this post was submitted on 22 Jun 2024
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[–] [email protected] 197 points 6 months ago (8 children)

Tbh at least this one makes sense, who is going to use a VPN (an internet privacy tool) from Google?

[–] [email protected] 38 points 6 months ago (1 children)

My purpose for a VPN is more about connecting to WiFi APs I don't control. Google VPN worked just fine for that.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago (1 children)

These days you don’t get much extra benefit on a VPN over TLS which you get on 99% of websites.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

I disagree here, as an American using a Swiss exit node (most compliant) websites are forced to allow a much higher degree of privacy to comply with the laws there.

While I block all third party advertising and tracking anyway, it’s incredibly satisfying seeing websites explicitly list out everything they’re tracking about you and having that “reject all” button.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 6 months ago

who is going to use a VPN (an internet privacy tool) from Google?

Exactly. That would be like using a web browser made by Google so they have direct access to your internet browsing history. Ridiculous!

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 months ago

I did. Because it was free with another service I'm already paying for.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children)

when traveling Communist countries in Asia with google fi it was really nice to have

but then they revoked my data service while charging me the same amount every month, because they said I'm traveling too much.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

How long did it take for them to turn it off?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

two years I think. they told me I need to go to the United States at least once a year.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Seems entirely reasonable to me, depending on the country it costs them extra to route your calls overseas to another network.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Fi makes it pretty clear that use outside the US is meant to be temporary (unless you're on military duty overseas). The person you replied to got a really long run and honestly has no cause for complaint.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

I wish they would at least give me a discount for the service without the data.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

A better solution might be to not travel to communist countries.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

in micronations

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago

My sister. No fucking idea why

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Yeah right? I have a VPN to prevent Google (amongst many others) from having too much of my data.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago

Googles can have a little bit of my data, as a treat

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Other than source IP address, I don't see how does that prevent Google from having your data.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

I completely block all Google access via DNS blocklists (I realize it’s not 100% bulletproof as you could get around the block by just knowing the IP address). Because their tracking is including in basically every app and website I think this is the only effective way to stop tracking.

Using a VPN might make you more anonymous in other ways, but that alone isn’t going to stop anything from building a profile on you.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

People who live in countries with internet censorship?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Google VPN is/was only available in select countries.

https://support.google.com/googleone/answer/7582172

There are 2 lists of countries applicable here. The list of countries where the VPN is included with a Google One subscription and the list where you could use the VPN while traveling.

You'll notice that countries known for internet censorship are missing from both lists, so using it for that purpose wouldn't work at all.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

Oh wow, it's useless

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Do you mean a media piracy tool?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago

That's what he said.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

Torrenting was blocked on it anyway, as far as I could tell.