OK, but a VPN packet in practice looks exactly the same as the next. There’s literally zero difference in a “business VPN” packet vs any other, which is my point. The courts literally cannot differentiate.
Why do the courts need to differentiate VPN packets? They will just say “uhm, Mozilla, your public VPN product that is offered for purchase in the UK is not compliant with the Online Safety Act. Change it or we’ll fine you one miillllion dol…pounds.”.
Not saying I like it, but the idea that they can’t do it is silly. And there are increasing levels of “China” that they can go to it they way:
Block access to foreign VPN websites.
Block VPN access to foreign VPN providers (trickier, but they could definitely degrade the experience).
Block all VPN connections at the ISP level except to whitelisted IPs. Companies can apply to the government to get their VPN IPs whitelisted.
Don’t imagine that they can’t become China for technical reasons. The only thing holding them back is politics and it isn’t doing a good job of that.
Right, but what stops you and I from using a VPN? Your logic is sound from the provider point of view - but I can set up my own VPN quickly and cheaply. So for me the end user nothing has changed as far as I can see it.
And if anyone asks? Oh Im just using <approved VPN>
They won’t ban corporate VPNs.
What’s a “corporate VPN,” and how could anyone tell the difference?
“A corporate VPN is any VPN used primarily for private business purposes.” -Online Safety Bill (2029), probably.
Courts will determine the difference.
OK, but a VPN packet in practice looks exactly the same as the next. There’s literally zero difference in a “business VPN” packet vs any other, which is my point. The courts literally cannot differentiate.
Why do the courts need to differentiate VPN packets? They will just say “uhm, Mozilla, your public VPN product that is offered for purchase in the UK is not compliant with the Online Safety Act. Change it or we’ll fine you one miillllion dol…pounds.”.
Not saying I like it, but the idea that they can’t do it is silly. And there are increasing levels of “China” that they can go to it they way:
Don’t imagine that they can’t become China for technical reasons. The only thing holding them back is politics and it isn’t doing a good job of that.
Right, but what stops you and I from using a VPN? Your logic is sound from the provider point of view - but I can set up my own VPN quickly and cheaply. So for me the end user nothing has changed as far as I can see it.
And if anyone asks? Oh Im just using <approved VPN>
Step 3 stops you from doing that.
Also I don’t think you can set up a VPN very easily. If you’re thinking of using a VPS, apparently they are mostly blocked by major sites.
Best you can do is domain fronting with VPN over HTTPS but China can even block that based on traffic analysis.
“Block all VPN connections”
OpenVPN packets can be disguised to look like regular non-VPN packets. This won’t stop anyone who’s mildly determined