It’s been that way for a few years now. For some reason using a VPN = sus, like as if wanting to protect your privacy automatically means you’re a crim
They can’t really force VPN providers to give that kind of information and those that do aren’t worth using. Any VPN provider worth their weight in salt should discontinue services in the US and switch to Tor if this act ever becomes a thing
Yes, if the vpn is ever used to access TikTok, it would be held liable in the same way the user is.
It creates a climate where VPNs as they are now simply can’t exist.
The problems with this act are firstly with its super vague and overly broad terminology. It also specifies a large number of technologies that are waaaaay outside of TikTok and social media usage (BioTech, Quantum Computing, etc).With regards to the ‘VPN’ sections, as how the wording goes where it can specifically impose the penalties not only on providers, but also upon individuals. Further, it also slots into DMCA provisions where it can punish those who use VPNs to gain access to content that would otherwise not be available (Say using a proxy or VPN service to see NetFlix or YT content that is region restricted).
On top of that, all of the decisions and choices made by the groups appointed to manage all this are _NOT_ exposed to the public, and they are specifically made immune to FOIA requests.
So yeah; Over-Vague language, Expansive technologies and territory controls, Zero accountability nor transparency, both individual and corporate punishments and forfeitures (including of technologies and IP). Also no accountability nor oversight. This whole bill is massive over-reach. Calling it fear-mongering is underselling it. This shit is fucking eldritch.
But it also punishes the vpn owner. I have a vpn server on my home lab, my little brother has access to it so that he can ssh into my systems from time to time.
If he used the vpn while using TikTok I would get fucked too.
I mean I’m not saying this is a good idea but it hasn’t even been voted on, I doubht it’ll make it through the senate as is and I doubht the president will sign it as is
Personally, I think they’re overreacting to this whole Tik Tok thing. No it prolly shouldn’t be on government and work devices and with the CEO refusing to admit or even acknoledge their China links, why not just have an American company put up a shit tonne of cash and buy it, which, yea that opens up problems of it’s own but it would keep congress happy and in the end congress happy = no PATRIOT Act 2.0
Looks similar to me
Not watched his video but the actual EU legislation on the table is nowhere near the stuff mentioned in the thread here.
Also he is talking about a ongoing draft in a workgroup (from his video description) that will lose half its content in vetting before even moved forward to consideration.
If its presented as something actualy considered as is then its somewhere between clickbait and lack of understanding.
And if it makes it from draft to suggestion and contains anything close to violation of GDPR principles in privacy, then its dead in the water if even makes it to voting.
Or in short, its a big old nothingburger.
There’s already laws against that
Well, yes and no. You have access to the same information that I do, which means you know what the bill does and doesn’t cover. You also know that it specifically covers malfeasances that are only vaguely covered by existing legislation.
What’s the act’s purpose?
This has been stated by one of the sponsors of the bill. I quoted him, three or four comments ago. If you don’t believe him, I’m not sure what I can do for you.
Just because they say they won’t use the bill to punish the end user… doesn’t mean they won’t. And if they decided later they want to, hey! It’s perfectly legal now
Not if you actually read the words it’s written with.
“aimed squarely” is utter, unsupportable, horseshit. That’s the intent, sure, but it’s aimed about as well as a conscript musket line.
April fools 
Right?
Yes, but I guess in today’s simplified understanding, “right” equals to “foreigner skull breaker”, left to “totalitarian commie killjoy, has cupcakes though”, centrist to “boring” 
So you are saying US leaning towards Soviet Union?
Jokes aside, yes I think if you were to make a comparison of leaning towards one or the other, the USA would certainly lean closer toward the country with heavy privatization (Nazi Germany). You could make more correlations than that, but this one is the least subjective and most obvious.
Is this level of digital censorship the modern day equivalent of burning all the books?
….PATRIOT act has entered the chat
And this bill is worse.
A VPN can be headquartered anywhere.
But if it operates within US borders then it must comply with US laws.
Or so says this RESTRICT proposal. Because it’s trying to clump as many tangentially related things, machines, technologies, people, uses, activities as it can under a “ban tiktok” umbrella.
The company in Denmark or Sweden would be fined if it operates in the US. Essentially all foreign owned VPNs would stop operating in the US
you probably mean AES256. SHA256 is a form of one-way encryption, also known as a hash algorithm.
Even if they don’t directly enforce it at first, they still have the power. Meaning they could ban all the things without any oversight
I mean, that quote means they could outlaw pretty much every router OS there is and every varient of Linux, I highly dobut they would do that
That is the idea. They can now come down on almost anyone if they feel the need.
Well… Yeah… Just like if he downloads some movies through your internet connection using your VPN, you’re legally responsible too. The owner of the Internet line has always been the responsible from the law standpoint.