AfterDawn: News

IPREDATOR anonymity service signs up over 100,000

On March 24th, the founders of the giant public torrent tracker The Pirate Bay rolled out a new way to browse the Internet anonymously, using a virtual private network (VPN), and began giving out beta invites.

Users could submit their email address to http://ipredator.se/ in hopes of receiving a beta invite before the service goes public this month.



Today, TPB founder Peter Sunde said over 113,000 would-be users have signed up to test the service, with about 80 percent coming from Sweden. The service would already be live, added Sunde, however the unexpected high demand has caused delays.

The service, when it does go public, will cost 5 euro a month, and will "allow the user to protect his Internet connection with encryption while “tunneling’ data in privacy through the servers of a VPN provider, usually located in another country. The user’s ISP-designated IP address remains hidden, revealing only a second IP address provided by his VPN company."

On April 1st, Sweden's controversial Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Directive (IPRED) went live making easier for content holders to get personal details of suspected pirates. Within two days, Sweden's overall Internet traffic fell 30 percent.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 9 Apr 2009 14:19

• Previous article

• Buy Xbox Live games, through Amazon, in cash

• Next article

• Apple makes giant NAND flash memory order

• 5 comments

• 5fdpfan

  That all sounds like a great concept, but nothing is fool-proof and those overzealous folks who sign up for this will be enjoying a fool's paradise when eventually the MPAA and RIAA find a way to track them down. I think I'll stay the course I've been on since I first downloaded a song 10 years ago. Download sparingly and share nothing. Of course if everyone did this there'd be nothing for me to download so I thank those brave to enough share their stuff. Too scary for me. The rest of you, enjoy!

  9.4.2009 14:40 #1

• windsong

  Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist but..are they SIGNING UP for the service..anonymously?! If you use your credit card or paypal account..what is the fricking POINT since you can be traced? There was a bust here awhile back..some doctor in Kerrville, Texas used his credit card to buy child model site access using his cc..site was in Ukraine I believe. Anyway, ICE (watered down version of the FBI) busted him based on the money trail. He didn't use encryption on his hard drive, so when they came knocking..he was toast. More details here:
  http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_n..._porn_case.html
  
  Anyway..the point is..if youre dealing in contraband (warez, isos, mp3 discographies, whatever), and you leave a money trail..you are setting yourself up for a fall. The Feds can even check the stamp you mailed payment in for a DNA sample for gods sakes!
  
  THINK before you PAY.

  9.4.2009 15:01 #2

• rlessmue

  ...I agree. If you sign up AND pay, you are traceable.
  ====
  ...I wouldn't do it.

  9.4.2009 15:29 #3

• cantrellg

  They would still have to prove you did something. Using a VPN in itself is not illegal.

  9.4.2009 16:15 #4

• avoidz

  Originally posted by 5fdpfan: That all sounds like a great concept, but nothing is fool-proof and those overzealous folks who sign up for this will be enjoying a fool's paradise when eventually the MPAA and RIAA find a way to track them down. I think I'll stay the course I've been on since I first downloaded a song 10 years ago. Download sparingly and share nothing. Of course if everyone did this there'd be nothing for me to download so I thank those brave to enough share their stuff. Too scary for me. The rest of you, enjoy!+1

  17.4.2009 10:04 #5