Recently, microblog, wechat, Tiktok, Kwai, xiaohongshu and other platforms announced that in order to maintain the network communication order, further crack down on false information, rumor spreading and other acts, they will open the display of users' IP territorial functions. When users leave comments, they will be displayed with "from where". Currently, domestic IP is displayed to provinces / regions, and foreign IP is displayed to countries. Users cannot turn off this function.
"As this provision came into effect, some online bloggers began to overturn their cars," Wang Lu, a Beijing netizen, told Caijing e law: "overturning means that some people would claim to be in some places before in order to bring goods or" tell them by themselves ", but once the IP address was displayed, they found that it was not the case at all."
In order to circumvent the new requirements, the IP agent business has been "transformed" and is booming again.
So, how to do the IP proxy business? Is there any risk for users to change the IP possession?
A makeover agency business
In April, the six platforms of Weibo, wechat, Tiktok, Kwai, xiaohongshu and Zhihu announced that the account IP territories were displayed at the same time.
The relevant person in charge of microblog said in an interview earlier that it shows that the IP territory can better reflect the authenticity of online speech, "reduce the bad behaviors such as pretending to be the Party of a hot event, maliciously spreading rumors, and rubbing traffic; ensure the authenticity and transparency of the communication content when a hot event occurs".
"A lot of businesses can't be done," said an online blogger who declined to be named. "Many people I know who build overseas facilities and bring goods to China overturn at once - once the IP territory is displayed, they can't hide it."
A well-known blogger on a certain platform told Caijing e law that in addition to some people who want to hide their location, some social account operators will "maintain their account" by altering their IP address and brushing comments.
Dingguo, a security expert from Xiaodun, introduced to Caijing e law that IP address is a unified address format provided by IP protocol. It assigns a logical address to each network and host on the Internet to shield the difference of physical addresses.
Through the conversion of the domain name server, the IP address can be converted into a domain name. Users only need to know the easy to remember domain name.
"For example, whether you go to Tiktok or comment on Weibo, users should send your comment information to the station with your IP address. Once you receive the IP information, the operator will resolve the IP address of the user. At present, it is resolved to provinces in China and to countries abroad." Dingguo said.
The principle of IP proxy is to "plug" in the previous process: the user first sends the request for publishing information to a proxy server, and then the server forwards it to the station.
In fact, IP proxy is a very common and mature technology. For example, games are an important scenario for using IP proxies. For example, when domestic gamers want to play the "international service", if they use the domestic network IP, the game will be very stuck and affect the experience. Using the IP proxy in a specific region is a "solution".
However, due to the recent crackdown by the relevant regulatory authorities on IP agents, this business has changed from being almost "open" to "semi underground".
Financial e-method found that if you directly search for keywords such as "IP agent" or "IP address agent" on the e-commerce platform, it shows that "there is no relevant product". However, if you use keywords such as "SK5 proxy IP" or "game proxy" to search, relevant stores will still be displayed.
IP proxy is divided into static and dynamic. Static IP proxy means that the same IP territory will be displayed continuously in the future. Dynamic IP modification can display different IP territories at different times.
Generally speaking, the monthly price of static IP proxy is about 10-60 yuan, and the monthly price of dynamic IP proxy is 80-180 yuan. The annual price is lower. In addition, the price is also related to server configuration, bandwidth, etc. There are also some temporary IP agents, whose prices can be as low as 8-15 yuan.
At present, most IP proxy stores claim that they "can only be used for game business", and generally indicate on the product introduction page that "it is strictly prohibited to engage in acts that violate national laws and regulations" and other tips. However, according to the feedback from the buyers, these agents can change the IP territory display of microblog, Tiktok and other platforms.
According to the description of a store owner, once his IP agent is purchased, he can "use multiple mobile phones and computers together", but considering the stability, it is recommended that "no more than five devices use one line".
The seller also said that the number of IP agent buyers in the near future is indeed more than three months ago.
