NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] New Zealand activates Web filter -- forgets to inform the public
New Zealand activates Web filter -- forgets to inform the public http://bit.ly/bJpGV7 (Register) Now, one might ask, if the filter had gone live on Feb. 1, why wasn't it particularly noticeable before now at least on the deployed ISPs? Could it be because many of the persons who would want to access the particular forbidden content (which mostly travels in underground circles anyway) have already switched over to VPNs, proxies, and other mechanisms to evade the filters? But hey, if you can score points with the voters claiming to have cracked down on the big, bad Internet, why should technical realities get in your way? Of course, the kinds of sites the government claims to be "blocking" are reprehensible. But let's at least *try* to get real -- the most likely impact of the filter will be to push such activities ever deeper into the encrypted underground, where they will be even harder to monitor. By the way, I really like the name "Censorship Compliance Unit" -- it gives New Zealand that comfy, warm feeling that comes with knowing the government has its citizens' necks on a short choke chain leash. --Lauren-- NNSquad Moderator