Online Security
- Thread starter Oldman
- Start date
tterb
Tourist
Well, it all depends on what's on your PC, in the end. If you have this stuff on your PC, you are screwed. There was an arrest a few days ago of a guy in possession of this stuff. He also had CP but it was mentioned he had bestiality material too. Talking about it is fine. But porn is not safe.
Tor and NordVPN is a good idea.
Almost sounds like he was caught somehow with CP and just happened to have beast porn. Just different variables for how the investigation started.
I don't even use Nord due to their issue years ago. Plus I don't go to companies that spend tons of money on sponsorships and ads. How much of their budget is in maintaining the servers?
Some time ago, I watched some cybersecurity related videos about Tor and being safe. Keep what you access limited to the browser you use. Don't look at ZV in your regular browser, then go and view it in tor. Don't access your regular Google account in tor and then access it in your regular Chrome browser. This may be related to browser fingerprinting.
Using VPN with Tor:
Coming from another video I watched about this, I think it should be related to how you're using it. Also keeping good Opsec. Someone could find ways to get your IP either way, even if you're just using tor without a vpn, or just using a vpn. Always pay attention to links, and use some other service to check the links if you're skeptical. Someone "caught using tor" in the news won't have the info on how they got caught. It really could be they've talked to much.
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bordercollieobsessed
Tourist
all good points
majolica
Tourist
If you don't use a VPN or TOR then your internet service provider is automatically logging every website address you connect to. If you use a VPN then your ISP will only see that your device is connecting to a VPN provider and not the website addresses. Obviously the VPN provider will see every website address you connect to. Almost every VPN provider claims they don't log people, but some might be lying. Regardless, it's a lot harder for authorities to identify you from an overseas VPN provider than it is from a domestic ISP. For a site that might be considered illegal I would recommend even a questionable VPN provider over not using a VPN.
Proton is the best free VPN option. The safety/security is better many paid VPN services. The next best free VPN is PrivadoVPN. It has more locations and location choice than Proton in the free version but there is a 10GB monthly data allowance. I'd recommend NordVPN and Proton for paid versions.
If you are using TOR without a VPN then your ISP won't be able to see the websites you access but they will recognise that your device is connecting to TOR. If you live in certain places then simply connecting to TOR might be enough for authorities to get a warrant. If you use a VPN with TOR then your ISP should only see that you're connecting to a VPN and the VPN provider should only see that you're connecting to TOR.
Installing TOR on the C: drive of a PC is a bad move. Buy a USB external hard drive, fully encrypt it with Veracrypt (free), or another encrypting program, (tails), and then install TOR on the USB drive. Even if you don't know how to, or refuse to, encrypt the USB it's still better not to have TOR on your PC.
I also strongly recommend changing your default DNS, (which is likely Google) to either Cloudflare, 9999, or a paid version. This is easy on a Win10 PC. Google will use their server locations to triangulate your approximate location. If you know how to switch the geo-location setting in your browser off then I suggest you do that. It's easy in Firefox and TOR. I'm not sure about Edge or Chrome.
HelloItsMe23
Tourist
Thanks for all the information. Personally I haven’t used any VPN or Tor for years while accessing this site, do you think that’s bad? I don’t use computers to access it, only my phone and I don’t connect to WiFi, only phone service, so I guess my phone service provider can probably access the sites I visit maybe?
majolica
Tourist
Personally I wouldn't use a phone for anything that could get me into serious legal trouble. Someone is more likely to access or steal my phone rather than a PC, so i'd hate to have any zoo data on my phone. The 1st rule of an alternative life choice is to protect yourself. The 2nd rule is to protect the people around you. You are taking risks I would never take. I can only wish you luck.
Your phone is one of the worst possible choices for illegal activity.
1. Phones today are designed to collect user data. A lot of data is collected for usually targeted ads which also includes your location, what you look at on the internet, who you are in contact with and so on.
2. Phones use flash storage (also common in desktops and laptops these days.) It is practically impossible to reliably delete a file from a flash disk.
The best option is to encrypt the storage and then delete the encryption header. You are not going to do that on your phone with any regularity.
3. You may be thinking that you are not downloading any content so nothing is saved on your phone. You phone keeps logs of activity and temporary files which may include images or videos that have been temporarily downloaded by your browser.
4. Your phone will be the first device that gets taken from you if you get into trouble.
5. Depending on what phone or mobile device you are using, cracking it and getting your data even without your password may be easy.
6. If you are using face id or a fingerprint you can be easily forced to unlock your phone.
7. Your phone is usually automatically set to back up photos and media to cloud. Google will and does try to scan this data for CSAM (basically pedo). They will also do that by scanning your email and documents looking for passwords for encrypted files. (google it, it is documented).
