Title: The Porn Ban and Its Impact on Millions of Smartphone Users
Living in the digital age, we're navigating a rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape. New AI-driven attacks are on the rise, while User behavior is also changing due to recent U.S. restrictions on popular platforms. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) highlights the broader implications on privacy, free speech, and access to information. Millions of Americans are seeking ways to bypass these limitations, protecting their online activities.
In countries like Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, internet freedoms are repressed, leading users to use VPNs for bypassing those restrictions. However, this trend is not limited to these nations. In the United States, the motivation for VPN usage is not so much geopolitical, but rather due to minor restrictive measures and age verification laws.
For instance, when TikTok faced a temporary ban and age verification laws came into effect for pornographic content, millions of Americans turned to VPNs. Surprisingly, they were not just rerouting their traffic through liberal states but also adopting IPs from countries like Mexico to access such content.
A recent survey by vpnMentor reveals a surge in VPN usage in states like Florida, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Alabama. Pornhub, the most popular adult site, recorded an all-time high in visits despite geo-blocking in some states. Consequently, Mexico became a new significant source of traffic to the adult platform.
vpnMentor warns about the risks of using free VPNs. These services can expose sensitive user data, such as email addresses, passwords, payment details, and personal device data. Furthermore, free VPNs often lack adequate privacy measures, as shown by the recent leak of over a billion records from supposedly ‘no-logs’ VPNs.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation advises against viewing VPNs as a tool for anonymity. While VPNs can protect users' IP addresses and encrypt their internet traffic, they may collect personal information or valuable data. They also caution that other forms of tracking, such as GPS, web cookies, and mobile ad IDs, can still be used to monitor users.
As legislators continue to explore restrictions on content access, the scourge of dangerous VPNs remains a concern. It is crucial to exercise caution when using VPNs to bypass restrictive measures, ensuring the service is reliable and trustworthy.
Trump's administration imposed restrictions on popular platform TikTok, prompting a surge in VPN usage in the United States. This trend also followed the Age Verification laws for pornographic content on the app. Google and Apple issued warnings about the potential risks associated with using untrusted VPNs to bypass these restrictions. Trump's attempts to ban TikTok in China also contributed to the trend of American users adopting Chinese IPs to access the app. Similarly, Android and iPhone users received warnings about the dangers of free VPNs, which can expose sensitive user data and lack adequate privacy measures.
