They collect all kinds of data, and it’s tied to users Instagram account. There are tons of data that could indicate given users geographical location without IP (gps, phone service provider, credit card uses, user profile, etc.)

NSFW links don’g anymore. My favorite artists are either stuck or moving elsewhere.

Does that mean my actual home server is behind a VPN connection but has its traffic transparently routed to the external VPS, which eliminates the need for opening ports on the residential router?

It’s not like everyone visiting /r/piracy was part of the community itself (which moved to greener pastures). Many visited the sub as part of casual browsing.