Iran Says No To Gmail; Yes To 'We Spy On You' Email

from the well-that's-comforting dept

Given reports that Iran is potentially handing out death sentences to bloggers whose content the Iranian gov't dislikes, you would think that a secure and private means of communication is important for many people in that country. And apparently the Iranian government realizes this and doesn't like it. So it's decided to try to pull the plug on Gmail, and instead roll out a "national email service." Of course, that just means an email service that the government has full access to, which I'm sure doesn't fool anyone. However, it does make you wonder if Iran thinks it can possibly block all other types of email beyond just Gmail (and I'm sure plenty of folks in Iran can quickly figure out how to get around the blocks).
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Filed Under: gmail, iran, privacy, spying
Companies: google


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  • icon
    Andrew F (profile), 10 Feb 2010 @ 5:42pm

    Counter-Censorship Operations

    I wonder if Google has a team dedicated to counter-censorship? Perhaps they could throw resources at it that were previously dedicated towards Google China.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      taoareyou (profile), 10 Feb 2010 @ 8:59pm

      Re: Counter-Censorship Operations

      While I do not agree with censorship, I also think it's not the position of a U.S. company to try and circumvent the laws of another country. Leave that up to their citizens. We would not like Iran to try and impose their laws on our people, in like manner it is not our place to force our ways upon other parts of the world.

      We must learn that we do not run the planet.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 10 Feb 2010 @ 11:08pm

        Re: Re: Counter-Censorship Operations

        While I do not agree with censorship, I also think it's not the position of a U.S. company to try and circumvent the laws of another country.

        What company are accusing of that? Or was that just a straw man argument?

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          taoareyou (profile), 11 Feb 2010 @ 9:18am

          Re: Re: Re: Counter-Censorship Operations

          If you read the comment I replied to, this should make sense. Perhaps you are not using a threaded view so I will copy it:

          "I wonder if Google has a team dedicated to counter-censorship? Perhaps they could throw resources at it that were previously dedicated towards Google China."

          I hope this helps you.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2010 @ 10:55am

            Re: Re: Re: Re: Counter-Censorship Operations

            I hope this helps you.

            It would be more helpful if you answered the question.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

            • icon
              Epsyle (profile), 11 Feb 2010 @ 3:48pm

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Counter-Censorship Operations

              He did answer it, Andrew was saying Google might/should/could try and fight against this using some of it's resources. Tao was merely saying he doesn't agree that a US company should. How hard is that to udnerstand?

              link to this | view in chronology ]

              • icon
                Epsyle (profile), 11 Feb 2010 @ 3:50pm

                Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Counter-Censorship Operations

                Understand* - Typing is haaaard.

                link to this | view in chronology ]

              • identicon
                Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2010 @ 5:35pm

                Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Counter-Censorship Operations

                Tao was merely saying he doesn't agree that a US company should. How hard is that to udnerstand?

                Kind of like when I say that I don't think that you should be allowed to rape any more little kids? Yeah, I understand how that kind of insinuation works.

                link to this | view in chronology ]

                • identicon
                  Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2010 @ 10:24pm

                  Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Counter-Censorship Operations

                  Wait, what the hell?

                  That came out of nowhere. Look I understand both sentiments. One sentiment is that it's immoral to allow censorship to occur. The other sentiment is that it's immoral to interfere with a country's local laws unless you live in that country or have a major stake in it, because if you're not a local you might not know best.

                  link to this | view in chronology ]

                  • identicon
                    Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2010 @ 11:28pm

                    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Counter-Censorship Operations

                    Wait, what the hell?
                    That came out of nowhere.


                    Nobody said that Epsyle was actually raping little kids, just that he shouldn't be allowed to. Nobody should. Who can argue with that?

                    Yeah, the example was probably a little extreme. The point was that someone was trying to insinuate that maybe Google was doing something (that it isn't) without coming right out and saying it by and that's a cheap shot.

                    Google isn't trying to interfere in the internal affairs of either China or Iran. On the contrary, if Google were to take sides and assist the groups currently running those countries in their censorship programs to suppress other groups then they *would* be getting involved.

                    link to this | view in chronology ]

                    • icon
                      taoareyou (profile), 15 Feb 2010 @ 12:02pm

                      The Simple Answer

                      Andrew F wondered if Google had a counter-censorship team and whether they could assign resources to it. I stated that I don't think they should. I didn't just make up a position out of the blue (as you did with the rape thing) and then make a statement against it. I responded to an actual comment contemplating foreign corporate interference with my opinion on that very topic. I hope you can see the difference.

                      link to this | view in chronology ]

                • icon
                  Epsyle (profile), 15 Feb 2010 @ 9:27pm

                  Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Counter-Censorship Operations

                  Well that was certainly a different response lol...

                  link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Donv69, 11 Feb 2010 @ 7:19am

        Re: Re: Counter-Censorship Operations

        What laws? Google's excuse can simply be, "we saw an outage and rectified it."

        link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2010 @ 3:26pm

        Re: Re: Counter-Censorship Operations

        However it is the position of every US company to maximize it's profits ... If Iranian citizens can't get their gmail they might stop using other google products and google might get less ad revenue. Therefore it is in Google's best interests to fight the block.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Scote, 10 Feb 2010 @ 6:20pm

    Well, really it goes from corporate spy to government spy.

