this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2023
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Privacy
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Using a VPN does exactly nothing against cookies or device fingerprinting.
I am using Firefox, and with a shit-load of add-ons that supposedly prevent unwanted cookies and fingerprinting. I use a VPN.
I was permanently banned from Reddit (for advocating firebombing nazis, as if that's a bad thing). When I logged in to an alternate account, that account was also permanently banned. Any account I tried to create after that point ended up being banned within a week, regardless of whether or not I was using it. I checked online. Apparently this has become fairly common in the last 2-3 years.
While you can minimize your digital fingerprint, it's almost impossible to prevent all digital fingerprinting. The EFF says that I have very strong protection against digital fingerprinting, but I'm still identifiable to a company with sufficient resources to devote to the task.
All you have to do to avoid reddit perma bans is to log in on a browser without cookies, on a VPN, and that's it. If you're still getting permabanned instantly on new accounts you're doing something wrong. Maybe you're using a VPN address that has been banned, idk. I ban evaded multiple accounts for years and only stopped because after I moved my IP changed and I don't need to fuck with the VPN anymore
The main thing is you'll be shadowbanned probably and you'll have to fuck around with getting karma and begging the admins to un-shadow ban you if your posts don't show up
I've been using a VPN for several years. I've tried using every major browser except Mulvad and Librewolf. As far as I can tell, they're doing some form of digital fingerprinting that I can't block. My only option would be getting an entirely new computer. I went through and overwrote/deleted 15 years of comment history (but have not deleted accounts), it's just not worth it to me.
Did you log in from mobile, too?
But the VPN company still has your data
There is no such thing as a "good VPN provider". VPNs were not created for privacy. They exist to allow individual users and groups to network together in enterprise environments
If you want more security use i2p or tor