The VPN block presumably exists to discourage people from voting manipulation, ban evasion, et cetera, but you can’t do any of those things when not logged in.

Is it just a british thing? Is this the government trying to block kids from seeing NSFW stuff? Because in that case it still isn’t doing its job - you can’t see NSFW reddit posts when logged out and you appear as not british on a vpn so you don’t need to verify age.

Sorry, i’m just incredibly frustrated because i’m stuck in a cycle of:

  • google something,
  • the top result is reddit
  • can’t see it because of VPN
  • have to use Sharklasers.com to make a Shadowbanned account or turn off my VPN
  • FaeriesWearBoots@sopuli.xyz
    29·
    3 days ago

    Reddit wants to make sure they can finger print you.

    • Logged in, means they know who you are.
    • Not logged but clear IP, they know who you are.
    • Not logged in and vpn, hard to ID.

    If they can’t ID you they can’t target ads at you.

  • modernangel@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    9·
    3 days ago

    It has everything to do with identifying and profiling visitors, but I believe ad revenue is just the cover justification. Social media user profiling has crossed the technological threshold into being of interest to authoritarian states, who are very keen to know who the likely troublemakers are and to neuter social networks as potential channels for resistance organization.

  • Auster@thebrainbin.org
    3·
    3 days ago

    From my experience, the block triggers when I run too many requests at once, e.g. RSS feeds updating. Haven’t logged to my account in some 2 years now and even if I did, they say it’s banned (but also according to them, I can recover it? Not bothering though), so being logged in/out may not be an absolute reason for time out.

  • qwerty@discuss.tchncs.de
    2·
    3 days ago

    It’s not just a british thing. I find that reddit blocks VPNs but not tor exit nodes, they even have a .onion website.

    https://www.reddittorjg6rue252oqsxryoxengawnmo46qy4kyii5wtqnwfj4ooad.onion/

    I’ve set up a private redlib instance that routes all traffic through tor and I have a browser extension that redirects all reddit links to my server. If you have a vps/home server this is a very seamless setup or you can use one of many public redlib instances or browse through tor directly.

  • P00ptart@lemmy.world
    0·
    3 days ago

    I haven’t had that problem at all and I no longer have an account there. I even see nsfw places there.