Department of Internal Affairs to Implement NZ Internet Filter

Forums › ICT Policies and Regulation › Department of Internal Affairs to Implement NZ Internet Filter

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147 posts

Master Geek
Inactive user

#306627 12-Mar-2010 14:15

freitasm: Thomas, can you confirm which ISPs are active right now?

I am asking this because someone asked in the Vodafone forums why xvideos.com is blocked (porn site, absolutely NSFW). Vodafone people implied - without saying it - that it was blocked by the DIA filter and pointed to this discussion.

However I am using TelstraClear which seems to be part of the filter and that site resolves fine here and certainly it's an adult site, but not the type of porn the DIA filter are supposed to protect us against.

My question is: since the DIA list is unknown to us, could an ISP start blocking websites on its own, then blaming the DIA filter? They could be doing this just to reduce traffic, etc.

legal porn sites should not be blocked.
good news, i sent torrentfreak.com a news tip and they replied and said they will investigate.

thomasbeagle

21 posts

Geek

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#306628 12-Mar-2010 14:16

The letter I have from the DIA says that Watchdog went live on Feb 1st, Maxnet on Feb 26th. It does not mention any other ISPs, except to say that the DIA will be inviting them to join.

I note that most queries I have received about this or that site being filtered have turned out to be routing glitches. I even got TelstraClear to fix one!

I am very interested in any solid reports of websites being blocked.

Your concern about ISPs blocking other websites and then blaming the DIA is a valid one. Basically, the DIA filter undermines trust in the working of the internet. If you couldn't get to a site in January 2010 you knew it was a technical fault. If you can't get to a site now.... could it be the filter?

dman

953 posts

Ultimate Geek

#306641 12-Mar-2010 14:39

freitasm: Thomas, can you confirm which ISPs are active right now?

I am asking this because someone asked in the Vodafone forums why xvideos.com is blocked (porn site, absolutely NSFW). Vodafone people implied - without saying it - that it was blocked by the DIA filter and pointed to this discussion.

However I am using TelstraClear which seems to be part of the filter and that site resolves fine here and certainly it's an adult site, but not the type of porn the DIA filter are supposed to protect us against.

My question is: since the DIA list is unknown to us, could an ISP start blocking websites on its own, then blaming the DIA filter? They could be doing this just to reduce traffic, etc.

just because you listed the site I went to it (for purely "research" purposes I swear!!

) and right across the very top it says:

"As you may know we are experiencing some serious accessibility issues. You can now follow X Videos on Twitter in case you can't access the site again in the future, and we will try to publish some extra news too. "

so quite possibly this has nothing to do with VF
(I'm with Orcon btw)

however... I fully can see the possibilty (nay, even expect this to happen?) of this happening in the near future due to the filter

That is to say the list being tweaked for commercial gain to keep their bandwidth down, because seriously now... how many people are willing to march down queen st with banners protesting that they can't access xvideos.com? Exactly! Heck, I doubt you could find many/any people willing to protest not being able to access Playboy.com which is a positively family friendly site compared to xvideos.com! However if Playboy was to be banned that would be an very extreme case, but it all starts somewhere.... it is a slippery slope.

https://www.youtube.com/c/SoundSpeeding

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
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Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#306669 12-Mar-2010 15:51

Exactly, it probably does haven't anything to do with Vodafone. But any ISP now can simply blame traffic problems on "the Internet filter"...

This is not good at all.

Rubicon

29 posts

Geek

#306937 13-Mar-2010 18:53

According to the Tech Liberty NZ FAQ on the subject, the DIA claims to be operating this filter under the auspices of the Films, Videos, and Publications Classifications Act 1993. I wonder if anyone has asked for a list of materials censored by the filter as per Section 40 of the Act:

Films, Videos, and Publications Classifications Act 1993:
40 Classification Office to publish list of decisions
(1) The Classification Office shall, not later than the 10th working day of every month, produce a list, in alphabetical order, of the publications that, during the month immediately preceding the month in which the list is produced, have been examined by the Classification Office or the Board and in respect of which the Classification Office or the Board has made a decision.

