On Saturday 16 August 2025 12:57:41 pm Andy Smith wrote: > Hi, > > On Sat, Aug 16, 2025 at 05:40:33PM +0200, john doe wrote: > > Note that VPN providers will know what web site you are looking at. > > Maybe yes, maybe no. > > The Internet is increasingly centralised with for example so many web > sites served by Cloudflare. The host and URL that the browser requests > is done inside the https connection so all the VPN provider sees is a > port 443 connection to some Cloudflare IP address.
I have noticed that a fair amount lately as well. On this older machine (with older versions of software) I often get an outright refusal to load the URL at all, telling me that I need to upgrade my browser... The other thing that happens is I get a "403 Forbidden" error. This does not happen if I use, say, konqueror (which I sometimes use as a file manager here). Some sites that just won't load under firefox will load just fine there. (... ) > So in fact I am personally more concerned about the vast trove of user > data that Cloudflare has as opposed to any individual VPN provider. Yes. (...) -- Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and ablest -- form of life in this section of space, a critter that can be killed but can't be tamed. --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters" - Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James M Dakin
