RΛSTΞRIZΞD DΩΩMFeb 22
Mullvad VPN

The United Kingdom is escalating its censorship and mass surveillance. When Mullvad tried to criticise this with the TV ad “And Then?”, it was banned on British television.

https://media.mullvad.net/andthen/30s/Mullvad_AND_THEN_30s_US_ProRes422_Webmix_4K.mov

Feb 18 at 6:01pmWeb
Show threadshadowwwindFeb 18
@mullvadnet whut
Show threadRetFeb 18
@mullvadnet do you have some more information about the "ban" here? I'd like to write to the ASA to complain about that decision if possible. I can't see a ruling entry for it on the ASA site.
Show threadCharlie O’HaraFeb 18
@mullvadnet say what? Tell us more of this more please!
Show threadCharlie O’HaraFeb 18
@mullvadnet ah, so reading more it wasn’t accepted by the TV advertisers. Which is not exactly surprising given they hate technology like VPNs. I know you wanted to make a stink but this just looks silly.
Show threadEugen RochkoFeb 18
@mullvadnet It's a great ad.
Show threadHandler SkylerFeb 18
@mullvadnet Strong words for neither being Banned nor Censored
Show threadJörg SeidelFeb 18
@mullvadnet
I like the ad. Consider uploading it to peertube so we can share it here?
Show threadLightFeb 18
@mullvadnet
> the TV ad “And Then?” […] was banned on British television.
Source?
Show threadLightFeb 18
@mullvadnet
For example, a public statement from the agency responsible
Show threadAmyFeb 18

@light @mullvadnet it doesn't seem to have been reported on yet*, but here's their actual article: https://mullvad.net/en/and-then/uk (WARNING: May crash your phone, view on desktop)

Excerpt:

When we wanted to make our voice heard and criticise mass surveillance in the UK, Mullvad was rejected by Clearcast, the organization responsible for approving all TV ads in the UK and ensuring they comply with the rules set by the authorities (“we don’t write the rules – we just make sure they’re followed”, as stated on their website). The arguments were many, but among other things they wrote:

- “The overall concept lacks clarity.”
- “It is unclear why certain examples are included, who the ‘speaker’ represents, and the role of individuals depicted in the car.”
- “Several examples (e.g., paedophiles, rapists, murderers) risk causing serious offence and could imply that the VPN facilitates criminal activity.”
- “Referencing topics such as: Paedophiles, Rapists, Murderers, Enemies of the state, Journalists, Refugees, Controversial opinions, People’s bedrooms, Police officers, Children’s headsets … is inappropriate and irrelevant to the average consumer’s experience with a VPN.”* apart from by a single journal talking about similar troubles they had with the EU some months ago?

And then? And then Mullvad was censored in the UK.

UK ramps up censorship & surveillance. Mullvad's critical TV ad "And Then?" was banned. Watch it here.

Mullvad VPN
Show threadLightFeb 18
@NotThatDeep
https://noc.social/@light/116093488034315361
Light (@[email protected])

@[email protected] For example, a public statement from the agency responsible

Noc.Social
Show threadAmyFeb 18
@light oh, I was responding in case you or someone else found the context useful (I would have), but thanks - my client keeps failing to load sub-replies so your post stood on its own on my end lol
Show threadLightFeb 18
@NotThatDeep
Np
Show threadEyeFeb 18

@mullvadnet

File won't play, says it's corrupt.

Show threadJack Yan (甄爵恩)Feb 18
@mullvadnet If this passes our checks, weʼd be delighted to show it on our little corner of the web.
Show threadBitslingers-R-UsFeb 18
@mullvadnet Was a reason given why it was banned? I’m so curious how they’d rationalize that.