8. In other words you have little control over what and how your phone does while it also collects way too much information about you on top.
9. A desktop on the other hand can run a system like Tails which does not use any hard disk, thus the whole problem of saving undeletable data is gone. It uses tor by default and employs a number of more advanced techniques to protect your privacy and identity.
How likely it is for the authorities to go after you just because you are using a zoo website is unknown and will depend on the laws in your country.
Usually when you see people in the news for zoo, it is because they have been caught for pedo and by the way also had zoo content. Or they did fencehopping and so on.
I do not remember seeing any cases of people being arrested for simply watching porn. So do no do stupid stuff.
1. Phones today are designed to collect user data. A lot of data is collected for usually targeted ads which also includes your location, what you look at on the internet, who you are in contact with and so on.
2. Phones use flash storage (also common in desktops and laptops these days.) It is practically impossible to reliably delete a file from a flash disk.
The best option is to encrypt the storage and then delete the encryption header. You are not going to do that on your phone with any regularity.
3. You may be thinking that you are not downloading any content so nothing is saved on your phone. You phone keeps logs of activity and temporary files which may include images or videos that have been temporarily downloaded by your browser.
4. Your phone will be the first device that gets taken from you if you get into trouble.
5. Depending on what phone or mobile device you are using, cracking it and getting your data even without your password may be easy.
6. If you are using face id or a fingerprint you can be easily forced to unlock your phone.
7. Your phone is usually automatically set to back up photos and media to cloud. Google will and does try to scan this data for CSAM (basically pedo). They will also do that by scanning your email and documents looking for passwords for encrypted files. (google it, it is documented).
8. In other words you have little control over what and how your phone does while it also collects way too much information about you on top.
9. A desktop on the other hand can run a system like Tails which does not use any hard disk, thus the whole problem of saving undeletable data is gone. It uses tor by default and employs a number of more advanced techniques to protect your privacy and identity.
How likely it is for the authorities to go after you just because you are using a zoo website is unknown and will depend on the laws in your country.
Usually when you see people in the news for zoo, it is because they have been caught for pedo and by the way also had zoo content. Or they did fencehopping and so on.
I do not remember seeing any cases of people being arrested for simply watching porn. So do no do stupid stuff.
equivocal
Tourist
Has anyone been inclined to switch after the February 2025 Firefox update, which meant mozilla might be selling user data nowadays? Also, the executives have switched seats, and not from promotions within the open source community - the new exe used to work for Facebook/meta and has monetized Whatsapp.
For me it's hard to switch from, especially when i can still modify the installation and use the privacy-oriented add-ons. I have tried Waterfox since, though.
For me it's hard to switch from, especially when i can still modify the installation and use the privacy-oriented add-ons. I have tried Waterfox since, though.
I switched awhile ago to Brave. A Youtube video somewhere mentioned some things about them, which I have to find the video on to provide context.
Brave has lots of privacy features that doesn't require you to download lots of add-ons. Including blocklists that are in the settings. Mozilla gets money from Google. I'm sure Firefox claims sites don't work under Brave, but I've had a few sites here and there that didn't work well based on strict settings I enabled in Firefox.
equivocal
Tourist
Same for me - i use brave too, usually in the times the site is so broken it can't be accessed with FF.
I know google is their largest stock holder - but something within me, has years ago decided to not like chromium.
I know google is their largest stock holder - but something within me, has years ago decided to not like chromium.
Nobody is going to be able to answer that with any kind of good accuracy.
Every company that you have an account for, every mobile device you are using and every shop you shop in is trying to profile you.
They run AIs on your behavior intended to predict what they can make you buy even if you do not want it.
It is not going to get better. It will be getting worse.
Good separation between your private zoo life and the rest of your life will be the key.
libidotoohigh
Lurker
I doubt most users know how to strip it so I would hope so.
depending on state, and involvement, it's usually a fine. maybe a short stint of prison time. but the primary thing would be it being on your record.
not only that but you also have big time gov's working on ai facial recognition like china which can bypass standard coverups like medical masks by using the persons gait, stature, weight, hair, eyes and general movement habits. It's gotten to the point where during some protests, people would put pebbles in their shoe to mask their usual walking habits and would try to damage or obscure cameras as much as possible. And current Govs are looking into the same software/ companies so they can have it at their disposal as well.
Leaderless
Lurker
Is using Wi-Fi more safe than mobile data? I've been a lurker of these sites for quite some time, and I've only used my phone since I didn't want my ISP finding out since I started when I lived with my parents
Leaderless
Lurker
Kristy
Esteemed Citizen of ZV
If you're on the site without using a VPN or Tor, computer or phone, that's putting yourself in jeopardy. If I were you, and I'm sure glad I'm not right now, I would log off immediately and get one.
Grumpyoldman
Lurker
Gotcha