Security → UK News: BT ordered to block pirate links

A High Court judge has ruled that BT must block access to a website which provides links to pirated movies.

Newzbin 2 is a members-only site which aggregates a large amount of the illegally copied material found on Usenet discussion forums.

The landmark case is the first time that an ISP has been ordered to block access to such a site.

It paves the way for other sites to be blocked as part of a major crackdown on piracy.

Source:

»www.bbc.co.uk/news/techn ··· 14322957
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»sanesecurity.blogspot.com/

...or it paves the way for other sites to be blocked as part of a major effort by corporations and governments to control the content on the internet.

i think there should be a law requiring ISP's to attempt to block malicious URL's, using a DNS blacklist, the same way that malicious URL's are blocked by "clearcloud DNS"..

Easily said, but how are "malicious URLs" defined, and who controls what's on the blacklist?

For example, would a government be tempted to add sites that publish viewpoints contrary to that of the government (and that couldn't afford a lot of lawyering)? Would a government be tempted to add sites that some large media mogul did not like? (maybe not this month in the UK, but highly likely before that).

i would define "malicious" URL's strictly as those that distribute malware, in one way or another..

i wouldn't expect the government to manage it, but the ISP's to manage it.. there are lots of websites that list malicious URL's which could be used to create the blacklists.. or, the ISP's could pay GFI, the owners of "clearcloud DNS", to manage it for them, which is what i would like to see done..

incidentally, AOL does block access to some politically incorrect websites (and some malicious websites), but you can work around that by not using the AOL browser, using a different browser, instead..

Are you sir going to pay us (ISPs) to now devote a HUGE amount of resources needed to become internet police?

You're asking your gas station to now inspect the roads and deal with potholes so you don't hit them. Only because you only know that your car needs the gas station to allow it to go from A to B... Now not only are you asking this of your local gas station to watch the roads, you're asking them to watch the entire WORLD'S roads. Not just the local town.

This has been done before (Hello! Australia?) and it failed fucking miserably. You would think people would learn by now.

i don't think it would take much effort for ISP's to set up a DNS blacklist..

as for australia, i heard that they just started trying DNS blacklisting, with some ISP's, there..

i think DNS blacklisting would be one of the best ways to help to put the cyber-criminals out of business, while also saving end-users a lot of trouble, with malware-infected computers.. of course, ISP's could do more than blacklist URL's, they could block IP addresses, too.. it is just a question of whether anyone really wants to try to put the cyber-criminals out of business..

You've just shifted the question to a definition of "malware".

Note that some people's definition of "malware" (mine included) encompasses "software distributed by a giant multinational conglomerate with huge financial leverage". Yes, I know that was on a CD, but it's the definition that I'm after. Would sony.com be likely to be blacklisted as a result of such an incident: if say the infamous rootkit had been part of a hypothetical downloadable-record-album?

Do you live in Australia? If not, then you might acquaint yourself with what has happened there in this regard (except, of course, it was under the guise of "protect the children" there) before mouthing off about something you obviously have not thought seriously and thoroughly about.

What you are suggesting would be the death of the Internet. If you do not currently have the skills to deter malicious content from entering your computer then I suggest you learn those skills instead of trying to defeat the very purpose of the Internet.
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When governments fear people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Thomas Jefferson