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Searches for VPNs spike in Texas after Pornhub pulls out of the state (www.cnn.com)

submitted 8 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

19 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Searches for virtual private networking (VPN) software briefly spiked in Texas this week after Pornhub suspended service in the state over a law forcing adult websites to verify the age or identities of their users.

The four-fold rise in Google searches for tools that can circumvent the state-level blocking suggests the law may already be having unintended side effects, days after a federal appeals court upheld the legislation and said it could remain in effect.

Visitors with Texas IP addresses who visit Pornhub’s website are now presented with a full-page message calling the Texas law “ineffective, haphazard, and dangerous.”

…

“The apparent spike in VPN searches in Texas shows that these types of age verification laws aren’t just unconstitutional, they’re also silly and ineffective,” Greer said. “Just like millions of people in countries like China, Russia and Turkey evade their government’s draconian online censorship regimes using simple tools like VPNs, now we see Texans doing the same to get around their own state government’s invasive rules.”

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[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 97 points 8 months ago

I wish I had the hacking skills to steal and publish the browser history of the Texas state legislature and the top of the executive branch.

[-] Daxtron2@startrek.website 46 points 8 months ago

They'd probably be ridiculously easy to phish if you could get a non-government email address for them.

[+] IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

[deleted]

[-] TexasDrunk@lemmy.world 10 points 8 months ago

Let's pretend you knew that Greg Abbott's personal email was greg.no.leg@assholes.com (it's not as far as I know). You send him an official looking email from IT@texas.state.support.net (or whatever domain you're willing to register, it just has to look relatively legit) telling him that his computer has been compromised by porn companies and that he needs to install a "cleaner" along with a link. He clicks the link and downloads something called "Cleaner.exe". When he runs it, the program hoovers up all of his browsing history on that system and emails it back to you along with a snapshot of his emails or some other identifying information proving it's him.

You could also install a keylogger that way and get into whatever he's allowed in. In addition you could install a remote client, connect to it while he's not using it, and gain access to any system he has access to.

Even better, you don't necessarily have to do it to him. He has an administrative assistant, there are other office folks, and if he takes his computer home you could even get his wife or daughter (if she still lives at home, I really don't know) and grab his data that way. It only takes one person.

You may also be able to get information from his family's Facebook pages to better phish them.

Obviously I've left a few things out that make it seem more legit and given fake addresses, but with a few logical leaps someone could do that to all the top folks in Texas. It happens to companies all the time. There was an oil company where the CEO regularly got phished. So everyone in the company had to take extra training, except he exempted himself because his time was worth too much. Someone in the IT department leaked who was the cause of all the extra training. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. That company is no longer in business.

[-] Kraven_the_Hunter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 21 points 8 months ago

You don't even need hacking skills, just money. Remember John Oliver buying the website traffic for Capitol Hill a couple of years ago?

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 21 points 8 months ago

Sadly, I also lack money.

[-] Boozilla@lemmy.world 69 points 8 months ago

Vote red, get blue balls.

[-] motor_spirit@lemmy.world 5 points 8 months ago

Yooo make one of those Obama-era campaign posters to show the cunts

[-] verdantbanana@lemmy.world 57 points 8 months ago

Pornhub has a strong pull out game

[-] ryannathans@aussie.zone 3 points 8 months ago

Contrary to popular belief

[-] solidgrue@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

And Texans are in the process of figuring out prophylactic protection.

Porn! Is there anything it can't do?

[-] mihnt@lemmy.world 23 points 8 months ago

[-] ThePantser@lemmy.world 20 points 8 months ago

Porn wins elections, the blue need to quickly get some ads running in Texas saying they won't ban porn.

[-] rickyrigatoni@lemm.ee 14 points 8 months ago

More proof pulling out doesn't work.

[-] Obi@sopuli.xyz 6 points 8 months ago

Surfshark lobbying really paying off.

[-] motor_spirit@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

"Google searches" it seems these people will be playing catch up for years to come 💦

Good luck Texas, you gaggle of fucking idiots. I hope you grow a pair of balls or secede but for the love of fuck just get your shit together

[-] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

Tell me about a state that's gonna vote the bejisus out of the bills bringing back pornhub without telling me

this post was submitted on 18 Mar 2024

339 points (98.3% liked)

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