Post #3114140

2026-05-14 15:43 UTC

You can use SOCKS instead of a VPN. SOCKS proxies allow arbitrary socket connections. You can use them for anything. The biggest difference is a VPN routes all(most) your traffic, whereas SOCKS are typically only used for specific(explicit) connections. Both other strong end-to-end encryption, obfuscating what you're doing. The good thing is the abundance of residential and mobile SOCKS proxies. So you look like a regular person on the Internet and you're not using commercial IP ranges.

Replies (1)

@northface@lemmy.ml 2026-05-14 17:59

Residential proxies are controversial, as the majority of them are made available via adware inserted into mobile apps, running without the device owner's knowledge about it: > Residential proxy networks grow through several mechanisms. The most widespread is SDK-based provisioning: proxy companies pay mobile developers to embed their SDK into free or low-cost applications, which ships with a lengthy end-user licence agreement that, buried in legal language, consents to routing third-party traffic through the user's device. Most users click through without reading it ([Trend Micro, 2025](https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/cybercrime-and-digital-threats/the-rise-of-residential-proxies-and-its-impact-on-cyber-risk-exposure-management); [Google, 2026](https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/threat-intelligence/disrupting-largest-residential-proxy-network); [FBI, 2026](https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/cyber/alerts/2026/evading-residential-proxy-networks-protecting-your-devices-from-becoming-a-tool-for-criminals)). https://www.first.org/blog/20260424-Infrastructure-Nobody-Owns

Open ##3114142