A lot of PC gamers at one point or another have used a VPN to buy a game from a country where it is sold at a cheaper price. Moving forward, doing this on Steam is going to be much more difficult, as Valve has implemented some changes to discourage …
Read More »Outdated VPN device led to Capcom cyberattack
In November 2020, Capcom confirmed it had suffered a huge data breach, with attackers stealing hundreds of thousands of confidential records and other data, including personal information of employees and plans for future games. In an update this week, Capcom confirms that it has completed its investigation into the attack. …
Read More »Valve makes changes to Steam Store to combat VPN use
There have been a number of efforts to crack down on VPN use to access cheaper prices for games on various digital stores. Nowadays, doing this is more difficult on Steam but not impossible. That could change soon, however, as Valve has issued a new update to Steam account settings. …
Read More »Horizon Zero Dawn PC price increases due to the use of VPNs
Due to the use of VPNs to buy the game at a reduced price, Horizon Zero Dawn PC prices have gone up in certain regions by as much as 389%. The people affected by the price increase are using credit and ResetEra to share with others how the price has …
Read More »UK VPN usage explodes as Digital Economy Bill progresses
The use of virtual private networks (VPNs) has increased dramatically in the UK as the controversial Digital Economy Bill and Investigatory Powers Bill have progressed through parliament. In the case of some VPNs, UK customers have more than doubled, with many concerned for their privacy and access to content. The …
Read More »Opera browser’s built in VPN service now available to everyone
If you download the latest version of the Opera browser today, you'll be able to access the new built-in VPN feature which has been discussed for some time now. Originally made available in the developer only version, Opera's VPN can do a good job of obfuscating where you are located …
Read More »Netflix HQ besieged by anti-VPN-blocking van advert
In an effort to hammer home to Netflix how much it dislikes geoblocking and the streaming service's crackdown on people getting around it using virtual private networks (VPNs), pro-privacy campaigners at OpenMedia, have been driving a truck around Netflix's headquarters, protesting the move. The van in question features a large …
Read More »Report suggests VPN use would skyrocket under Snooper’s Charter
Theresa May has been pushing the agenda for her “Snooper's Charter,” or to give it it's proper name, the Investigatory Powers Bill (IPB), for years now. Although she has claimed tracking everyone's browser history would aid in the fight against terrorism, research suggests that a lot of people would simply use …
Read More »Netflix insists its VPN blockade isn’t hurting business
It has been a few months since Netflix officially announced that it would be taking a harder stance against VPN users and those trying to circumvent geographical content restrictions. This has been a fairly controversial move but apparently, it isn't having an effect at all on the company's pocket. During …
Read More »VPN users say Netflix crackdown will make pirates of them
The fact that Netflix offers different content to different users in different regions, has always meant people have tried to find ways around that geoblocking. One popular method has been to use a virtual private network (VPN) service, but with Netflix's recent crackdown, a lot of users are now considering …
Read More »PayPal to start cutting off payments to VPN services
PayPal is already known for its stance against Torrent sites and file-hosting services but now it seems that the payment processor has an issue with VPN and SmartDNS services too. This week, PayPal began refusing to accept payments for a company providing users with VPN or SmartDNS tools to bypass …
Read More »Apple to pay $625 million over infringing Messenger patents
Apple has found itself on the wrong end of a patent infringement suit, with a US judge ordering the company to shell out $625 million over infringing patents with the iMessage and FaceTime services/apps. A jury ruled in favor of a company known as VirnetX, finding Apple guilty of infringing …
Read More »Soldiers given go-ahead to bypass Netflix geoblocking
Under the pressure of movie studios and politicians, Netflix has become much more interested in cracking down on those circumventing its content geo-blocks, forcing people to only watch what's available in their home country. However the streaming service is giving a pass to all army base users, allowing soldiers to …
Read More »Netflix has begun its assault on proxies and VPNs
A couple of weeks back, Netflix formally announced for the first time that it would be actively going after and blocking proxy/VPN services in an effort to stop users getting passed region blocks on content and now, we are starting to see the results of that. Over in Australia, a …
Read More »Netflix confirms plans to shut off proxy access
Netflix is a decent enough service but due to geographic content restrictions and licensing issues, the US tends to have the best overall library of content, causing many subscribers across the world to use VPNs or proxy services to spoof their location. In the past, Netflix hasn't really done much …