Good ad, BTW.
Show threadSerghei PogorFeb 18

Every time a government says 'we need backdoor access for safety' what they actually mean is 'we want to break encryption for everyone including the criminals we claim to be targeting'

Because here is the thing: backdoors do not check IDs. If the UK government can use it, so can hackers, hostile states, and the exact people they say they want to stop

You cannot build a door that only opens for the good guys. That is not how doors work

Show threadFluffy Kitty CatFeb 21
@SergiuDinIT case in point, salt typhoon
Show threadCleoFeb 19
@mullvadnet This kind of misinformation makes me rethink resubscribing to your services in the next week. Dont try to play the bad kids youre a fucking company.
Show threadMirenFeb 19
@Gh0stlyM0use @mullvadnet Can you elaborate more on why you think this is misinformation? I'm not trying to argue or say you are wrong but I want to understand why since I also use this VPN service and I want to know more about the whole situation.
Show threadCleoFeb 19
@Miren_11 @mullvadnet Basically mullvad did a uk ad which they said was banned but it just didnt meet the requitements and had nothing to do with content. This post is a reply from the main mullvad post.
Show threadMirenFeb 19
@Gh0stlyM0use @mullvadnet I see, thank you for the explaination, altought it didn't meet the criteria I still think is pretty bizzare why they didn't let mullvad air their ad while in other countries it was fine. Their statements of the reason why they didn't want to air the ad makes no really sense for me. It still seems like clickbait from mullvad saying they banned it tho lol, so I get everybody's point. Mullvad should speak about this.
Show threadCleoFeb 19
@Miren_11 @mullvadnet pretty much. Its a big pile of nothing but just pretty over companies generating false outrage for coverage.
Show threadDislodge2695Feb 19
@mullvadnet at the end should have added: Why don't we just monitor everybody and everything? Except the politicians, for safety reasons, of course.
Show threadoyzmoFeb 19
@mullvadnet these days it seems like it is the elite, not the masses, that needs to be surveilled ....
Show thread𝕾 Simon LouFeb 20
@mullvadnet Really good ad.
Show threadKevin Karhan Feb 21

@mullvadnet The #UK is a #cyberfascist hellscape and the only working mitigation at this point is to basically help affected users with the option of #SSHtunneling and #customBridges to circumvent #cyberfascism the same way people circumvent it in #Russia and "P.R." #China!

  • At least unlike #Proton you actually have a good & working #OnionService so people don't have to expose themselves on the #ClearWeb but can just use @torproject /#TorBrowser to buy a #VPN from you.
    • Not that I endorse you or any #VPNs but I've to at least say when someone does something good and accepts #Monero and uses #Tor in a "#BonaFide" way...
Show threadiuviFeb 21
@kkarhan @mullvadnet @torproject I'm in Russia. Can I use ssh as "vpn" to avoid DPI?
Show threadKevin Karhan Feb 21

@iuvi AFACT, #SSH-Tunneling works as means to circumvent #VPN blockades from both #Russia and "P.R." #China because they both need that for their own #CyberCrime and #IndustrialEspionage operations.

#VPNs like @mullvadnet are more useful when you need #UDP traffic for #VideoCalling like #JitsiMeet & #WebCall or just #Streaming i.e. #IPTV…

  • OFC neither Tor nor a #VPN protect you against targeted attacks, espechally in "meatspace" and you should assess your own security needs and demands carefully.
    • If you already got "love letters" from local authorities, expect to be on their shitlist!
    • Russia is known to deploy #Govware and when you face targeted surveillance against yourself individually you'd have to expect them to only wait for a reason to kick in your doors.

So I do hope you already use #Tor and/or #VPNs…

Show threadiuviFeb 22
@kkarhan thanks! But bridges not works here, also snowlake and webtunnel fails oftenly. Ssh as I suppose is other protocol , and I mean maybe there any thing like ssh-vpn as sshuttlee ?https://github.com/sshuttle/sshuttle
Show threadKevin Karhan Feb 24

@iuvi this seems like a good way to do it at first glance.

I'd still recommend to use @torproject / #TorBrowser through that #SSHtunnel for added #privacy.

Still #Russia fighting against #VPN useage whilst also being reliant on #CyberCrime & #CyberWarfare from russian soil makes it basically impossible to ban #SSH.

  • After all, this would also prevent their agents from communicating since #Gonets¹ and Gazprom Space Systems either don't have global coverage or are too slow to be used for any decent communication resembling realtime beyond narrowband communication.
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Show threadiuviFeb 25
@kkarhan Thanks a lot! Will give it a try
Show threadLog 🪵Feb 21

@mullvadnet "Dude, where's my privacy?"

"Where's your privacy, dude?"

(The ad is a partial tribute to a drive-through scene in "Dude, Where's My Car?")

Show threadDavi MuirFeb 22
@mullvadnet There are cameras in bathrooms in the UK and not a single bit of privacy protection anywhere in sight.