    "Iran Says No To Gmail; Yes To 'We Spy On You' Email"
    More like "Iran Says No To Google Spys On You Email and Yes To Iran Spys On You Email" Google tracks all of your clicks, and data, and email better than Iran ever will. The main difference is that Iran may sentence you and your family to death, whereas Google will just assimilate you...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Robert Ring (profile), 10 Feb 2010 @ 6:41pm

      Re: Well, really it goes from corporate spy to government spy.

      Except I actually believe Google when they say they don't read my emails (by that, I mean only their machines do).

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Matt Ronas, 11 Feb 2010 @ 6:22am

      Re: Well, really it goes from corporate spy to government spy.

      That was the point of the title! Iran doesn't want G-mail, but the like the whole reading people's e-mails idea. The title was intended to be written that way... Grrr stupidity.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    :), 10 Feb 2010 @ 8:11pm

    Solutions already exist.

    That is exactly why Cornell did the Herbivore but there is also GNUNet, Retroshare, and there is other solutions that will make any IT administrator weep.

    But I think Iran already did this once, didn't they tried to make another e-mail already that nobody used?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Sasha, 11 Feb 2010 @ 1:21am

    Lets see here, Iran, a country with some top scientist developing technology for refining Uranium, and medium range missiles, as if these same scientist cannot circumvent a firewall .....

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Gustav, 11 Feb 2010 @ 1:40am

    Encryption

    IF you live in a dictatorship, Encrypt your electronic communication.
    There are several easy-to-use tools for this, such as Flexcrypt (www.flexcrypt.com)

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2010 @ 1:53am

      Re: Encryption

      IF you live in a dictatorship, Encrypt your electronic communication.
      There are several easy-to-use tools for this, such as Flexcrypt (www.flexcrypt.com)


      Proprietary encryption products complete with back doors?
      Better go with open source products instead.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Michael, 11 Feb 2010 @ 3:52am

      Re: Encryption

      Don't fool yourself.

      We all live in a dictatorship of some sort.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2010 @ 5:58am

      Re: Encryption

      I use double ROT-13

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2010 @ 6:29am

    Iran can try whatever they like, but

    "The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it."

    -John Gilmore

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      known coward, 11 Feb 2010 @ 6:44am

      Re: Iran can try whatever they like, but

      fantasy land is a wonderful place. Iran and google do not live in fantasy land. I agree with the fellow who said it is just corporate spying replacing government spying. If Iran just asked google to comply with their laws they probably would.



      "by Anonymous Coward
      "The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it."

      -John Gilmore
      "

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    hass, 11 Feb 2010 @ 8:35am

    The US National Security Administration intercepts and reads all of your electronic communications. So what's new?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    okwhen (profile), 11 Feb 2010 @ 11:18am

    taoareyou, yes the do, the NSA.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    okwhen (profile), 11 Feb 2010 @ 11:22am

    taoareyou, yes the do, the NSA.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    The Devil's Coachman (profile), 11 Feb 2010 @ 11:35am

    Iran? Isn't that some kind of disease?

    Well, perhaps Iran is actually not quite a disease, at least in the most technical terms. However, it is a festering, pus-laden boil on a hugely swollen hemorrhoid on the inside of the thoroughly and permanently constipated anus of the world, so that comes close enough to being a disease for me. Their entire government is an addled collection of "ayatollahs", "mullahs", and assorted other religious wackos, still firmly philosophically rooted in the Stone Age, and they seem to hold the majority of their equally addled population in their thrall.

    Netted out, who cares what they do to their own people? If they're so cowardly and impotent to have tolerated and condoned this for decades, they quite simply deserve their situation. Were they all to disappear from the earth overnight, I doubt they'd be missed by anyone, anywhere, ever. And, the oil would now become cause for their neighbors to start killing each other over it in ever larger numbers. All in all, not a bad possible outcome. Let the games begin.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2010 @ 12:43pm

    I'm not a Muslim, Iranian, Iraqi or a middle east lover, but this Iran news are so fake.

    Compromised news outlet (like this website) keep pushing these insane news only to fabricate Iran hate idiots that will say YES to another war based on lies.

    If only people could do a complete follow up before they make their mind if they hate, love, dislike, or whatever someone, some place, some organization, etc. I'm so sick of this Iran news that I care not to follow up no more. But sure thing I can see a fabrication when I see one.

    There is no action, without reaction! What I think it happened is that Iran's gov probably asked Google for some info, and they refused to share, hence the ban.

    Chinese ppl are a bit more intelligent and prepare to handle Google's nasty practices.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      BearGriz72 (profile), 12 Feb 2010 @ 1:25pm

      Re: (AC-#24)

      "Compromised news outlet (like this website) keep pushing these insane news only to fabricate Iran hate idiots that will say YES to another war based on lies."

      WTF!?
      Where the hell did that come from?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    From Iran, 18 Feb 2010 @ 4:48am

    Sorry i can speak English well...
    but

    we breaking this wall
    we will have gmail/Buzz/facebook/twitter/youtube/....

    [url=http://forum.majidonline.com/showthread.php?t=13942 5]Iranian Come On[/url]

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    sprearson81 (profile), 8 Jun 2012 @ 6:41pm

    Gotta love the double standards.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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