(2) Every list produced in accordance with subsection (1) of this section shall contain -
(a) Such particulars of the publications listed in it as may be prescribed; and
(b) Such decisions of the Board as are required, pursuant to section 55(1)(e)(ii) of this Act, to be published by the Classification Office.

(3) The list produced in accordance with subsection (1) of this section shall be kept by the Classification Office, and shall be open to inspection by the public during ordinary office hours.

(4) Every person shall, on request, and on payment of such fee (if any) as the Classification Office may determine, be entitled to a copy of any list produced in accordance with subsection (1) of this section.

If the filter is really operating under the FVPC Act, the list of classified materials cannot be withheld due to the Official Information Act as per Section 52(3)(a):

Official Information Act 1982:
52 Savings
...
Except as provided in sections 50 and 51, nothing in this Act derogates from -
(a) any provision which is contained in any other enactment and which authorises or requires official information to be made available;

Although I guess if someone poses this request to the DIA, their reply will claim that their Internet filter is not subjected to review by the Classifications Office.

For reference:
Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1993/0094/latest/DLM312895.html
Official Information Act 1982: http://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1982/0156/latest/DLM64785.html

yuxek

147 posts

Master Geek
Inactive user

#306954 13-Mar-2010 20:11

We made international news:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/new-zealand-relies-on-bgp-router-protocol-to-filter-...

There is already a facebook group with 49 members:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=357618387010

Hey i was reading some comments that if you change your DNS you can bypass the filter? Is this true?

Aaroona

3196 posts

Uber Geek

#306955 13-Mar-2010 20:12

yuxek: We made international news:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/new-zealand-relies-on-bgp-router-protocol-to-filter-...

There is already a facebook group with 49 members:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=357618387010

Hey i was reading some comments that if you change your DNS you can bypass the filter? Is this true?

Maybe if you used a service just as OpenDNS?

yuxek

147 posts

Master Geek
Inactive user

#306956 13-Mar-2010 20:16

Aaroona:
yuxek: We made international news:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/new-zealand-relies-on-bgp-router-protocol-to-filter-...

There is already a facebook group with 49 members:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=357618387010

Hey i was reading some comments that if you change your DNS you can bypass the filter? Is this true?

Maybe if you used a service just as OpenDNS?

i can't test it. i'm on telecom and they don't filter yet.

redskt

42 posts

Geek

#306978 13-Mar-2010 22:01

Looks like Orcon's going to implement the censorship "filter", after all...

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
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Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#306984 13-Mar-2010 22:14

No, it's not true. DNS only resolves a name into a number. Your Internet traffic still goes through your ISP regardless of DNS.

adam77

46 posts

Geek

#306989 13-Mar-2010 22:42

redskt: Looks like Orcon's going to implement the censorship "filter", after all...

more like they haven't committed either way?

Aaroona

3196 posts

Uber Geek

#306990 13-Mar-2010 22:45

Thanks for clearing that up MF

jpollock

600 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#307021 14-Mar-2010 08:20

Orcon, if you're reading this, please offer unfiltered Internet. As soon as TCL implements the filter, I will be looking for a new ISP, and currently you're it.

I've been on cable for ~10 yrs now, I even choose houses based on whether or not cable is available. It's sad to switch, but this is the last straw.

---
http://blog.jason.pollock.ca

adam77

46 posts

Geek

#307037 14-Mar-2010 09:49

@jpollock - send that to: support@orcon.net.nz

dman

953 posts

Ultimate Geek

#307045 14-Mar-2010 10:52

redskt: Looks like Orcon's going to implement the censorship "filter", after all...

that sould suck big time if they did that (as I'm on Orcon), however my reading of that article gives me the impression that they won't at least in the near future :)

https://www.youtube.com/c/SoundSpeeding

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