this post was submitted on 03 May 2026
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[–] limonfiesta@lemmy.world 270 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (28 children)

Web services and websites should block all Utah IP addresses and redirect to page explaining that because they cannot tell who's using a VPN, their only option is to block all of Utah.

Yes, I understand how dumb that is, but sometimes you have to fight stupid with stupider.

[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 114 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Porn sites have been doing that for years now.

And that's exactly what they want.

[–] BassTurd@lemmy.world 73 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

They don't want every website to do it though.

[–] EpeeGnome@feddit.online 38 points 3 weeks ago (7 children)

I like the thought, but it won't work. The big websites won't be willing to lose money they don't have to, and like ID laws that give them reasons to extract more data from users anyway.

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[–] OwOarchist@pawb.social 30 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Web services and websites should block all Utah IP addresses and redirect to page explaining that because they cannot tell who’s using a VPN, their only option is to block all of Utah.

But VPN users using a VPN outside of Utah will still get through.

What Utah (and likely other dumb states soon) are trying to do is to force age verification worldwide through a state law, forcing websites to verify the age of every user from anywhere, because any user who accesses the site from anywhere in the world might possibly be someone in Utah using a VPN.

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[–] Zephorah@discuss.online 157 points 3 weeks ago (13 children)
[–] originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 167 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I think this is one if those laws where they get to selectively choose who to prosecute.

..everyone is always a criminal so those in charge can do whateverthefuck they want with little regard for actual laws.

[–] snooggums@piefed.world 45 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I think this is one if those laws where they get to selectively choose who to prosecute.

Like every law.

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[–] BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 107 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

The EFF warned that the legal risk could push sites to either ban all known VPN IPs or mandate age verification for every visitor globally.

This is the goal.

[–] Godort@lemmy.ca 31 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Could they not also just selectively ban all Utah-based IPs?

People in Utah could still access with a VPN, but never would, because that would be against the law.

[–] underisk@lemmy.ml 26 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (21 children)

Why is a company or person that doesn’t exist physically in Utah at all responsible for adhering to Utah’s laws? Should be their government’s responsibility to block sites, not the site’s responsibility to block Utah.

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[–] 667@lemmy.radio 42 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Seems like it’s the first step in transferring control of the internet to the government.

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[–] GreenShimada@lemmy.world 23 points 3 weeks ago

It's not, it's an add-on for shifting liability after the fact. Basically, if a site gets dinged as being part of showing some youth something truly evil, like confirming the existence of LGTBQI+ people on earth, then if the youth used a VPN, somehow the site is to blame. And likely fines come into play.

It's like if a person that's 19 buys alcohol with a fake ID in Utah - the liability is still on the place that unknowingly sold the liquor. It's probably based on the same lack of logic.

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[–] disorderly@lemmy.world 96 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

To date, the only countries that have made progress in blocking VPN traffic with some success are authoritarian regimes with ISP-level surveillance.

You know you're on to something when the only playbook you can find was written by the Chinese government.

[–] LuminousLuddite@lemmy.world 28 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The horseshoe theory of mass surveillance

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[–] 52fighters@sopuli.xyz 76 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

If I were a lawyer arguing against the law in court, my primary argument would be that this violates the interstate commerce section of the US Constitution.

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[–] uberdroog@lemmy.world 75 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

But spoofing a phone number and harassing me all day isn't worth solutioning. This Gov. is not representing us.

[–] LuminousLuddite@lemmy.world 31 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

The Biden admin was about to regulate data brokers but then Trump happened.

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[–] Archangel1313@lemmy.ca 73 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

These aren't "age checks"...it's identity tracking.

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[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 71 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

More ways to control our lives and track our movements.

"Party of small government".

Personally, I would stop using any site that did this. We all know nothing matters in this country but money. Companies stop making as much, they'll get legislation changed.

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[–] fizzle@quokk.au 67 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

I'm so weary of everything getting a little bit worse every day.

I'm sure we all used to be excited about the future of the internet but now it's just shit.

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[–] ParlimentOfDoom@piefed.zip 62 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Get a list of every dumbass politician who voted this through, and access their campaign websites through a VPN from a computer in Utah. Boom.

Self owned.

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[–] cley_faye@lemmy.world 59 points 3 weeks ago (11 children)

Remember when we told people "they'll make it illegal to use a VPN" and we got snarky replies like "it's not enforceable LOL".

