Privacy Checkup 2021

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ClipBitch said:
Is there any tangible advantage to using a VPN + proxy? The VPN I have, PIA, has an optional proxy you can turn on in addition to the VPN. I assume the answer is yes, but I remember hearing somewhere that using both can cause a leak. I can never get a clear answer because search engine results for anything even remotely related to a VPN or proxy are just endless pages of shilling.
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I assume you're thinking in terms of using a VPN- ideally all the time- but then using a web browser with manual proxy settings for a SOCKS proxy your provider also provides, or using a extension provided by your VPN provider that uses SOCKS or HTTP proxies in the background.

Nothing really comes to me off the top of my head that would cause that to be more insecure. As long as it's within your terms of use/device limit (as this will likely count as two device connections) then it shouldn't really do anything beyond maybe some slight increase in latency. Josh points out that he does this in case he needs to avoid geographical restrictions on content in his browser, without having to worry about having traffic going out in the clear inadvertently.

I suppose there could be some slight advantage in privacy, at least against an adversary who isn't up inside the VPN you're using. If Ashley Biden has a restraining order against you, if you connect to a Serbian VPN and then use a Swedish proxy run by your VPN service to send her an email telling her you want to suck on her toes, at least someone looking at the traffic from your connection can't directly tell for sure that you're connecting through Sweden unless they have the VPN provider monitoring you (although maybe they could make an argument based on traffic analysis).
 
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Zavars said:
Using a VPN in general is great practice no matter what. Sure it probably won't stop the NSA from spying on you but it's still good to use.
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Yeah, I always use a VPN whenever I'm on this site. Plus using an e-mail that doesn't have much else, if anything, attached to it helps too.
 
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The general advice that I'm getting from here is to ditch my VPN in favor of Tor, yes?

Also, how useful is following this advice for something like a security clearance?
 
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Vlinny-kun said:
The general advice that I'm getting from here is to ditch my VPN in favor of Tor, yes?

Also, how useful is following this advice for something like a security clearance?
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It's flawed, but vanilla Tor is always the go too choice for basic privacy.

There's always alternatives. If you plan on browsing the surface web to do normie shit, just use a VPN + firefox with a few add ons (like Ghostry, Privacy badger, noscript, HTTPS everywhere etc)
It comes down to personal preferences. Take the information you find here and figure out what works best for you.
 
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Vlinny-kun said:
The general advice that I'm getting from here is to ditch my VPN in favor of Tor, yes?
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I always found Tor too slow for regular browsing, even by using the config to lock nodes to one country the latency was too high. If you're fine with that, it's a good option to go for.
 
Okay, I read through 12 pages. (autism is great)
The one thing that often gets left out of identity protection discussions is that qualitative context is just as critical as quantitative context. Like Labelle has an art style, we all have a composition style. Just like Labelle and Waffles were connected, anonymous identities can be connected by "impression". Granted, literary composition isn't necessarily as identifiable as line art, but it is just as culpable.
 
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I have separate everything for my kiwi stuff. No over lap with my real person. @Null you're doing me a solid with this onion site. Would love an onion kiwifarms.cc when you get a chance. Thanks.

Dumb TOR Users​

Funny Meme​

Very Good Lecture​

 
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I suppose this is where I reveal my ineptitude for using VPNs. I have a couple of questions:

I subscribed to PIA and now it is supposedly bought by a shady company. If I can't afford an alternative right now, is it still better than nothing?

Is it possible to route traffic from a specific browser through a VPN without having to route all traffic through a VPN? That would be bangers.
 
Great advice Jersh. I like the idea of dVPNs like Sentinel, they're probably the way to go for privacy. Open source, no logging, crypto payments, and no companies for wokes/authorities to target.
 
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