Cameron's internet filter goes far beyond porn - and that was always the plan

[mattx]

Cameron's internet filter goes far beyond porn - and that was always the plan

[Arthur]

UK ‘Porn Filter’ Blocks Legitimate File-Sharing Services « TorrentFreak

 

... those customers who don't opt out from the ‘porn filter’ will also have file-sharing sites and services blocked. A quick round on the internet reveals that this category is rather inclusive, and not limited to ‘pirate sites.’

 

Among the blocked sites are BitTorrent.com, who work with Madonna and other artists on a regular basis to release free-to-download content. The same is true for other BitTorrent clients including uTorrent, Transmission and Vuze. Tribler, which is developed at Delft University of Technology with EU taxpayer money, is filtered as well.

 

Websites which offer perfectly legitimate content via P2P downloads are also filtered by Sky’s default settings. This includes VODO, the distribution platform for indie filmmakers, the download page of the Linux-based Fedora, as well as the download portal Linuxtracker.

 

In addition, several websites that merely write news about file-sharing issues are blocked by the filter too, including TorrentFreak.

 

[Arthur]

At least the filters are easy to bypass.

 

Go Away Cameron: UK's porn filters foiled by Chrome extension « Wired

 

The filters have already been shown to be ineffective, since they are letting hardcore material slip through the net while preventing access to sex education, addiction and women's abuse charity sites, as Wired.co.uk outlined last week.

 

Go Away Cameron is a Chrome browser extension designed to bypass the UK's "censorship" of the web using a proxy to circumvent the filters. Users simply install the extension and can then browse all of the pornography and sex education sites they like. The Singaporean creator is also responsible for a variant in his homeland called Getgom.com. It goes to show how pointless these filters are.

[Arthur]

UK porn filter blocks game update that contained 'sex' « The Guardian

 

The update to online strategy game League of Legends was disrupted by the internet filter because the software attempted to access files that accidentally include the word “sex” in the middle of their file names.

 

The block resulted in the update failing with “file not found” errors, which are usually created by missing files or broken updates on the part of the developers.

 

The issue was first noted on social news site Reddit by LolBoopje showing that files named VarusExpirationTimer.luaobj and XerathMageChainsExtended.luaobj (emphasis added) were enough to trigger a block at the internet service provider level.

 

For users affected by the broken update, the only current recourse is to switch off the internet filtering by contacting their internet service provider, or to use the online support forms often located within the router and internet settings.

 

I wonder if Experts-Exchange is blocked too?

[mattx]

China will have nothing on us soon......

[rich_tech]

This is why flat "Great Firewall" type filtering doesn't work, my son is nearly one so its miles off for me as the wife and I am not a fan of him using anything electronic at a young age anyway, but when it does come ill be looking at filtering software and will be actively involved in anything he does on these devices and I don't think I fancy my ISP blocking anything on my behalf, especially given that it shows how unintelligent the filtering is.

 

Only other thing I am thinking is at some point there will be an assumption that your up to no good really if you opt-out of this filtering as far as your ISP are concerned, especially if they want to block things like file sharing and torrenting as part of what was supposed to be "Pornography/Adult Material" blocking

[localzuk]

Just as those of us who argued against such schemes said would happen.

 

All that will happen with this sort of thing is people will get sick of it blocking every site they go to and turn it off.

[crc-ict]

Considering some of the language/terms used in this report, this might be worthy of an NSFW.

 

Readers using Securus, for example, will regret loading that page - there'll be hits a plenty!

[JJonas]

or worse still people will trust it and someone kid will see something horrible that was not blocked.

 

...and why does nobody think of the lumberjacks awaiting gender reassignment surgery.

[localzuk]

Considering some of the language/terms used in this report, this might be worthy of an NSFW.

 

Readers using Securus, for example, will regret loading that page - there'll be hits a plenty!

 

Reading a an article about internet filtering is bound to cause filters to go a bit loopy, but it doesn't make it NSFW though.

