Yeah, it’s the Streisand Effect.
“Opening locks” might not sound like scintillating social media content, but Trevor McNally has turned lock-busting into online gold. A former US Marine Staff Sergeant, McNally today has more than 7 million followers and has amassed more than 2 billion views just by showing how easy it is to open many common locks by slapping, picking, or shimming them.
This does not always endear him to the companies that make the locks.
On March 3, 2025, a Florida lock company called Proven Industries released a social media promo video just begging for the McNally treatment. The video was called, somewhat improbably, “YOU GUYS KEEP SAYING YOU CAN EASILY BREAK OFF OUR LATCH PIN LOCK.” In it, an enthusiastic man in a ball cap says he will “prove a lot of you haters wrong.” He then goes hard at Proven’s $130 model 651 trailer hitch lock with a sledgehammer, bolt cutters, and a crowbar.
Naturally, the lock hangs tough.
An Instagram user brought the lock to McNally’s attention by commenting, “Let’s introduce it to the @mcnallyofficial poke.” Someone from Proven responded, saying that McNally only likes “the cheap locks lol because they are easy and fast.” Proven locks were said to be made of sterner stuff.
But on April 3, McNally posted a saucy little video to social media platforms. In it, he watches the Proven promo video while swinging his legs and drinking a Juicy Juice. He then hops down from his seat, goes over to a Proven trailer hitch lock, and opens it in a matter of seconds using nothing but a shim cut from a can of Liquid Death. He says nothing during the entire video, which has been viewed nearly 10 million times on YouTube alone.
What happens next won’t surprise you!
“Sucks to see how many people take everything they see online for face value,” one Proven employee wrote. “Sounds like a bunch of liberals lol.”
There it is. These companies that are run by old, rich, white men think they are owed your money. Any and all criticism, no matter how true, is hand-waved away as “wacky liberal extremists”. But some people still know how to cite their sources and offer proof.
Proven also had its lawyers file “multiple” DMCA takedown notices against the McNally video, claiming that its use of Proven’s promo video was copyright infringement.
McNally didn’t bow to the pressure, though, instead uploading several more videos showing him opening Proven locks. In one of them, he takes aim at Proven’s claims about his prep work by retrieving a new lock from an Amazon delivery kiosk, taking it outside—and popping it in seconds using a shim he cuts right on camera, with no measurements, from an aluminum can.
Republicans are literally ruining America and the world. I had no feelings prior to this, now I will tell every single friend and family member to never, ever buy a Proven lock…
the more you do the “XYZ white |insert gender|” the more your adding division. stop stooping to their level.
CEOs are factually and demonstrably overwhelmingly white males, far out of proportion to general demographics. Since when did pointing out a statistical fact become divisive?
you know why you added the “white” in your sentence. like i call out the people who “conveniently” put “black/brown/etc…” in their sentences in certain contexts, i wasn’t born yesterday.
I added it because it is the subject we are discussing. Your comments are vaguely coherent but have no real point.
Unchecked corporate power is THE problem and corporations are a small club of people of a specific demographic with a history of protectionism and shady dealings to protect their power.
It is perfectly valid to point out the root cause of problems, in this case the corporate cabal that needs to be dismantled.
ok.
The video he apparently got sued for.
And here a follow-up video where he repeats the trick on a freshly delivered lock (cause the company was whining about allegedly foul play).
I fucking love the disdain he shows for the lock in the second video after he opens it. The way he just chucks it into the box.
What a great build up and a cathartic well deserved pay off
Lest this [the clapback] seem like mere high spirits and hijinks, Lee’s partner and his mother both “received harassing messages through Facebook Messenger,” while other messages targeted Lee’s son, saying things like “I would kill your f—ing n—– child” and calling him a “racemixing pussy.”
Ahhh the internet I know and love, never change
Under questioning, however, one of Proven’s employees admitted that he had been able to duplicate McNally’s technique, leading to the question from McNally’s lawyer: “When you did it yourself, did it occur to you for one moment that maybe the best thing to do, instead of file a lawsuit, was to fix the lock?”
Litigation over innovation; that’s the American way.
It would have probably been a lot cheaper to fix the lock, then issue a new challenge.
Even if he beats the new one, it’s still better marketing than a petty lawsuit.
One of the funniest things I saw when this was unfolding on youtube is that McNally works for Covert Instruments, AKA the Lockpicking Lawyer’s company. Proven Industries couldn’t have fucked up more if it was deliberate.
Oh, shit … that’s fucking hilarious. Oops!
Companies attacking security researchers always goes so well for them.
"Sucks to see how many people take everything they see online for face value,” one Proven employee wrote. “Sounds like a bunch of liberals lol.”
Ugh. Leave it to Americans to push politics into everything…
Edit: aside of that the whole thing is hilarious, just look at the video where he opens a newly delivered lock with a can he just drank. Badass.
Lol.
My parents told me when I was a teenager and starting to get involved in politics that anyone trying to sell a product using politics or religion is selling a shitty product. Even if they claim to be on my side. Especially if they claim to be on my side.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen an exception to that rule, and this certainly isn’t the first 😆
I might make an exception for publishers of religious texts. Seems solid otherwise.
I had to think about that for a minute.
And I think there’s a distinction between selling a product for religious use and selling a product using religion.
I mean, if a publisher is selling a $60 Bible, and its selling points are being a great big heavy book with quality paper, quality binding, complete accurate text of (insert your sect’s favorite translation here), the kind of Bible your ancestors recorded births and deaths in, that’s one thing.
If a publisher is selling a $60 Bible, and it’s promising to be the truest and most accurate Bible ever and gives you the best chance to get to Heaven and God will love you more if you buy this Bible, well, I’m going to look at both that Bible and its publisher with a great deal of skepticism 😆
Is this the guy who shimmed the entite cylinder out of one of those supposedly unpickable locks with just a piece of soda/beer can?
Edit: Skimmed too fast. It was that guy.
Wow this is so good. Love the judge in this case:
Proven had demanded a preliminary injunction that would stop McNally from sharing his videos while the case progressed, but Proven had issues right from the opening gavel:
LAWYER 1: Austin Nowacki on behalf of Proven industries.
THE COURT: I’m sorry. What is your name?
LAWYER 1: Austin Nowacki.
THE COURT: I thought you said Austin No Idea.
LAWYER 2: That’s Austin Nowacki.
THE COURT: All right.
When Proven’s lead lawyer introduced a colleague who would lead that morning’s arguments, the judge snapped, “Okay. Then you have a seat and let her speak.”
I love this guy. His videos have shown me to never trust locks
Locks are not for stopping people from breaking in, they are for making it harder for people to break into your stuff, forcing criminals to find easier targets.
Yup exactly. They stop crimes of opportunity
“Locks only stop honest people.”
The YouTuber RunkleOfTheBailey has some really good videos documenting this case.