The fuck it isn't. Traffic coming from a VPN? That's a paddlin', kiddo.

They're not even trying to masquerade it as… oh, yes, they're still trying to masquerade as a "think of the children!" measure. Those fuckers.

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[–] Tempus_Fugit@lemmy.world 52 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (5 children)

Utah flexing those evil Mormon muscles huh? Well get bent Utah and get fucked Mormons.

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[–] Iusedtobeanalien@lemmy.world 51 points 3 weeks ago

Ah Utah

The medieval backward heartland of the USA

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 51 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

if they are so concerned about children, how about doing something about the mormon church and the fucking horrible crimes that are committed against women and children in it?

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[–] TyrionBean@lemmy.ml 45 points 3 weeks ago

This from the people who elected a notorious pedophile, "thinking" that he would find the real pedophiles.

[–] mrmaplebar@fedia.io 42 points 3 weeks ago

Religion is delusional mass psychosis.

[–] spacegoat@lemmy.world 41 points 3 weeks ago

The pedophile class has the audacity to dictate access to a utility under the guise of protecting the children

[–] KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml 41 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

It's literally going to be easier for websites to just block all Utah IPs and Geolocations.

[–] moseschrute@lemmy.world 31 points 3 weeks ago

I’m ok with blocking Utah from the internet. That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make

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[–] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 39 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

This is like holding a car manufacturer liable when a teenager drives to a liquor store and uses a fake ID.

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[–] quack@lemmy.zip 38 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (13 children)

So how do they plan on figuring out if any given user behind a VPN is in Utah?

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[–] fluffykittycat@slrpnk.net 38 points 3 weeks ago

Age verification is a red line. I will not comply

[–] bagsy@lemmy.world 36 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

Websites need to block all Utah traffic. If their leaders are going to be shitheads, then no traffic for you until you elect new leaders.

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[–] StarryPhoenix97@lemmy.world 34 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

It seems like it's just a matter of time until the US has it's own red firewall.

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[–] Puddinghelmet@lemmy.world 34 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Russia's VPN crackdown disrupts banks, marketplaces and government services

And so if I'm in Utah as a traveller I can't check my local news by vpn? Ok

[–] Microtonal_Banana@lemmy.zip 33 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

This is what happens when you elect morons to legislate technology they dont understand.

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[–] NewNewAugustEast@lemmy.zip 32 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Have they thought about passing a law that checks to see if the people making the law have an IQ above 50?

This is the dumbest, most waste of time bullshit particularly when the rest of the country is imploding. Maybe they should focus on things that matter.

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[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 31 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (13 children)

Wait a second... how can they enforce this legislation when a VPN is masking the user's location? How do they know a user using a VPN is from Utah?

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but aren't the users they're trying to regulate the exact subsection of users that they don't have the ability to identify as being citizens of Utah?

Like if a user appears to be in Utah, then they're probably not using a vpn. And if the user appears to be from out of state, then they could be using a vpn, but also Utah law doesn't apply to those people because they're not from Utah (as far as they know)... So essentially this law can't actually apply to... anyone?

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[–] green_goglin@thelemmy.club 30 points 3 weeks ago

lol Mormons have the NSA servers in Utah.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 25 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

utah must have a porn problem, because they have pretty high traffic to PH, or its affiliates.

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[–] Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 24 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (3 children)

From my point of view, all I want is that Europe doesn't follow the US into suiciding it's own future in Tech by structurally dismounting the workings of the Internet for the purpose of autoritarian surveillance.

Mind you, given the seeming high amounts of corruption and kompromat for European politicians - especially EU ones - I fear that even here they might send us down the path of Technological Black Age to satisfy the short term desires of whatever large American Tech Companies that have them in their pockets or populist American or Israeli politicians holding kompromat on them.

[–] SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world 23 points 3 weeks ago (9 children)

Von der Leyen keeps pushing for Chat Control. Plus the age verification app they want to release. The EU is already following the US

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[–] TryingToBeGood@reddthat.com 24 points 3 weeks ago (8 children)

Good thing my firm doesn’t have an office in UT; we’re all on a VPN to work from home.

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[–] flop_leash_973@lemmy.world 23 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Every website would be better served to come up with a way to block all IP ranges that come out of Utah ISPs. Better to just block the whole state than try to play this game.

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