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O2 are censoring the internet!

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  • 01-07-2010 7:38pm
    #1
    skelliser
    Registered Users Posts: 2,985 ✭✭✭


    Once again ireland is at the helm in internet censorship, following eircoms decision to ban the pirate bay.

    Today O2 ireland have on the behest of the Internet watch foundation blocked the image hosting site imgur.com.
    http://www.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/ckutv/fuck_you_02/

    Who are the unelected/unaccountable internet watch foundation i hear you ask?
    http://www.iwf.org.uk/
    When did they decide that you cannot visit certain site?

    I recommend that if you are with O2 you request this nonsense to be stopped and failing that move to a different ISP.


«1

Comments

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    #2
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 81,726 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    <post removed by O2>


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    #3
    Flojo
    Registered Users Posts: 2,172 ✭✭✭Flojo


    Grrr aslong as UPC doesn't buckle I'm happy. Anyone know how that court case went a few weeks ago?


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    #4
    PCPhoto
    Registered Users Posts: 6,584 ✭✭✭PCPhoto


    Flojo wrote: »
    Grrr aslong as UPC doesn't buckle I'm happy. Anyone know how that court case went a few weeks ago?

    its still ongoing .... ct6 in the Four Courts (I think)


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    #5
    Sparky
    Registered Users Posts: 22,231 ✭✭✭✭Sparky


    Fixed link


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    #6
    Flojo
    Registered Users Posts: 2,172 ✭✭✭Flojo


    PCPhoto wrote: »
    its still ongoing .... ct6 in the Four Courts (I think)

    Ugh hope they don't follow the same route.


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    #7
    phill106
    Registered Users Posts: 6,810 ✭✭✭phill106


    any examples of blocked links? want to check this out!


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    #8
    skelliser
    Registered Users Posts: 2,985 ✭✭✭skelliser


    they have blocked the entire site! http://imgur.com/ because the iwf have decided that there is kiddy porn on it. But imgur say in there T&c
    that they actively remove any inapropriate material.

    Im not with them so can see it fine but others have said they get a O2 redirect page.


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    #9
    Flojo
    Registered Users Posts: 2,172 ✭✭✭Flojo


    thepiratebay.org


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    #10
    Healium
    Registered Users Posts: 1,586 ✭✭✭Healium


    Grrr, this is really annoying. TWICE today they've blocked me


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    #11
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 81,726 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    skelliser wrote: »
    they have blocked the entire site! http://imgur.com/ because the iwf have decided that there is kiddy porn on it. But imgur say in there T&c
    that they actively remove any inapropriate material.

    Im not with them so can see it fine but others have said they get a O2 redirect page.


    I can see it fine but wouldn't you rather use http://pix.sparky-s.ie/ ?

    :cool:


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    #12
    skelliser
    Registered Users Posts: 2,985 ✭✭✭skelliser


    i might, nice site!

    But thats not the point, this is the thin end of the wedge.


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    #13
    Healium
    Registered Users Posts: 1,586 ✭✭✭Healium


    Surely there's some form of contract breach here? Anyone? :o


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    #14
    phill106
    Registered Users Posts: 6,810 ✭✭✭phill106


    skelliser wrote: »
    they have blocked the entire site! http://imgur.com/ because the iwf have decided that there is kiddy porn on it. But imgur say in there T&c
    that they actively remove any inapropriate material.

    Im not with them so can see it fine but others have said they get a O2 redirect page.
    Flojo wrote: »
    thepiratebay.org

    Ummm i can go to both of those sites, on O2. Turned off wifi to make sure wasnt my broadband conenction.
    What have you two been doing!


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    #15
    Saibh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,431 ✭✭✭✭Saibh


    skelliser wrote: »
    they have blocked the entire site! http://imgur.com/ because the iwf have decided that there is kiddy porn on it. But imgur say in there T&c
    that they actively remove any inapropriate material.

    Im not with them so can see it fine but others have said they get a O2 redirect page.

    Just opened the above link on my mobile (using o2), not blocked or redirected.


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    #16
    skelliser
    Registered Users Posts: 2,985 ✭✭✭skelliser


    well its here
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055678122&page=13
    on reddit and a friend of mine on a o2 dongle cant get on it either.


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    #17
    RolandIRL
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,924 ✭✭✭✭RolandIRL


    can't get it but i've noticed that a couple of months ago back in about december. as long as they don't block p2p or file-hosting sites, i don't give a fúck!


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    #18
    generalmiaow
    Registered Users Posts: 865 ✭✭✭generalmiaow


    They have blocked i.imgur.com
    Not imgur.com

    Notice that google's DNS has a different record for i.imgur.com as O2's. This is how they implemented it.

    [PHP]$dig @8.8.8.8 i.imgur.com
    ...
    content.ldj1.site.voxcdn.net. 172 IN A 72.26.192.194

    $dig i.imgur.com
    ...
    i.imgur.com. 86400 IN A 62.40.38.145
    ...
    ;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
    i.imgur.com. 86400 IN NS dns2.o2.ie.[/PHP]

    It is stupid that o2 block domains based on IWF recommendations without even checking them first - stupid that they block domains at all.


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    #19
    Min
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,550 ✭✭✭Min


    I'm with O2 and I can access the first link given.


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    #20
    Min
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,550 ✭✭✭Min


    for i.imgur.com I get:

    HTTP 403 Error - Access denied

    For further information, please go to www.o2.ie/childprotection.