"This line of water is very deep"
In addition to purchasing on e-commerce platforms, some apps also provide the function of changing IP territories.
For example, in the Huawei app store, there is an application called "love acceleration". Users can select IP lines from as many as 31 provinces, and one account can be used on multiple devices. The app has a three-day free trial period. The package price for one month is 20 yuan, 53 yuan for three months and 198 yuan for one year.
According to the e-method of Finance and economics, after selecting IP lines from different provinces, the IP ownership of the social platform is also changed accordingly. For example, if you select the IP line from Anhui, the IP ownership will display Anhui. After changing to the IP line from Guangdong, the IP ownership will change to Guangdong.
According to the introduction of aiaccelerated, this is a static IP proxy software. The product uses AES technology to encrypt online data, protect network data transmission and prevent personal information disclosure. Aiaccelerator app is developed by Shanghai Youdun Network Technology Co., Ltd. There are not many similar applications, which can be downloaded directly from multiple app stores.
Dingguo introduced that at present, common domestic IP agents have IP pools in hundreds of cities and rent them to users in the form of annual or monthly charges. The specific package is divided into static address and dynamic address. The difference is whether it is used for long-term lease of fixed IP address.
These agents have IP from many provinces and many sources, some of which are realized by falsely using personal information to handle a large number of broadband accounts. They are generally used to engage in dynamic IP proxy services.
As a general rule, the number of users of an IP address can be unlimited, so why should the agent register a large number of IP accounts?
Dingguo explained that this is because IP acquisition has the following forms: use high-performance servers to scan the whole network and collect effective proxy IP and ports; Using the principle of home broadband (PPPoE); Apply for IP separately by enterprise.
The above methods differ greatly in stability and cost, and require a large amount of personal and enterprise information to handle.
In addition, users who choose an IP proxy often have dynamic IP requirements. For example, when gray black products make a series of violations through the IP proxy, they need to constantly change the IP to avoid the blocking of the platform.
"If a black product uses an IP agent to collect the wool of a platform's marketing activities, the risk control of the platform party will limit the number of visits or put a gray black label on it, then the next black product will not be able to use the IP again to commit illegal acts on the platform." Introduction to Dingguo.
So, how do these IP agents change their territories "across provinces"?
Financial e-Law is linked to "small W", who has previously engaged in similar businesses. According to him, a systematic IP proxy service chamber of Commerce recruits "clerks" all over the country and establishes contacts with the business offices of local telecom operators through them.
"Clerks are usually local people." Xiao w said: "through relatives and friends, you can often find several people working in the local business hall - you will find that the water is very deep."
Once established contact with the business hall, the "clerk" will use a large number of ID card information to handle broadband accounts. These identity card information may come from the company that hired him, or he may get it through his own channels. As the assessment of the business hall is often linked to the completed business volume, the general handling personnel will not carefully correct the information of the handling personnel.
In this way, IP agents collect a large number of IP addresses, and then distribute the IP addresses in their hands by renting or building their own servers.
According to Xiao W, the cost of building such a system is not high. In addition to the cost of handling broadband, it is the cost of building servers and operating procedures. The price of the latter ranges from several thousand yuan to tens of thousands of yuan. It is cheaper to rent, as long as 1000-4000 yuan per month. If the monthly fee for a user is 20 yuan, it can be profitable as long as it is maintained at more than 200 users.
What are the risks of using IP proxy
On May 6, "Ping An Beijing" issued a document saying, "Many criminals use proxy dynamic IP to change the login IP addresses of different regions in China, spread all kinds of rumors with various false server addresses, commit fraud, gambling and other illegal and criminal acts, and escape our attack. Of course, for individuals, after using black proxy IP, it is easier for hackers and viruses to invade your host and obtain your personal information and data than eating.". "Safe Beijing" is the official microblog of Beijing Public Security Bureau.
Users do face various risks when using IP proxy.
Dingguo introduced that for individual users, first of all, if they use IP proxy, they will face the risk that their own account and password may be stolen and hit the database on other platforms, "the risk of illegal acquisition of personal information and data will greatly increase".
