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> “VPNhub is free and unlimited, anonymous and easy to use, [...] a good number of [people] use [VPNs] to circumvent and bypass restrictions to access adult con

> “VPNhub is free and unlimited, anonymous and easy to use, [...] a good number of [people] use [VPNs] to circumvent and bypass restrictions to access adult content. It only makes sense that they use Pornhub’s.” So wait, as a UK citizen I can use Pornhub's VPN to circumvent the UK Government's "Porn Filter", a system that's run by..... Pornhub.

mtgx 8y ago
Wasn't the porn filter supposed to be enabled by default, but optional for adults? As in the adults could change whether or not they could see the porn, at will? I believe there was some bureaucracy involved and maybe a "porn tax" you had to pay to disable the filter, but maybe this VPN service effectively solves both of those problems.
- pavel_lishin 8y ago
  > maybe this VPN service effectively solves both of those problems. Sure, for the low, low price of $12/month.
  - w0m 8y ago
    > VPNhub is free and unlimited, anonymous and easy to use, ... Though I didn't actually RTFM, was posted elsewhere here.
    - pavel_lishin 8y ago
      Whoops, how'd I miss that :/
    - zrobotics 8y ago
      From the article: "there is a premium subscription available that gets rid of the ads and promises faster speeds. In the U.S., this will cost between $12 and $14 per month, depending on the platform." So unlimited free use, but restricted speed and injected ads. Not horrible, but I'd definitely read the T&C very carefully, I didn't see any mention of what logs they keep.
- fredley 8y ago
  No, the Age Verification system (recently delayed[1]) is compulsory that porn sites must implement to be able to trade in the UK. It requires that they perform age verification on everyone accessing the site from the UK. This verification would be performed by supplying ID and linking it to your account. This is separate from ISP supplied filters in that it applies to the porn companies themselves, not the end consumers. Obviously a company like Mind Geek having your ID and all your porn browsing history is not worrisome at all. 1: https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2018/03/age-verification-uk-isp-internet-porn-ban-quietly-delayed.html https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2018/03/age-verificati...
mediocrejoker 8y ago
>So wait, as a UK citizen I can use Pornhub's VPN to circumvent the UK Government's "Porn Filter", a system that's run by..... Pornhub. I had no idea that PornHub is in charge of filtering adult content for the UK government. Got any more info about this relationship?
- nailer 8y ago
  Duckduckgo 'Mindgeek age verification UK'
  - brettz 8y ago
    Mindgeek has an age verification product to comply with the UK law but by no means is in charge of age verification in the UK, there are several competitors with their own age verification products.
    - nailer 8y ago
      https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/porn-age-verification-tool-uk-announcement-pornhub-ageid-adult-content-websites-mindgeek-a8242476.html https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/porn-age-verificati... > AgeID, has been developed by MindGeek, a company that also owns several pornographic websites including Pornhub, RedTube and YouPorn. > AgeID currently uses official documents such as driver's licences and passports to verify a person's age - but submitting a mobile number tied to a contract phone could be another option. > The tool is due to be implemented from April 2018 across all adult sites within the UK in accordance with The Digital Economy Act 2017 that was laid out by the government. It will be regulated by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
      - brettz 8y ago
        The third point is incorrect. It will be implemented on Mindgeek sites and any other sites that wish to use it instead of the competing age verification products.
      - merinowool 8y ago
stephenr 8y ago
Huh? A porn site company runs a porn filter? Surely the individual ISP's have devices in their DC that filter the specified things? Edit, so after reading - the filter is less a filter, and more mandated age-check verification? Isn't that like claiming a guy checking ID's at the door to a pub is an alcohol filter?
- geofft 8y ago
  That's a pretty good analogy, because nobody thinks that bars employing bouncers to check ID is some sort of conspiracy or conflict-of-interest.
  - DINKDINK 8y ago
    Strictly speaking, it is classified as a conflict of interest.
    - kelnos 8y ago
      It is, but in practice it doesn't matter too much. In most (all?) jurisdictions in the US, bars can be fined pretty heavily or even lose their liquor license if they're caught serving people illegally, or if they even have people on the premises without their ID with them. Any extra revenue they might generate from letting in underage people isn't worth the risk of the consequences if caught.
      - mark_edward 8y ago
        Lol. You've never been to a college town I take it? It's a gigantic conflict of interest that plays out exactly how you'd expect. I've never been carded going to a bar near my former university.
        jon__k 8y ago
        I live in a town with 3 colleges in SC and regularly see breweries card people. I've never been carded, but anyone with a young face is an automatic.
chimeracoder 8y ago
> a system that's run by..... Pornhub. The system was mandated by UK law. Mindgeek isn't the only provider that makes an age verification service, though they are the largest (since they own most of the largest pornographic brands on the web). David Cameron was the one who pushed for the law that put all of this into effect; Pornhub isn't remotely responsible. They're just creating a verification service that they're now legally required to run to comply with the law.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]

mtgx 8y ago

Wasn't the porn filter supposed to be enabled by default, but optional for adults? As in the adults could change whether or not they could see the porn, at will? I believe there was some bureaucracy involved and maybe a "porn tax" you had to pay to disable the filter, but maybe this VPN service effectively solves both of those problems.