[sonofsanta]

And here was me thinking this was supposed to be some kind of intelligent filter and that they'd made some incredible advances to roll it out on a large scale. Looks like it was the "overpriced brute force" option after all.

[Sirbendy]

This is why flat "Great Firewall" type filtering doesn't work, my son is nearly one so its miles off for me as the wife and I am not a fan of him using anything electronic at a young age anyway, but when it does come ill be looking at filtering software and will be actively involved in anything he does on these devices and I don't think I fancy my ISP blocking anything on my behalf, especially given that it shows how unintelligent the filtering is.

 

Only other thing I am thinking is at some point there will be an assumption that your up to no good really if you opt-out of this filtering as far as your ISP are concerned, especially if they want to block things like file sharing and torrenting as part of what was supposed to be "Pornography/Adult Material" blocking

 

DD is 4, DS is 20 months. Neither use PCs much, I don't encourage it.. Imaginitive play FTW.

 

However, when the time comes that PCs are needed for school (next year possibly, gulp), then with my blessing Izz can have my old 1997 Inspiron on wifi, connecting to a VM session on the bigrig (can't screw that up, thank god for snapshots), with another VM on there acting as a dansguardian filter (or similar). Supervised usage, time limited etc.

 

No way am I having the incoming line filtered. Missus is a freelance webdev - I hate to think how annoyed she'd get. Or me, come to that.

[TwoZeroAlpha]

Worth a read Real internet connection

[Trapper]

I've just finished reading Titan by Stephen Baxter probably the most depressing and nihilistic book I've read in a very long time.

 

He saw this coming back in 1996 - but in the US. Internet filtered to placate Christian morals. This will not stop here.

 

I still believe that one day in the future your decision on whether to accept the porn filter will appear on an Enhanced DBS check.

[Garacesh]

Worth a read Real internet connection

They allow for monthly, four-weekly, and full-moonly billing. That's pretty cool.

Not seeing anything about pricing, though.

[sonofsanta]

They allow for monthly, four-weekly, and full-moonly billing. That's pretty cool.

Not seeing anything about pricing, though.

 

Click Broadband.

Click Prices.

Andrews & Arnold Ltd - Broadband Prices

£25 a month for 100GB isn't the cheapest, but it is worth paying the "not an @rseh0le" tax sometimes.

[localzuk]

They allow for monthly, four-weekly, and full-moonly billing. That's pretty cool.

Not seeing anything about pricing, though.

 

A&A aren't cheap, compared to the big names. Their Home 1 bundle is £25 a month with 100GB data allowance, and an extra £10 per 50GB more.

[Garacesh]

A&A aren't cheap, compared to the big names. Their Home 1 bundle is £25 a month with 100GB data allowance, and an extra £10 per 50GB more.

That's doesn't tell me the speed, just how much I'm allowed to download

[localzuk]

ADSL2+ speeds, so whatever your line supports.

 

They also offer a fibre product.

[AMLinington]

Just reading this thread is making my chest feel tight and the panic is looming. I really ought to stop looking at this forum.

[Miscbrah]

Just reading this thread is making my chest feel tight and the panic is looming. I really ought to stop looking at this forum.

 

Don't publicly admit that! The NSA will come for you...

 

I for one welcome our new internet overlords deciding what's best of me because someone please think of the children.

[Theblacksheep]

Creepy, Crawly, Creepy Crawly

 

BBC News - Ministers bid to block extremist videos posted on foreign websites

 

"The government is attempting to block all online extremist videos that help to radicalise impressionable young men"

[Gonk]

Considering some of the language/terms used in this report, this might be worthy of an NSFW.

 

Readers using Securus, for example, will regret loading that page - there'll be hits a plenty!

 

only if the Securus box is working, which it mostly isn't...

[GeekyPete]

1984, right lines just 30 years out.

[psydii]

So where's the outrage? Or do we just let this happen?!

 

Seriously.

 

Now it is time to stand up and be counted. Filters that the people (and by that I mean the individuals) control are fine and great, but this censorship and it is insidious.