It’s still legal to pick locks, even when you swing your legs.

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!

  • Empricorn@feddit.nlEnglish
    16·
    4 hours ago

    “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…

  • airgapped@piefed.socialEnglish
    81·
    7 hours ago

    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

  • zout@fedia.io
    78·
    13 hours ago

    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.

  • veee@lemmy.caEnglish
    84·
    13 hours ago

    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.

    • village604@adultswim.fanEnglish
      24·
      12 hours ago

      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.

    • sleepundertheleaves@infosec.pub
      21·
      10 hours ago

      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 😆

  • bamboo@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    13·
    12 hours ago

    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.”