iwf blacklist

**alexbear1** · 30th March 2009, 10:10 PM

Dear all

ok who else is suffering from corporate IT using the IWF as a reason to block anything, Yet when asked what is on it or I searched on the "Tinternet" I can't find the IWF blacklist !!!!
does anyone know what's on this thing so I can challenge them, as even 7 year olds can't access innocent sites. Help please this is driving me nuts and my school staff and the kids.
is this e-safety gone mad or is it just one totally omnipotent NM gone power mad at the LA?
also has anyone effectively provided safe home access filtering that meets the CfP criteria but stilll ets kids actually use the Internet to find what they need:HELp !!!!!!!!

**GrumbleDook** · 30th March 2009, 11:27 PM

IIRC you only get access to the list if you are a member (ie you are a service provider or an accredited filter provider such as Smoothwall) and these are sites that are not in anyway shape or form innocent.

In all likelihood there is additional filters that are in place too that are blocking things but if you put up examples of what is getting blocked I am sure other members will happily test to see whether the sites are blocked in their LAs/ RBCs too.

**Martin** · 30th March 2009, 11:49 PM

I don't think that even ISPs can access the blacklist!

The IWF install one of their servers at the ISP, and the ISP DNS servers are "tweaked" so that certain domains are routed through the IWF server. The full URL is then checked against the banned list and if it matches access is denied.

However, this was often implemented quite badly, leading to a bit of a mess a few months ago - see El Reg for details.

Try opening up a CMD window and typing "tracert www.blocked.domain.com" and seeing where the routing goes?

mb

**somabc** · 30th March 2009, 11:50 PM

So the internet is censored and the the act of censorship is secret? Does this strike anyone as dangerous? Apparently an academic found a way to tell if a site is blocked back in 2005. I have attached his paper.

Back door to the black list | Technology | The Guardian

We're arresting you for speeding.
What's the speed limit, officer?
The speed limit is secret.

Western internet censorship: The beginning of the end or the end of the beginning? - Wikileaks