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    #21
    blubloblu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,226 ✭✭✭blubloblu


    They'll probably end up unblocking imgur. The long-term problem is that some organisation in the UK is maintaining a secret list of what isn't allowed on the Internet, and O2 is voluntarily obeying it.

    This is unacceptable.

    Pressure should be put on O2 to end this censorship entirely. IWF started up to block child pornography, but have since moved on to racism. It's the thin end of the wedge. This isn't the first time a legitimate site has gotten blocked by these people.


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    #22
    generalmiaow
    Registered Users Posts: 865 ✭✭✭generalmiaow


    Oh man:
    http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/cl1um/internet_censorship_test/

    This is getting out of hand. I hope O2 do their best to rethink this.


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    #23
    Min
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,550 ✭✭✭Min


    They are censoring the mobile phone section of the internet, not the entire internet.
    It seems using mobiles to access the internet is seen as a risk when it comes to children and the number of young people who have phones and this measure is to help parents, parents that can monitor the child on the home computer but maybe not when it comes to the mobile internet.


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    #24
    generalmiaow
    Registered Users Posts: 865 ✭✭✭generalmiaow


    Min wrote: »
    They are censoring the mobile phone section of the internet, not the entire internet.
    It seems using mobiles to access the internet is seen as a risk when it comes to children and the number of young people who have phones and this measure is to help parents, parents that can monitor the child on the home computer but maybe not when it comes to the mobile internet.

    I know you're not defending them, but I can still access porn sites fine on my phone, and most of imgur is just pictures of cats. This is across the board for all their internet services, not just mobile phones (see my post about the DNS above). If they wanted to block sites for the protection of kids, there are far more sensible ways of doing this, like 3's, (I think) where there is a per-sim block on adult sites until you contact them and prove your age.

    Imgur is blocked because the IWF - an unelected, unaccountable body in another country, were told there was something questionable on imgur. There is probably far more dodgy content on facebook. The solution is to tell these hosts to remove the offending images, not block the whole site. O2 have made a terrible mess out of this.


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    #25
    owenc
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 5,524 ✭✭✭owenc


    Ugh well as long as i get my unlimited free texts, unlimted internet and unlimited free calls for only £15 i'm fine!


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    #26
    JohnK
    Registered Users Posts: 4,780 ✭✭✭JohnK


    Min wrote: »
    They are censoring the mobile phone section of the internet, not the entire internet.
    Doesnt seem to be blocked on my phone via 02; trying to access http://i.imgur.com just takes me to http://imgur.com


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    #27
    RolandIRL
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,924 ✭✭✭✭RolandIRL


    generalmiaow wrote: »
    Imgur is blocked because the IWF - an unelected, unaccountable body in another country, were told there was something questionable on imgur. There is probably far more dodgy content on facebook. The solution is to tell these hosts to remove the offending images, not block the whole site. O2 have made a terrible mess out of this.
    i was reading on wikipedia that the IWF told UK ISPs to block the site after a "controversial" album art was put up and reported. rather than complain to wikipedia and get them to remove the artwork, block the whole site, and that'll solve the problem. :rolleyes:
    blocking sites that might contain child porn is wrong. you need to complain to the hoster and get them to remove the content.
    someone in the Midband thread mentioned should o2 block their own website over references to child porn.
    i read through the thread and they're breaching their own T&C's because they say in their contract with you that they do not regulate/block/control internet content, and they take no liability for any content that may be illegal. yet they're denying that they have broken their contract.
    cop on o2, why should ye listen to a private body about the internet? if i set up an Internet Foundation, does this mean i can tell ISPs to block loads of sites? No, i think if someone wants to block websites, let it be the government, not some private fúcking foundation.

    /rant


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    #28
    Min
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,550 ✭✭✭Min


    ok, it all seems a bit silly then.


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    #29
    owenc
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 5,524 ✭✭✭owenc


    whiteman19 wrote: »
    i was reading on wikipedia that the IWF told UK ISPs to block the site after a "controversial" album art was put up and reported. rather than complain to wikipedia and get them to remove the artwork, block the whole site, and that'll solve the problem. :rolleyes:
    blocking sites that might contain child porn is wrong. you need to complain to the hoster and get them to remove the content.
    someone in the Midband thread mentioned should o2 block their own website over references to child porn.
    i read through the thread and they're breaching their own T&C's because they say in their contract with you that they do not regulate/block/control internet content, and they take no liability for any content that may be illegal. yet they're denying that they have broken their contract.
    cop on o2, why should ye listen to a private body about the internet? if i set up an Internet Foundation, does this mean i can tell ISPs to block loads of sites? No, i think if someone wants to block websites, let it be the government, not some private fúcking foundation.

    /rant

    Are you sure its not o2 ireland cuz i'm in the uk and i can access those sites on my phone.


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    #30
    generalmiaow
    Registered Users Posts: 865 ✭✭✭generalmiaow


    owenc wrote: »
    Are you sure its not o2 ireland cuz i'm in the uk and i can access those sites on my phone.

    The IWF have no power, they just tell the UK ISPs they should block a site occasionally. Sometimes they do. On the other hand, O2 Ireland admit pre-emptively blocking sites on the IWF list and only unblocking them if people complain.


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    #31
    starbelgrade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,739 ✭✭✭✭starbelgrade


    Flojo wrote: »
    thepiratebay.org

    Crap site. Great if you wanna spend half the night waiting for a film to buffer, or guess what the subtitles would be saying if there were any.


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