Read More »EU Commission may make geo-blocking invalid in Europe
As much as digital streaming companies like Netflix and Amazon have offered us more content in the past few years than has ever been so easily accessible before, one major frustration remains: geo-blocking. However in the future we may all have the same content available, as the European Commission (EUC) …
Read More »VPN flaw could allow anyone to view users’ real IPs
In the wake of the Edward Snowden revelations, obfuscating systems like encryption, the Tor browser and virtual private networks (VPN) have been championed by privacy advocates the world over as the best ways to protect your data online. However, that latter step may not be as useful as initially thought, …
Read More »Canadian ISP owner calls her own child a ‘VPN thief’
Restricting content to certain parts of the world always seems like a bizarre choice for media companies. In the hope of securing licensing deals in different continents for the same content, they limit where in the world it can be viewed, leaving those that want to watch it two options: use …
Read More »Hola speaks out on recent botnet accusations
Last week, it was revealed that one of the most popular VPN extensions for Google Chrome, Hola, had been caught out selling its user's bandwidth via a separate company in order to allow attackers to send DDOS attacks to other sites or services. At the time, it was 8Chan that …
Read More »Popular Chrome extension Hola sold your bandwidth for botnets
One of the most popular VPN extensions for Google Chrome, Hola, has been caught out selling its users' “idle resources”, like your bandwidth, via a separate company for botnet use. This means that users of Hola likely had their bandwidth sold for DDOS attacks. Hola was often used as a …
Read More »HBO cracks down on Now subscribers outside the US
HBO is cutting off those who are paying for the on-demand HBO Now service from outside of the US with a VPN. The network has sent emails to people around the world, who were found to be using tools to watch Game of Thrones from countries like Canada, Germany, Australia …
Read More »NZ VPN providers set to be sued by TV networks
Two steadfast VPN and internet providers based in New Zealand, which refused to comply with demands set by media corporations are set to be hit by legal action in the coming few days. While they have technically done nothing illegal by offering the service, it's being argued by both TVNZ …
Read More »Netflix could ban VPN users thanks to updated terms and conditions
Netflix has recently updates its terms and conditions, adding in a new line that says Netflix can ban users found to be using a VPN to access libraries of content not available in your own country. However, it does seem unlikely that Netflix would actively enforce this new rule. While …
Read More »Netflix wants to get rid of geographical restrictions
It is no secret that plenty of Netflix subscribers use a VPN to access content from other countries, mainly the US as it tends to have the most relevant library of content. It is also no shock that Hollywood companies aren't too happy about this practice, but instead of blocking …
Read More »Russia may be set to ban VPN and TOR usage
In a move that sounds an awful lot like David Cameron's recent announcement that he would go after effective encryption standards in the event of his re-election, a member of parliament in Putin's government is pushing for a ban on VPN and TOR access, in an attempt to stop people …
Read More »Piracy warning letters increase interest in VPNs
The effectiveness of warning letters sent to households that are thought to have downloaded media that's copyright protected is pretty much unknown. Some people pay up if money is demanded to make the whole thing go away, some ignore it and others fight it saying that it certainly wasn't them. However …
Read More »Netflix reveals that VPN crackdown claims are false
Netflix has come out to deny recent reports stating that the company is ‘cracking down' on customer VPN use. The company said that its existing policy on regional restrictions and VPN use shall remain in-tact and no changes are being made. Netflix's Chief Product Officer, Neil Hunt, said at CES …
Read More »Netflix is blocking VPNs and proxies
If you've been used to accessing Netflix's vast library of North American content while living outside of the continent, by using a proxy or VPN, you may be out of luck, as the streaming media company has now begun blocking methods of circumventing its geographical limiters. This is a real …
Read More »Swedish ISP protecting customer privacy with free VPN
Leading Swedish internet service provider, Bahnhof, is making an effort to protect its customer's privacy by supplying a free to use, no-logging VPN service. The new privacy protection measure comes shortly after the Swedish Telecoms Regulator, PTS, ordered Bahnhof to start monitoring and storing communications data under local data retention …
Read More »Kickstarter suspends anonymous router project
August Germar recently launched a project on Kickstarter, Anonabox. The aim was to raise $7500 to build and create a tiny custom router that would send all browsing traffic across the Tor network, ensuring anonymity and traffic encryption. The project made $585,000 in its first five days but it looks like …
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