Just now, I got an email from Windscribe VPN (the VPN we recommend as an affiliate on the Support My Dpad! page). At first, it just looked like a typical email informing me about the latest features and updates. However, the email took a turn toward the pleasantly unexpected about halfway through:
As you can see, in an otherwise typical marketing email, Windscribe both condemned the Chinese government and introduced a new feature.
Windscribe Mechanical Access Operator (M.A.O.)
The new M.A.O. panel from Windscribe is meant to simulate what Chinese government censorship looks like. When you enable it, you’ll see what the internet would look like if you were browsing in China without any way to circumvent the state’s censorship. This is an excellent way to allow people to understand a situation that they can otherwise only read about from afar. These are the instructions for accessing this new feature:
In case you can’t see the image, it says the following:
To activate this panel, go into your My Account section on our website, select the R.O.B.E.R.T. tab, and go to Custom Rules. Then type I am the chairman into the box and hit ENTER.
In the email, Windscribe clarified that this does not fully simulate the experience of living in China, as they “cannot simulate you getting arrested because you liked a Winnie-the-Pooh meme, or said a forbidden word on Weibo”, and then goes on to take shots at other companies (and people) for refusing to stand up to the Chinese government, including “the NBA, LeBron James, Blizzard, Tiffany & Co, Calvin Klein and Versace”. In other words, the folks at Windscribe are mad, and they saw an opportunity to say something.
Windscribe Supports Hong Kong
Finally, Windscribe closed the email with the following note:
In case you can’t see the image, it says the following:
On a somewhat related and final note, if you have friends in Hong Kong, feel free to tell them that if they sign up for Windscribe, they will get 2x the free data (20GB/month). It won’t help topple a dictatorship, but it’s better than thoughts and prayers. Just slightly.
That’s right, Windscribe is offering double its free data cap for people in Hong Kong. It’s not a ton, but 20GB/month of uncensored internet access is definitely better than nothing (and also better than the standard 10GB/month). More than that, this just solidifies the hard-line stance Windscribe is taking on this issue.
It makes sense for a VPN company to stand against a censorship-happy dictatorship, but it’s still cool to see a company take such a public stance like this in a humorous and effective way. If you want to support a company standing up for something, go sign up for Windscribe. It’s free to sign up and use for 10GB/month, unless you’re in Hong Kong, where you’ll get 20GB/month. Then if you like it, there are paid options you can upgrade to to get rid of the cap. Happy browsing without limits!
