Curious, is anyone still using free proxies in 2026? if so, what for? and what lists do you use? I see the free proxy lists mentioned sometimes, but I've never in all my years using proxies heard of a an actual use case to use them.
TL;DR: A giant botnet with over 17 million infected devices (PCs, phones, tablets, routers, and IoT gear) was dismantled after Dutch authorities seized about 200 control servers. The network was allegedly tied to Asocks, a Russia-linked residential proxy service that rented access to victims' internet connections. Users often had no idea their devices were being used as proxy nodes for cybercrime.
TL;DR: Researchers spent years tracking a huge Android TV-box botnet called Popa and now claim it appears to be tied to NetNut, a proxy network operated by publicly traded Israeli company Alarum Technologies Ltd.
Take what you want from this. If true, it's unfortunate news for the industry as NetNut is a highly regarded provider.