So, supposedly the Copyright Alert System, which many people call the "six strikes policy", recently went into effect in the US. For those of you who haven't heard of this, it's basically a system, voluntarily adopted by ISPs around the US, whereby users' downloads are monitored. When it detects that the user has illegally downloaded data, it gives them a warning in the form of a webpage, an email, and possibly other forms. After six "strikes", the user's internet connection is slowed. It's not clear what will happen after that. It's been adopted by 5 major ISPs in the US: AT&T, Cablevision, Comcast, Time Warner, and Verizon - which together control about 75% of the country's internet access. The system apparently cannot track users who use proxies or VPN. Here's an article about hackers retaliating against the service: http://now.msn.com/nullcrew-hackers-put-gorilla-on-time-warner-website Personally I think it's fucked up. ISPs have no right to tell users how to use their network. It seems like the first step towards a wider censorship of the internet. I have mixed feelings about piracy, but I think it's dumb for companies to actively pursue pirates - if for no reason other than the fact that it's a war they can't possibly win. Like I said, the system can be avoided by using a proxy or VPN, and no doubt people will find other ways to hack the system or find vulnerabilities. Also, although the system is supposedly already in effect, I've yet to hear of anyone actually receiving a warning. I think that if it actually does continue, the backlash is going to be so huge that they'll be forced to remove it. What are your thoughts?
This isn't new news though, apparently Comcast have started this last year, contact users who download copyrighted content. It's a grey area. How can the ISP detect you're not downloading your own files again? Even if it is through a torrent for instants and it's a movie? It's the most stupid thing ever. We might as well have Chinese internet, where most pages are blocked. Soon people will start going back to magazines and text books for information.
They do not monitor your connection and "detect" when pirated stuff is downloaded. Its what its always been - media companies monitoring bit torrent, then sending a letter to your ISP. 6 letters = no internet.
I don't think that's the case. From what I've read, the ISPs themselves monitor what their users are downloading.
Well they wanted to try and do something similar here, but it was thrown out pretty soon, due to not being compatible with the current legislation. We have the RICA act here that forces ISPs to hold records of what sites you visit, and what files you download for 6 months that too cant monitor things like VPNs or Proxies, hell I think even SSL is a problem for it. As a side note Usenet + 128bit SSL + VPN sitting somewhere in sweden, there not going to track jack !@#!@# from me
Then you have read wrong. http://torrentfreak.com/comcasts-six-strikes-email-with-infringement-details-surfaces-130303/
Average internet user are an idiot when it comes to proper wifi security. 3 of my neighbors have open wifi because they never read the instruction on setting security such as WPA to keep people from leeching internet or snooping in their computer. If the leecher was the one downloading illegally, the said idiot owner would be puzzled by the complaint from ISP about illegal downloads. PS my ISP is tds.net (only isp in my area other than satellite) and they've been somewhat lax on enforcing illegal downloads.
Which is why lawsuits have been thrown out - as IP doesnt show who did the illegal downloading. Which is what you need to know when suing someone.
Most ISP's don't give a fuck about Piracy. Piracy is what sells the upper class internet speeds (that and business). The MAFIAA are paying companies like MediaProtect to basically use the large scale torrents and report back the details of users who are downloading files. The Media companies are then hassling your ISP and make them send love letters to you.
I had a friend get a "love letter" from comcast. He was grabbing the latest Hollywood mainstream film torrents. I haven't been harassed as I don't grab the latest torrents but swim around the back catalog of movies and music, I go through soulseek. It seems that the media companies troll the latest torrents with massive user download rates and all of the latest mass media content including top 40 pop hits.
Basically you can be accused with little or no evidence (like before) and instead the ISPs will simply comply so they don't have to bother with the lawsuit side of things. Until they too get sued for complying with bullshit that isn't theirs to comply with.
It's frickin tyranny, plain and simple.... You're right la-li-lu, it's a major step towards internet censorship. And even if we can seemingly get around it right now, it's incrementalism.... If we put up with it now it'll only get worse from here. I want to get a VPN, but the real solution is... political activism? Alternative internet access? I'm not quite sure, but I know tolerating it won't do any good.
Go back to sleep young one, let us do what's best for you. Here, enjoy this new game which let's you be a hero. Express your power process through making it past level 5. No need to worry, we have your best interests at heart. We love you. Close your eyes and feel safe with us. Edit: Yes, this is a weird post, but making a point how people have lost their individual sense of responsibility. They look to others, elected to do the hard work of running the show, which is extremely dangerous for society.
Wasn't actually aimed at you, it was aimed at your statements about political activism and what we collectively are up against. The leadership of the West firmly believe that the general public isn't fit to make policy or take responsibility. Society is constructed around distractions and falsehoods to keep us coddled and ignorant of what is actually happening domestically and abroad. While politicians and the media smile at us and weave narratives that stunt our intelligence and ability to understand the actual state of things, or prim us with fears necessary for public support, we become more and more child like, infantile and banned from the universe. I was simply taking on the role of a politician or someone from the corporate sector, telling you to stop making so much noise. Tongue in cheek. That's all. Edit: It harks to Milton's paraphrased words in Paradise lost, You make them blind and then you hate them for being blind. something to the effect.
In my area we have Cox Communications (Or AT&T if you want slow, unreliable DSL). They have a 3-strike rule, where if a copyright holder contacts the ISP (to say a user at XXXXX IP address, at YYYYY time/day) with a dispute, the user is contacted by Cox (email) to say they have violated blah blah blah. After the third email (or maybe upon the third? Don't remember), Cox cancels the service. Then you have to switch to AT&T. So the ISP doesn't actually monitor the user. "ISPs have no right to tell users how to use their network." Seems to me that the would. Maybe I'm jaded.
Oh ha, right right. Got it now. Yeah, very well said. Mainstream media and politics in the US today is sickening, and it's gotten that way due to apathy & lack of involvement. And admittedly I'm part of it! I've never called any of my representatives, but I'm about ready to.
didn't they also try to pull something like this in the music business about 10 years ago?? as far as I can tell, music is still being downloaded without a problem. as usual, humanity will find a way around it
I've never been a fan of these schemes. It basically gives the ISP and whatever copyright group unfettered ability to disconnect any user it wants without any due process. Not that the due process is really educated. It's just prevents the embarrassment of that one case being dropped because of dodgy evidence causing a series of other cases from doing the same. Ever look at your ISP's terms of service? They know have these mandatory arbitration clauses it them too. On a side note yes SSL and 99% of the VPN services out there do prevent the ISP from discerning what actual activity is taking place. Whenever you deal with cryptography and the internet the most significant reason to do so is to prevent eavesdropping.
