Disagree=1, Total=3
    Extra 'Disagree' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   0  
  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 30 2017, @07:07AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 30 2017, @07:07AM (#486359)

    And for the record, no I am not in any way tired of the winning yet.

    Congratulations, another scumbag who despises the Constitution and freedom in general was elected! Trump has joined the ranks of his buddies Obama, Bush, and countless other politicians in support horrendous violations of our rights such as mass surveillance. What a win this is!

    I fail to see how any of this is a good thing. Whether a Republican or a Democrat wins, freedom ultimately loses. Fucking partisan retards.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 30 2017, @07:14AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 30 2017, @07:14AM (#486362)

    Network neutrality == antics?

    ... can't remember ... yet another insane court ruling

    Yup, you sound like somebody with a solid head on their shoulders!
    "And for the record, no I am not in any way tired of the winning yet."
    Per usual you fall for the ruse, yup, you're really "winning" here bud.

    • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 30 2017, @08:28AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 30 2017, @08:28AM (#486387)

      Getting raped in the ass by monopolistic ISPs while the people who remove the regulations on said ISPs do absolutely nothing to fix the monopolies is winning!

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 30 2017, @01:08PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 30 2017, @01:08PM (#486447)

    mmmm oh yea. Take it. Take partisan cock up your asshole like the partisan cum guzzling whore you are! Ohhhh baby.... yea. I love how your loose anus swallows up that fat, long, veiny partisan monster like a champ! mmmmmm slide it in all the way, nice and slow. Oh and those grunts of sheer partisan ecstasy are titillating! You know you love it! Take it whore! Take it like the ignoramus you are!