Iran-Specific Version of Anonymizer Unblocks Net Access 31
thelaw writes "Securityfocus has an article explaining a new anti-censorship proxy set up for Iran through Anonymizer, similar to one for Chinese citizens (did anyone know we had a proxy for Chinese citizens?). An interesting quote: '"In China we're continually monitoring the state of the proxy, and when we see the traffic drop off, we change the proxy's address, usually within 24 hours," says Berman. "In Iran, we're prepared to change the proxy address every day if necessary."'"
Thank Goodness (Score:3, Funny)
When will US citizens under the USA PATRIOT Act qualify for this program?
Re:Thank Goodness (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Thank Goodness (Score:1)
Spam? (Score:3, Interesting)
The deliberately generic-sounding URLs for the service are publicized...through bulk e-mails that Anonymizer sends to addresses in the country.
Spamming for freedom!
what would worry me... (Score:3, Interesting)
There's one handed typing, and then there's one handed typing.
Re:what would worry me... (Score:2)
DMCA (Score:2, Offtopic)
The real irony starts when the Internet un-blocker starts blocking parts of the Internet...
Re:DMCA (Score:2)
Mostly unfettered. Like the Iranian filters, the U.S. service blocks porn sites -- "There's a limit to what taxpayers should pay for," says Berman.
Is This Just a Publicity Stunt? (Score:5, Interesting)
I think this is just a nice little publicity stunt / ego stroking expedition for the U.S. propaganda arm. An effective anonymous proxy would not be so widely disseminated, and would want to change addresses before the Iranian government caught on, not after, to keep its clientele moving.
Re:Is This Just a Publicity Stunt? (Score:2, Insightful)
I'm sure Anonymizer's intentions are purely altruistic.
To support my crack-induced opinion, I just had to just look at anonymiser.com's website:
Top left corner - logo + "Privacy is your Right"
Top right corner - Login Username/Password
Body of page - Private Surfing 2.1 $29.95
Total Net Shield $99.95
So:
a) _Privacy_'s your right, but tell us who you are
and
b) Privacy's your _right_, but pay us money to help us give it to you.
YAW.
Re:Is This Just a Publicity Stunt? (Score:3, Insightful)
crap for the clueless paranoids.. 'make anonymiser your isp!'
yeah, make all you do on the net available on one spot. the not so clueless can use a web of open proxies anyways, or whatever they fancy..
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Re:Is This Just a Publicity Stunt? (Score:2)
While their advanced products cost money, their main service does not. And, before a couple years ago, there was no delay either.
Anonymizer is a fantatic service, and has been out there for quite a while.
China proxy addresses? (Score:2, Offtopic)
Think (Score:2, Interesting)
Too late... (Score:1, Interesting)
I have witnessed how things have gone bad in Iran (Score:5, Informative)
Yes, I am an Iranian myself, and I lived in Iran till 8 months ago. I can give a detailed account of the history of internet in Iran.
Internet mainly found it's way to Iran in 1997. A couple of commercial ISPs started working on that year. Before that Internet existed in (some) universities, but it was mainly unknown. In 1997, people who read computer magazines in Iran, noticed a couple of companies advetising about something called Internet. Of those companies, Neda [neda.net] is still the biggest ISP in Iran. (note: behind the scens, Neda is now owned by a branch of the Iranian Army called "Sepahe Pasdaran".
Of course, the rapid pace with which internet gre in Iran, is similar to that of other countries. The difference was that, in Iran, internet had a special meaning. It was still FREE (as in freedom). Comparing to other communication mediums which are all government controlled, the Internet was free. No one was controlling it, no one was censoring it. People in Iran, so used to government control and censorship, at first couldn't believe it.
In a country, where you can not have access to any broadcast media, because radio and TV are all government operated, and books and newspapers are heavily censored, internet was like a light in the hearts of iranians. The number of Iranian websites started growing. Businesses started shaping around internet. Most importantly, Cafe Nets started opening their doors, in nearly every vicinity in every twon. In 2000, even in the most deserted city in Iran, you could find an Internet Cafe, and a couple of youngsters, enjoying themselves there. It was a new feeling for Iranians, it gave them an unparralleled sense of freedom. It was perhaps the best thing that happend in many's lifes.
Also, internet presented a way for young Iranian girls and boys to talk with each other. This might be suprising for you western people, but in Iran, a young man and women can not easily talk with each other. There is no uni-sex school (even they are now seperating hospitals and universities), and if two young people are seen talking with each other in the street, they are immediately arrested and questioned (I was arrested a couple of times, for walking with my cousin in the street). Internet, didn't have these limitations. Yahoo messenger soon became a standard tool in every household, and later, with the availability of voice chat, iraniang girls and boys, really started talking to each other, in a way they hadn't experience before).
The government first started reacting to the issue of internet in early 2001. A couple of acts were passed, and a set of rules were setup for the use of internet. Acoording to those rules, for example, publishing anything unislamic became illegal, visiting any unislamic website, or any website related to groups opposing the islamic regime in Iran, became website, any kind of broadcast (radio or TV) became illegal, and also, Cafe nets started shutting down.
Those whom we calle "Lebas shakhsi ha" (those in private cloth) started atatcking internet cafes, shutting them down for reasons such as "spreading western ideas". An estimated 75000 people, who used to work on the internet cafe busness, became unemployed.
But still, the government's plan to put a proxy, shutdown all ASPs, and make all ISPs to connect to only the governmental ASP; didn't take off. Some people believe the plan didn't take off, because the Iranian government relied on WorldCom fot it's required facilities. It is certain that a agreement between WorldCom and government had been reached. Well, those things that happened to WorldCom probably delayed Iranian government's plans.
But in early 2003, they were at last able to execute their 2 year plan. ISPs were sutdown, those who remained agreed to only use the government ASP. VOIP (voice over IP) became illegal, because many Iranians were using it, t oavoid paying rediculously high pr
Re:I have witnessed how things have gone bad in Ir (Score:1)
Iranians != Arabs (Score:1)
Any Iranian will tell you that they are not Arabs, but Persians, and they don't speak Arabic, they speak Farsi.
Re:Iranians != Arabs (Score:2)
US's image in the US, as well as in the Islamic world.
Re:Iranians != Arabs (Score:1)