this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2025
486 points (96.7% liked)

Technology

74233 readers
4280 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related news or articles.
  3. Be excellent to each other!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
  10. Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
L3s@lemmy.world
enu@lemmy.world
technopagan@lemmy.world
L4s@lemmy.world
L3s@hackingne.ws
L4s@hackingne.ws
486
Chrome VPN Extension With 100k Installs Screenshots All Sites Users Visit (koi-security.webflow.io)
submitted 1 day ago by Pro@programming.dev to c/technology@lemmy.world
90 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

cross-posted from: https://programming.dev/post/35967051

Most people turn to a VPN for one reason: privacy. And with its verified badge, featured placement, and 100k+ installs, FreeVPN.One looked like a safe choice. But once it’s in your browser, it’s not working to keep you safe, it’s continuously watching you.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] outhouseperilous@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Didn't netflix encourage vpn's for like a decade?

I havent paid for streaming in forever, because i dont want to give art-mangling archive-destroyers my money, but that's amazing.

[–] moseschrute@lemmy.ml 1 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

No idea tbh. All I know is most streaming services block them now since they often have different content in different regions.

[–] outhouseperilous@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago) (1 children)

That seems so fuckkng tedious. Why are you paying them for that sevurity compromising bullshit? They're absolutely selling your juicy juicy data.

Valid on the Minecraft.

[–] moseschrute@lemmy.ml 1 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Honestly I’m mostly leeching off my friends lol. And my cell provider bundles Netflix.

It’s not super tedious. Every time something doesn’t work, I just add it to my VPN exclusion list. I don’t really care if my ISP snoops on Netflix tbh.

The VPN blocking doesn’t really bother me. It’s the enshitification of streaming services that bothers me. E.g. why does every paid service now trying to show me ads.

Btw, a lot of Lemmy instances also don’t play nice with a VPN. Probably to block bots. PieFed is likely the same.

[–] outhouseperilous@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

if my isp

Oh honey it's so much worse than that.

And fuck those lemmy instances? Might consider blocking communities hosted on them.

[–] moseschrute@lemmy.ml 1 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago) (1 children)

Enlighten me. What damage do you thinking they are doing by snooping in my streaming traffic? Aside from profiling me and predicting my every move lol. But even with a VPN they are still finding ways to profile me.

As far as Lemmy instances, they are likely in a tough spot. You can’t build an enjoyable platform if it’s crawling with bots.

[–] outhouseperilous@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

lemmy

Ours allow vpn's, aren't shit holes.

enlighten me

Media consumption and ad responsiveness are really good data.

Then they can connect this to your other shit (phone model browser data etc).

Violate you with medium certainty everywhere.

Edit: Wouldn't be shocked if that's why the fingerprinting on you works so well. Assuming you arent slipping too bad anywhere else.