Stopping Terrorists... By Making It Illegal To Sell Them Domain Names?

from the yeah,-that'll-work dept

Fri, Feb 23rd 2007 6:44pm — Mike Masnick

Politicians just love to come up with laws that make it look like they're doing something -- even if the laws are totally meaningless. Apparently, in New York, a law has been proposed that would make it a crime to sell or give a terrorist a domain name. As Eric Goldman points out on his site, this seems pretty ridiculous. It's certainly not going to stop any terrorists -- who you would have to imagine probably aren't going to register their latest .com domain under the official name of whatever terrorist organization will be using it. Furthermore, this should just make life difficult for any registrar. Most automatically process domain sales -- but now may have to waste time adding in some sort of middle step to make sure the registering organization isn't on a list of terrorist organizations. This seems like a total waste of time. If terrorists were actually registering domains under their real names and addresses, wouldn't that just make it easier to track them down?

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36 Comments

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Chris, 23 Feb 2007 @ 8:05pm

Why do I have the feeling ICANN is going to see domain name sales for the TLD .bomb go through the roof?
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The Swiss Cheese Monster, 23 Feb 2007 @ 8:07pm

They will just add a little check mark that says: "Check here if you are not a terrorist or planning on using this name for terrorist purposes."
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Feb 2007 @ 1:26am

9/11 was an inside job. With that in mind, obviously any laws involving "terrorism" are being passed with ulterior, fascist motives, motives that don't involve fighting terrorism. So before you start debating whether or not this law will affect terrorism, remember that the architects of this law didn't intend for it to fight terrorism. So it's kind of a dead end debate, you see?

You need to have a full hand of cards before you can properly look at this issue.
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Jim Bobson, 24 Feb 2007 @ 1:31am

It doesn't particularly make sense for *islamic* terrorists. But when you factor in that they are busy redefining environmentalists as terrorists, tarring with the same mile-wide brush they use against Islam, the law serves a completely different purpose.

Greenpeace, for example, fits the definition of a *terrorist* organization. As does any other environmental organization that mentions the existence of Greenpeace; i.e giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Likewise any other enviromental organization that organizes any public protest resulting in any arrests, regardless of the relationship between the organization and the arrestee. Likewise any environmental organization that uses, or makes public, any information regarding environmental violations that is acquired through such *crime* as trespassing, or photographing *trade secrets*, or however far the current administration wishes to take it. Any possible legal oversight is removed by fact of the activity falling under various *terrorism* laws.
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Peet McKimmie (profile), 24 Feb 2007 @ 3:18am

Lets think laterally for a moment...
A "Terrorist" is a person (or organisation) who attempts to achieve political aims through the use of terror, right?

The US Army made great PR over their use of "Shock and Awe"?

So, what this law will, in effect do is to outlaw many American .GOV domains. I can live with that.
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Jackson, 24 Feb 2007 @ 4:51am

Re: Lets think laterally for a moment...
Peet, maybe you ought to move to some Middle East hell hole. If you're unhappy about the US and the .GOV TLD, then that's where you want to be.

Dickhead.
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Lonny Paul (profile), 24 Feb 2007 @ 6:24am

First Amendment anyone?
We must remember that their are underlying basic rights as defined by our founding fathers that often are forgotten.

I'm not saying registering a domain is a right, but expression is - and as the internet has had a mostly 'hands off' policy, I mean, come on..
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security, 24 Feb 2007 @ 6:41am

Provides without charge
...he or she knowingly sells or provides without charge an internet domain name to any organization included on the list of organizations engaged in terrorist activities or who pose a terrorist threat ...
This legislation could also be used to prosecute those individuals who give, aid in getting or buy domain names for terrorist organizations.

Perhaps, the bill's author was responding to the recently publicized news about website recruitment and was seeking a way to retaliate against ISPs or Web developers who conspire with or aid them.
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John, 24 Feb 2007 @ 6:53am

I am not 100% sure that this information is correct.

Although the wording sounds like it would come from one of the a-holes that run our state, I cannot find any information on the sponsor(s). NYS purges their web-site at the end of the year so you cannot search their site. Google came up with 1 hit and that linked to Eric Goldman.

