[inigyou]

Counterpoint: IP range blocking is the bane of the internet, and I'm glad I can get around it by buying residential proxies. They cause very little problem to anyone except for the companies that think they can be the tzar of who gets to view certain information. The most unethical component is that the user often didn't consent to installing the proxy (which causes no problems for him) but this can be resolved and some people voluntarily install proxies for money.

[nemomarx]

how's it avoid causing problems for the user? it's using their Internet. imagine if they had data caps or so on and you're downloading through that proxy - that's basically taking his money, right?

[inigyou]

Is Windows Update basically taking my money? Residential proxy costs per GB are quite high, so traffic isn't.

[nemomarx]

if windows update was downloading things without my knowledge or consent, kind of? this is why people resent some forced Microsoft software after all.

anyway if the costs are high surely they can pay the end users. at least then there's awareness and agreement. the ones bundled in apps or software seem less ethical to me than offering them some money per month to host it.