7 ms·

Something I learned just recently—the Australian government (surprisingly!) actually recommends VPN usage, they even provide a bit of a guide and how to; https:

• monk_grilla 4mo ago
  That’s funny, I wonder if they might remove it since it is a common way for people to circumvent the ID requirement laws for certain sites.
  • hiisukun 4mo ago
    They probably should at least update it -- I don't think a government should recommend free VPN services. Too many of them are a form of botnet, malware, ddos, etc.
    • consp 4mo ago
      Main source of residential ip's you can "rent"?
    • miki123211 4mo ago
      And most people don't even need them any more. The days of free WiFi hotspots being able to easily steal your credentials are long gone.
      • MajorTakeaway 4mo ago
        They never went away, just from your mind. Look at cheap xfinity wifi hotspots everywhere that still steal your credentials in the form of phone number and email address. The bar I went to last night has a free wifi hotspot like every establishment ever. Misinformation smells like your own farts, disgusting to everyone but you.
        • cnewey 4mo ago
          But unfortunately, a VPN won't protect you from captive portals. So not entirely sure what your comment adds to the discussion other than being unnecessarily rude. For other readers who may be too young to remember, improper privacy controls (unenforced HTTPS, poor encryption in the form of WEP, easy MitM attacks, etc) meant that public/untrusted WiFi was a legitimate security risk as things like passwords, bank details, etc were very easy to steal as they were sent unencrypted over the air. This is fortunately much less true these days with the advent of better protections across the entire stack (HTTPS everywhere, WPA*, etc) but unscrupulous VPN merchants still use this outdated argument to try to sell their products to less technically-savvy customers. What these technologies (and VPNs) _do not_ prevent is the legitimate (and consensual) capture of user data by captive portal software (email, phone, etc), which is typically submitted by a user wishing to connect to a public network. This is what the parent comment is mentioning. Different risk profiles, obviously.
          • giancarlostoro 4mo ago
            Yeah the being asked for an email or phone for free wifi option is completely different from the “I can MITM all your web requests” which is what needs a VPN. I usually give a fake email or phone number to get free wifi anyway.
            • hdgvhicv 4mo ago
              Fuck@off.com tends to work but I’ve sometimes had portals give refuse that as a “fake”, same with bob@bob.com. Billg@microsoft.com is my fallback.
              • gerdesj 4mo ago
                me@here.com usually works. No need to be silly.
          • charcircuit 4mo ago
            If the captive portal for an open network uses HTTP, then anyone nearby can see the information you submit.
• mjmas 4mo ago
  The very same office of the eSafety commissioner that is enforcing age verification for social media. https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/blogs/social-media-minimum-age-compliance-report https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/blogs/social-media-minim...
  • danw1979 4mo ago
    Yes. Isn’t effective regulation of dangerous products wonderful.
    • Lerc 4mo ago
      It is, provided there is a broad consensuss of experts in the field who agree on the danger and what to about it, the government regulates based on that information and that the regulation is effective. Apart from those things, the Australian government did an excellent job.
      • crowcroft 4mo ago
        Who are the experts in the field, and who decides they're experts? "More doctors smoke camels than any other cigarette".
        • sellmesoap 4mo ago
          I'd add one of these: https://fortune.com/2026/02/21/peter-thiel-bill-gates-steve-jobs-steve-chen-tech-billionaires-publicly-shielding-their-children-from-tech-products-social-media/ https://fortune.com/2026/02/21/peter-thiel-bill-gates-steve-... but uh here I am on a social media site rebroadcasting that message... I'll add that I'm for an open internet, I don't think we need age verification. Walled gardens have a lot more shade then alternatives. Becoming aware of the many forms of abstracted gambling (time, tokens, or otherwise) makes the internet a much more affordable and sane place.
        • Lerc 4mo ago
          https://childrightstaskforce.org.au/ https://childrightstaskforce.org.au/ >Our membership is made up of advocates, service providers, individuals and experts, speaking with a united voice to promote and realise the rights of Australian children. >The Child Rights Taskforce is co-convened by UNICEF Australia and James McDougall and is led by a Steering Committee of child rights organisations and experts. Here is their position on the social media ban. https://apo.org.au/node/328608 https://apo.org.au/node/328608