As the Motion Picture Association’s site-blocking drive lands back on home turf, countries that have already implemented their own site-blocking programs are evaluating their effectiveness. A new survey carried out by French anti-piracy agency Arcom reveals how internet users circumvent blocking and their preferred tools. More importantly from a piracy mitigation perspective, the survey reveals why users feel the need to circumvent blocking in the first place.
Using a VPN makes it a bit harder for your ISP and the French espionage apparatus to siphon your data as much as anyone not using one (ISPs have to keep a history for up to a year as well, it is a legal requirement to make it easier to spy on people). Of course with the laws in Five Eyes countries it won’t actually protect your privacy 100% if you get your VPN service from there but I don’t think France has the budget or capabilities to keep track of every foreign VPN company even with cooperation from other spy agencies.