A proxy server can be used for a number of things. People can use it to overcome censorship in their country, to access contents they could otherwise not access or to remain anonymous while performing research on the Internet. Proxy servers to provide a level of anonymity and privacy that makes them a good choice in many situations. A new federal law in the United States is up for voting at the united States Sentencing Commission that can increase the jail time by up to 25% if a proxy server has been used.
Privacy advocates have already expressed great concern as proxy servers are not only in use by individuals who want to protect their privacy but also by companies and even Internet Service Providers, sometimes without the knowledge of the end user. VPN (Virtual Private Network) would for example be classified as proxy servers under the new legislation. As is the popular Tor client that has been created specifically to counter censorship in the world. Several web browsers like Opera Mini or Opera 10 are also making use of proxy servers to compress data to decrease the time it takes to load websites.
The United States Sentencing Commission will vote on the new legislation on April 15. It is set to take effect on November 1 if is is passing the voting process. You can read up on the EFFs stance here
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Nothing like living in the land of the “free”
There’s still lot of honest proxy out there. You just had to search for it.
I am getting so tired of the government that I defended and served for, always getting into our business! More and more everyday, they keep getting more like a RED country! What the country and government is turning into is NOT the country nor government that defended and served.
Just another example of the Fed’s having become the music and movie industries bitch.
Funny, the slogan “land of the free” is starting to the same rhyne as the old good “arbeit macht frei”.
This is so stupid… Whoever uses a proxy is just securing the right to privacy.
How can they even PROVE that a proxy was used? With TOR that should be almost impossible…