I know this is a dumb question… But i cant really aford a vpn like at all, is it possible to torrent without using a vpn in the USA or will i get in some trouble and go to jail if i torrent without a vpn?

The reason i cant get a vpn is because im just broke and im young enough to live with family so i cant really get a job.

  • ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    8·
    17 hours ago

    So here’s the deal is you “really” can’t afford $30 a YEAR:

    I use a VPN called windscribe. You can buy this 1 year VPN for $30. You can buy it through the Google play store.

    I also have the “Google Rewards” app that pays you in Google play store credit for taking short surveys or taking pictures of receipts.

    I get $50 to $100 per year in play store credits to spend on Google play.

    See where I’m going with this? I pay for my yearly subscription with my “free” play store credits I get.

    =Free VPN. Like right now I’ve got almost $40 in play store credits (the free credits you earn have to be spent in a year. It spends the oldest credits first) and I have like 4 months left before I have to renew my VPN subscription. Since I never enjoyed any pay to win styles of games, at this point I practically run out of things I even want to buy with my credits before they start to expire. I’ve bought probably a thousand dollars worth of apps and games over the years and haven’t ever spent a single cent of my own money on any of them. Nothing but the reward app credits. I buy the “pro” versions of apps I use to remove ads, even if the ads don’t bother me or I don’t use that particular app very much.

    • ladfrombrad 🇬🇧@lemdro.idEnglish
      6·
      16 hours ago

      This, and something to note is never lie to Google Rewards as you’ll then stop getting surveys altogether if they catch you out with their trap questions

      Have you ever visited XYZ waterpark

      If you haven’t, even if it’s a real place just say no and wait for the next survey because they’ll trip you up trying.

        • ladfrombrad 🇬🇧@lemdro.idEnglish
          2·
          11 hours ago

          You got me curious, because while I don’t have the app installed for the longest time I do have a female fam member who used to demolish me in rewards and still uses it.

          But, only blocks adverts at (yay Adguard)home while on WiFi and pretty sure she doesn’t have PrivateDNS enabled.

          Seems she’s only getting surveys whilst out and about shopping so I’ve asked her to enable her exit node at home next time shopping.

          For science…

          https://files.catbox.moe/o07l6r.jpg

          cc: @bountygiver@lemmy.ml

          edit: goddamn formatting via Boost is nuts 🙈

          • JayGray91🐉🍕@piefed.socialEnglish
            3·
            12 hours ago

            Interesting. I never gotten surveys where I can upload receipts. Could it be a region thing? I’m not in the Western World Countries (in South East Asia), and from what I remember, only gotten “Have you been to” surveys.

        • bountygiver [any]@lemmy.mlEnglish
          2·
          15 hours ago

          I adblock all my phones and back when I tried to use it I have it installed and never got any surveys for months. So that probably does it.