I would like to find out who the sponsor(s) were so we could bring them some well deserved public ridicule.
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duane Nickull, 24 Feb 2007 @ 7:36am

It's part of a two pronged attack
Don't forget, the USA, via ITAR, is also not allowing terrorists to download Netscape with the stronger encryption (128b key) as long as they are being honest about which country they are from when they fill out the download form.
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Pesti, 24 Feb 2007 @ 7:48am

Just wait, this is just another way for them to set the stage. sooner or later the laws will read as follows:
"...any website or domain that says anything not in line with
current government policy.....Bla Bla bla.....
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SimonTek (profile), 24 Feb 2007 @ 8:31am

Why do we have the BullS#it security laws like at airports, but If I want to get into the US, I can walk across the border. I mean who's going to stop someone, They are afraid they will goto prison if they try. Hell I am against drugs, but If we are going to let drugs flow into the US through the Mexico border, why not make them legal, collect taxes on them and such? I hate the whole were going to make this harder, and that easier to bypass. Besides who really needs a domain. theres tons of free sites.
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TX CHL Instructor (profile), 24 Feb 2007 @ 8:39am

Best way to combat terrorism
The best way to combat terrorism is to quit funding it.

Quit fighting the "War on Drugs", and just legalize and regulate them. That will remove the profit from that industry. Then spend the money saved on development of biodiesel, EV, and solar technologies. We only have to reduce our foreign oil dependence by about 25% in order to completely cut off the muslim OPEC countries.
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Feb 2007 @ 8:40am

Re: Re: Lets think laterally for a moment...
i like when people tell others who complain about this country to leave. the foundation of this country is based on being allowed to disagree and fighting to change the government. if you call anyone who disagrees with this country unpatriotic, you yourself are unpatriotic. if you fail to see that, you are also uneducated. our founding fathers were "terrorists" too.

this is a useless law. terrorism doesn't operate within the law, so passing laws to stop it is stupid. they'll just do everything they need to do illegally.
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Verum, 24 Feb 2007 @ 11:03am

#14 has it right. Did our forefathers just leave the country when the south wouldn't free their slaves? If anything these laws are keeping us from expressing our mind. The US was founded on the idea of society regulating the government, but in actuality, it's just the upper class that gets a say, because it's near impossible to be elected without tons of money behind you.

If I were to demonstrate my distaste for the way things are being run, I'd be labelled a terrorist and probably face some jail time. If I were to try to invoke a violent revolution, I'd face the death penalty. The things our forefathers fought and died for, specifically the right of the people to govern, and to protect that right, is now illegal. We can choose our ruler, but we can't choose our government.
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Feb 2007 @ 11:44am

Re: post at #3
RE: for poster #3...

Yea, and dubya had JFK assassinated.
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Frag Off, 24 Feb 2007 @ 12:12pm

#3: 9/11 was NOT an inside job. Grow up and stop drinking the Alex Jones Kool Aid.
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Whaaat?, 24 Feb 2007 @ 12:34pm

FFS
I dont buy into the whole 9/11 conspiracy theory's , because you can twist facts to mean anything you want them to mean. But I do feel slightly worried that our freedoms in our "Free Western world" are being slowly eroded. A while back here in england someone shouted Tony Blair sucks dick or something similar as he went past. "Anti-Terror" police arrested him for "Inciting Hate" or some other random charge. We are facing some troubling times.

I feel glad in one way because over here the queen is required by law to personally sign off every law passed. Hence if there were any truly communistic laws I feel that we may have a buffer. In reality we will have to wait and see if that happens, and if it does what will happen.
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everydayjoe, 24 Feb 2007 @ 12:43pm

Brady bill for domain names
I believe a two week waiting period would solve all of our problems.

We could weed them out with background checks.

...damn blog terrorists.
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TWFK, 24 Feb 2007 @ 1:21pm

well they can make a sub domain for all the terrorist out there... instead of .com make it .bomb

its just pathetic lool completely pathetic
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Peet McKimmie (profile), 24 Feb 2007 @ 1:33pm

Re: Re: Lets think laterally for a moment...
Jackson, I have no problem with the .GOV TLDs; I do have a problem with a government that doesn't appear to have the most basic understanding of the concept of terrorism, choosing instead to sow FUD in the name of getting themselves re-elected.

And I don't follow the thought process about moving to a "Middle East hell hole"...? I'm in Scotland, passing comment on some very public stupidity from the US Government. Where does the Middle East come into this? Do you somehow think all "terrorists" come from the Middle East? Or are you just proud that your Government has led the way in taking many marginally unpleasant countries all the way to full "hell hole" status?

To summarise, fuck off you arsehole.
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Paul, 24 Feb 2007 @ 2:40pm

Umm
Maybe you guys never went to first grade, but the people that founded this country did so by... being unhappy with their old country and LEAVING IT.

