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If you look at the article, the network they disrupted pays software vendors per-download to sneakily turn their users into residential proxy endpoints. I'm sur

by ndiddy 9mo ago

If you look at the article, the network they disrupted pays software vendors per-download to sneakily turn their users into residential proxy endpoints. I'm sure that at least some of the time the user is technically agreeing to some wording buried in the ToS saying they consent to this, but it's certainly unethical. I wouldn't want to proxy traffic from random people through my home network, that's how you get legal threats from media companies or the police called to your house.

londons_explore 9mo ago
> that's how you get legal threats from media companies or the police called to your house. Or residential proxies get so widespread that almost every house has a proxy in, and it becomes the new way the internet works - "for privacy, your data has been routed through someone else's connection at random".
- Imustaskforhelp 9mo ago
  > Or residential proxies get so widespread that almost every house has a proxy in, and it becomes the new way the internet works - "for privacy, your data has been routed through someone else's connection at random". Is this a re-invention of tor, maybe I2P?
  - rolph 9mo ago
    IP8 address tumbler? to wit, playing the shell game, to obstruct direct attribution.
  - chii 9mo ago
    > Is this a re-invention of tor in a way, yes - the weakness of tor is realistically the lack of widespreadness. Tor traffic is identifiable and blockable due to the relatively rare number of exit nodes (which also makes it dangerous to run exit nodes, as you become "liable"). Engraining the ideas of tor into regular users' internet usage is what would prevent the internet from being controlled and blockable by any actor (except perhaps draconian gov't over reach, which while can happen, is harder in the west).
- deleted 9mo ago
  [deleted]
dataviz1000 9mo ago
They provide an SDK for mobile developers. Here is a video of how it works. [0] They don't even hide it. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a9HLrwvUO4&t=15s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a9HLrwvUO4&t=15s
- ndiddy 9mo ago
  Of course they're pitching it like everything's above board, but from the article: > While many residential proxy providers state that they source their IP addresses ethically, our analysis shows these claims are often incorrect or overstated. Many of the malicious applications we analyzed in our investigation did not disclose that they enrolled devices into the IPIDEA proxy network. Researchers have previously found uncertified and off-brand Android Open Source Project devices, such as television set top boxes, with hidden residential proxy payloads.
  - direwolf20 9mo ago
    If popup ads that open the play store are ethical, this is ethical.
  - calgoo 9mo ago
    I love how its the "evil" Open Source project devices, and "other app stores" that are the problem, not the 100s of spyware ridden crap that is available for download from the Play store. Would be interesting to know how many copies of the SDK was found and removed from their own platform.

by ndiddy 9mo ago

londons_explore 9mo ago

> that's how you get legal threats from media companies or the police called to your house. Or residential proxies get so widespread that almost every house has a proxy in, and it becomes the new way the internet works - "for privacy, your data has been routed through someone else's connection at random".

Imustaskforhelp 9mo ago
> Or residential proxies get so widespread that almost every house has a proxy in, and it becomes the new way the internet works - "for privacy, your data has been routed through someone else's connection at random". Is this a re-invention of tor, maybe I2P?
- rolph 9mo ago
  IP8 address tumbler? to wit, playing the shell game, to obstruct direct attribution.
- chii 9mo ago
  > Is this a re-invention of tor in a way, yes - the weakness of tor is realistically the lack of widespreadness. Tor traffic is identifiable and blockable due to the relatively rare number of exit nodes (which also makes it dangerous to run exit nodes, as you become "liable"). Engraining the ideas of tor into regular users' internet usage is what would prevent the internet from being controlled and blockable by any actor (except perhaps draconian gov't over reach, which while can happen, is harder in the west).
deleted 9mo ago
[deleted]

dataviz1000 9mo ago

They provide an SDK for mobile developers. Here is a video of how it works. [0] They don't even hide it. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a9HLrwvUO4&t=15s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a9HLrwvUO4&t=15s

ndiddy 9mo ago
Of course they're pitching it like everything's above board, but from the article: > While many residential proxy providers state that they source their IP addresses ethically, our analysis shows these claims are often incorrect or overstated. Many of the malicious applications we analyzed in our investigation did not disclose that they enrolled devices into the IPIDEA proxy network. Researchers have previously found uncertified and off-brand Android Open Source Project devices, such as television set top boxes, with hidden residential proxy payloads.
- direwolf20 9mo ago
  If popup ads that open the play store are ethical, this is ethical.
- calgoo 9mo ago
  I love how its the "evil" Open Source project devices, and "other app stores" that are the problem, not the 100s of spyware ridden crap that is available for download from the Play store. Would be interesting to know how many copies of the SDK was found and removed from their own platform.