Secondly, once the IP proxy is used, the user's personal information is also at risk of leakage, because the request sent by the user will be transmitted through the proxy server. Once the proxy IP is used by network hackers or bad IP agents, the browsing records, account passwords and other information generated by the user through the proxy IP are likely to be disclosed. "The other party can know what websites you visited and what you did on the Internet."
More seriously, technically speaking, by mastering the IP address and other information, you can penetrate into the user's mobile phone through remote control and other means, and read the information inside. If this method is mastered by some criminals, they will have the opportunity to commit other criminal acts.
Gaoyandong pointed out that the arbitrary use of IP proxy is a violation of account management rules, platform conventions and service agreements. The account service platform has the obligation to check and has the right to stop providing services to users using IP proxy. "As far as the Internet environment is concerned, the use of IP proxy will encourage unhealthy tendencies on the network, such as spreading false information, malicious rumors, rubbing traffic and other bad behaviors. It will also breed illegal and criminal behaviors such as telecommunications fraud, online gambling, illegal business operations and so on." Gaoyandong said.
In addition, IP agents may also face legal accountability. At present, illegal IP agents are the targets of the public security organs.
Public information shows that in the "net 2021" action, the Ministry of public security, together with relevant departments, investigated and dealt with 146 illegal Internet TV platforms, shut down more than 13000 illegal broadband lines and more than 5000 broadband Internet accounts.
"IP agents may also be held criminally liable. For example, providing software with the function of modifying IP addresses to others may be suspected of providing intrusion and illegal control of computer information system programs and tools. Another example is that if they provide technical support to others knowing that they are using false IP addresses to commit crimes, they are suspected of helping information network criminal activities. If they seriously disrupt the market order, they may also be suspected of illegal business." Gaoyandong said.
Governance is not easy
In 2021, public security organs at all levels in Jiangsu severely cracked down on dynamic IP agency, promotion and drainage, code receiving and account maintenance, illegal payment and settlement, and account unsealing, highlighting the chaos of Internet gray property. Throughout the year, 403 related administrative cases were investigated and 156 people were detained.
In february2022, the Yunnan provincial police cracked a case of illegal network production by using "second dial" network equipment to obtain the dynamic IP resources of operators and provide dynamic IP agents and dynamic VPS services for overseas criminals. As of the incident, the suspect gang has set up 24 illegal computer room dens in 15 prefectures (cities) of Yunnan Province.
The circular shows that the gang engaged in virtual public internet proxy access services and broadband sublease services in violation of regulations. Knowing that the services and services provided by the gang would be used by illegal persons to commit network crimes, they still let it go. They installed access control alarm systems and remote monitoring and control systems in all dens in an attempt to destroy evidence and avoid attack.
But on the other hand, there are governance problems in the IP proxy industry.
The customer service of IP agents on the e-commerce platform all said that "the service cannot be used for illegal acts". However, when asked "how to avoid illegal use by users", the other party replied, "we cannot intervene in the spontaneous behavior of customers".
In Dingguo's view, the reasons for the difficulty of governance lie in: first, IP proxy itself is only a technology, and there is no clear legal constraint at present. However, IP proxy may be used for illegal criminal activities such as false propaganda, rumor information, telecommunications fraud, which also puts forward higher requirements for network forensics; Second, it is difficult for general platform enterprises to effectively identify proxy IP. Even if it can be identified, the real IP behind the proxy cannot be obtained, so the source cannot be traced.
Many experts believe that it is a long-term project to manage the network black and grey products, including illegal IP agents.
Gaoyandong believes that the judicial department should crack down on the direct use of modified IP territories to engage in illegal and criminal activities; The illegal provision of IP territorial service for others shall be severely punished by the market supervision department and the Internet Information Department; The account service platform shall supervise and remind users of modifying IP territories. If necessary, it can limit their account functions or even stop providing services.
Wen / Liuchang
Editor / Zhu Zhen