So go start your own country if you don't like it, become the next great superpower if you think your ideas are so great.
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James, 24 Feb 2007 @ 4:43pm

So go somewhere else
Great - NY makes a law that terrorists can't be sold a domain name - these nasty terrorists who are just dieing to start their own blogs and photo galleries will just register somewhere else like the Middle East ... or maybe D.C.
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lain iwakura, 24 Feb 2007 @ 11:01pm

Re: #14 and #15 nailed it on the head
Absolutely. and what this country needs now more than ever is a revolution. Maybe not a violent one, but the fact that the US is not represented by the People anymore (although it "fronts" to be) we should be. And there is nothing more patriotic about that. we should all be fighting to the teeth to get our country back, and our international reputation as well.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Feb 2007 @ 8:59am

next thing you know, allofmp3.com is considered a terrorist website.
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Koresho, 25 Feb 2007 @ 9:08am

#14, #15, #24
Yes, I completely agree... not really violent- I don't think anything will happen as far as that goes. The US military, although handicapped in its dealings with the terrorists and jihad-goers over in Iraq, would not be so held back in its supression of a violent revolt.
But yes, we need to get our country back... government by the people for the people... not by the lobbyists for the politicians. And this idea is gaining ground... there are many who talk and think this way. America is on the verge of a turnaround... give it maybe one or two generations, we'll wake up.
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cjmemay, 25 Feb 2007 @ 11:12am

!!!!!
Reading this post made me take a look around the web at a few websites that I thought terrorists might be interested in: jihad.com jihadist.com terrorism.com and finally terrorist.com Thats when I noticed this subtitle!
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Devil's Advocate, 25 Feb 2007 @ 12:48pm

Re: Re: Re: Lets think laterally for a moment...
To summarise, fuck off you arsehole. I second that motion. Don't confuse ignorance with patriotism. These so called Middle Eastern hell hole are apparently important enough to the United States for someone like yourself to have an (uneducated, biased and degrading) opinion about. Which is more than I can say about your home town of Hicksville USA.
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Matt, 25 Feb 2007 @ 9:41pm

Re: Best way to combat terrorism
The best way to combat terrorism is to quit funding it.

Quit fighting the "War on Drugs", and just legalize and regulate them. That will remove the profit from that industry. Then spend the money saved on development of biodiesel, EV, and solar technologies. We only have to reduce our foreign oil dependence by about 25% in order to completely cut off the muslim OPEC countries.

------------------

This will never happen as long as there is so much money to be made by owning stock in the large pharmaceutical companies... Eli Lilly has been trying to synthesize the chemicals that make pot what it is for years now, with only middlin' success.
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ProudAmerican, 25 Feb 2007 @ 11:03pm

Re: Re: Lets think laterally for a moment...
Peet has a point, and the only reason the Middle East is a hell hole is 'cause of people like you. Consider keeping your zipper up and not displaying your ignorance so much in matters of no importance whatsoever. Come to think of it, it's clear you might have had something to do with this idiotic proposed law, as it could have only come from supporters of blind loyalty as you obviously have.
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Define Terrorist, 26 Feb 2007 @ 12:53am

Terrorists = Person who disagrees
They just want to silence the opposition. So they'll define anyone whom they disagree with, as a terrorist and block them from putting their view point.

They have to silence that web somehow!

e.g. Palestine's elected government is on the terrorist list and as a result US news outlets only report the Israeli side. If an Israeli cluster bomb kills 14 people, the Israeli's call them 14 terrorists. That doesn't make sense, since perfect cluster bombs don't exist, yet there is no voice to call them on their bllsht, except for the web.
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Enrico Suarve, 26 Feb 2007 @ 2:32am

Re:
Greenpeace, for example, fits the definition of a *terrorist* organization

You *are* joking right? This is a serious question - under present US law what constitutes a terrorist group? Would Greenpeace really be included?

Just curious to see if I'm about to be deported for funding terrorism in that case
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Feb 2007 @ 7:03am

Re: Umm
umm... i don't know if you went to first grade, but they didn't "leave" the country. they were on england's territory... fought a war... and took the land that england said was theirs. thats a little bit more than "hey guys, lets leave this country."

seriously... if you're going to try and make someone sound uneducated, at least make a point that has merit. its not like this country was the land of the free when the colonists first landed. it was a colony of england. they more "seceded" the country as opposed to "leaving" it. so please, go back to first grade, i think you missed the day they went over the Revolutionary War.
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Vincent Clement, 26 Feb 2007 @ 10:52am

Re: Re:
Ask yourself this: if George Washington and the boys were alive today, would they be labelled as terrorists under current laws? My answer is yes.
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Charles Griswold, 26 Feb 2007 @ 1:11pm

Re: .bomb
Why do I have the feeling ICANN is going to see domain name sales for the TLD .bomb go through the roof?
Someone set up us the .bomb
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EVAN NADELMAN, 27 Jun 2016 @ 9:05am

1 (646) 823 4723 WILL STOP THE TERRORISTS
I am EVAN NADELMAN a super telemarketer I can terrorize the terrorists by calling them everyday with unwanted calls from my number. Give me their names and numbers and I will start terrorizing them.
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