"The internet" doesn't say that, Wal-Mart's chosen firewall/proxy says that. Good argument for having a VPN service available to you. Get on a local WiFi offering, connect to your VPN, and then all traffic is encrypted, and the WiFi provider's traffic-sniffing tools are blind to what domain names your browser resolves, and blind to the traffic between that site and your device.
Getting tires changed at Walmart try to log into Maryland Shooters and glocktalk the internet says prohibited websites
Recommendations for VPNs and setting one up on your phone and laptop?
I have noted this too at the Abindgon YMCA.
The most extreme I have seen was at the Fallston public library, which blocked any shooting forum, retail sites even if only for ancillary supplies (reloading components, scopes, etc.), and news sites (including the NRA webpage). Curiously, the Bel Air and Abingdon libraries do not appear as restricted.
+1 on this request
NordVPN is a good place to start.
I'll paraphrase myself from a PM to someone else who asked about this:
VPN's are a loaded subject! Basically, somebody who provides a VPN service needs to make it available to you, and then you train your phone to know where it us and how to sign into it. Once you've done that, you can subsequently connect to that virtual private network later with just a single tap on the phone.
So, the trick is ... whose VPN service do you use? For some people, it's provided by their work (because the office doesn't want you interacting with their systems or your email, etc, over a possibly suspect WiFi network at some coffee shop somewhere). Or, you might have a fancy enough router or other device on your home network that you can use it as a VPN provider (advances user stuff, only!).
Or (and this is the most common scenario), you're paying a small fee to a third party VPN service so that you have one available when you want to use it (at stores, at restaurants, at hotels, at friends' houses, or even when you want to hide your browsing from your phone's carrier - Verizon, etc). There are many, many VPN services out there, with a variety of plans/costs/features. If you're not a high-data-use business road warrior, you can get away pretty cheap.
One popular service is NordVPN (nordvpn.com). If you commit to two years, you'll spend $79 once, and again two years later. That gets you all the VPN service you might need for typical life in the wild, for under $4 a month. If you only want a VPN once in a while, because you know you'll be going on a trip into hostile WiFi territory, you can also just buy a month's service when you need it, for $11 or so, then let it go away until you need it again.
There are also some free options out there, but they tend to come with strings attached (advertising, etc or worse). Don't fall for it. There is no free lunch, and some of those "free" services are truly toxic and invasive, or dreadfully slow.
Once you do choose to make use of a VPN service, that provider will offer up some step-by-step instructions on how to train your device to use it. Only takes a few moments - involves some address info for their network, a password, etc. No big deal even for non-techies to set up.
Note that once you have a VPN service, you can also tell your laptop or other computer/device how to use it. So even if you're plugging into the wired network at a hotel, you can keep your traffic private and secured.
Since I personally own and run a secure web hosting operation, I can use my own infrastructure for the same VPN needs that I offer to my customers. But that's usually in the context of a larger engagement working on their web sites or other applications. I'd have a hard time competing with a company like NordVPN at the price they offer. They're clearly banking on the fact that most of their subscribers use their VPN only on rare occasions, so it all comes out in the wash, financially. Most of my clients are connected to my systems by VPN 24x7, so the math is very different. I've considered doing the math and coming up with an MDS industry partner offering, but would have to do a little market research here, first. Most folks are going to be just fine with a consumer-oriented service like NordVPN.
Recommendations for VPNs and setting one up on your phone and laptop?
That's almost certainly an oversight, misconfiguration, or machine-specific filter as newmuzzleloader suggested. Most public libraries vigorously defend the 1A.The most extreme I have seen was at the Fallston public library, which blocked any shooting forum, retail sites even if only for ancillary supplies (reloading components, scopes, etc.), and news sites (including the NRA webpage).
edit"The internet" doesn't say that, Wal-Mart's chosen firewall/proxy says that. Good argument for having a VPN service available to you. Get on a local WiFi offering, connect to your VPN, and then all traffic is encrypted, and the WiFi provider's traffic-sniffing tools are blind to what domain names your browser resolves, and blind to the traffic between that site and your device.