pavel_lishin 8y ago
> maybe this VPN service effectively solves both of those problems. Sure, for the low, low price of $12/month.
- w0m 8y ago
  > VPNhub is free and unlimited, anonymous and easy to use, ... Though I didn't actually RTFM, was posted elsewhere here.
  - pavel_lishin 8y ago
    Whoops, how'd I miss that :/
  - zrobotics 8y ago
    From the article: "there is a premium subscription available that gets rid of the ads and promises faster speeds. In the U.S., this will cost between $12 and $14 per month, depending on the platform." So unlimited free use, but restricted speed and injected ads. Not horrible, but I'd definitely read the T&C very carefully, I didn't see any mention of what logs they keep.
fredley 8y ago
No, the Age Verification system (recently delayed[1]) is compulsory that porn sites must implement to be able to trade in the UK. It requires that they perform age verification on everyone accessing the site from the UK. This verification would be performed by supplying ID and linking it to your account. This is separate from ISP supplied filters in that it applies to the porn companies themselves, not the end consumers. Obviously a company like Mind Geek having your ID and all your porn browsing history is not worrisome at all. 1: https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2018/03/age-verification-uk-isp-internet-porn-ban-quietly-delayed.html https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2018/03/age-verificati...

mediocrejoker 8y ago

>So wait, as a UK citizen I can use Pornhub's VPN to circumvent the UK Government's "Porn Filter", a system that's run by..... Pornhub. I had no idea that PornHub is in charge of filtering adult content for the UK government. Got any more info about this relationship?

nailer 8y ago
Duckduckgo 'Mindgeek age verification UK'
- brettz 8y ago
  Mindgeek has an age verification product to comply with the UK law but by no means is in charge of age verification in the UK, there are several competitors with their own age verification products.
  - nailer 8y ago
    https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/porn-age-verification-tool-uk-announcement-pornhub-ageid-adult-content-websites-mindgeek-a8242476.html https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/porn-age-verificati... > AgeID, has been developed by MindGeek, a company that also owns several pornographic websites including Pornhub, RedTube and YouPorn. > AgeID currently uses official documents such as driver's licences and passports to verify a person's age - but submitting a mobile number tied to a contract phone could be another option. > The tool is due to be implemented from April 2018 across all adult sites within the UK in accordance with The Digital Economy Act 2017 that was laid out by the government. It will be regulated by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
    - brettz 8y ago
      The third point is incorrect. It will be implemented on Mindgeek sites and any other sites that wish to use it instead of the competing age verification products.
    - merinowool 8y ago

stephenr 8y ago

Huh? A porn site company runs a porn filter? Surely the individual ISP's have devices in their DC that filter the specified things? Edit, so after reading - the filter is less a filter, and more mandated age-check verification? Isn't that like claiming a guy checking ID's at the door to a pub is an alcohol filter?

geofft 8y ago
That's a pretty good analogy, because nobody thinks that bars employing bouncers to check ID is some sort of conspiracy or conflict-of-interest.
- DINKDINK 8y ago
  Strictly speaking, it is classified as a conflict of interest.
  - kelnos 8y ago
    It is, but in practice it doesn't matter too much. In most (all?) jurisdictions in the US, bars can be fined pretty heavily or even lose their liquor license if they're caught serving people illegally, or if they even have people on the premises without their ID with them. Any extra revenue they might generate from letting in underage people isn't worth the risk of the consequences if caught.
    - mark_edward 8y ago
      Lol. You've never been to a college town I take it? It's a gigantic conflict of interest that plays out exactly how you'd expect. I've never been carded going to a bar near my former university.
      - jon__k 8y ago
        I live in a town with 3 colleges in SC and regularly see breweries card people. I've never been carded, but anyone with a young face is an automatic.

chimeracoder 8y ago

> a system that's run by..... Pornhub. The system was mandated by UK law. Mindgeek isn't the only provider that makes an age verification service, though they are the largest (since they own most of the largest pornographic brands on the web). David Cameron was the one who pushed for the law that put all of this into effect; Pornhub isn't remotely responsible. They're just creating a verification service that they're now legally required to run to comply with the law.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]