Blogetery Closure Due To Bomb-Making Tips; Still Not Clear Why Entire Site Went Down

from the overreact-much? dept

Mon, Jul 19th 2010 12:59pm — Mike Masnick

Last week, we were confused as to why 73,000 blogs from Blogetery were taken offline due to some unnamed government agency, and now details are starting to come out. Greg Sandoval at News.com, has the latest, noting that the FBI told Blogetery's ISP, Burst.net, that there were bomb making tips found on the site, and rather than just getting rid of that one blog, Burst.net (not the FBI) decided to take down the entire Blogetery account. Either way, as we noted originally, taking down all 73,000 blogs seems like a total overreaction -- it's just that the overreaction was by Burst.net, rather than the FBI (who didn't even tell Burst.net to take down that one page -- but just requested info on who had created the page).

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Filed Under: blogs, takedown
Companies: blogetery, burst.net

21 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2010 @ 1:22pm

Overreaction Is One Thing...
... but claiming that some mysterious law enforcement agency had ordered the server shutdown was just a lie.
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- Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2010 @ 2:30pm
  
  Re: Overreaction Is One Thing...
  So is the cake, but [shrug].
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- weneedhelp (profile), 19 Jul 2010 @ 2:34pm
  
  Re: Overreaction Is One Thing...
  Reading comprehension is a little poor there huh Evil AC?
  http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100716/04053910248.shtml
  
  "but claiming that some mysterious law enforcement agency"
  Dont see where that claim was ever made.
  
  Comment from ISP:
  "this was not a typical case, in which suspension and notification would be the norm. This was a critical matter brought to our attention by law enforcement officials. We had to immediately remove the server."
  "Simply put: We cannot give him his data nor can we provide any other details. By stating this, most would recognize that something serious is afoot."
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  - Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2010 @ 3:01pm
    
    Re: Re: Overreaction Is One Thing...
    Reading comprehension is a little poor there huh Evil AC?
    
    Not at all, anonymous one who needs help. Help reading, apparently.
    
    This was a critical matter brought to our attention by law enforcement officials. We had to immediately remove the server
    
    They now admit that they "elected" to remove the server, not that they "had" to.
    
    We cannot give him his data nor can we provide any other details.
    
    Now that it has made the news, they suddenly find that they actually can, indeed, provide other details after all.
    
    Let me know if you need more help reading, weneedhelp.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2010 @ 3:51pm
    
    Re: Re: Overreaction Is One Thing...
    Dont see where that claim was ever made.
    
    What are you, blind or just an apologist? Cnet is reporting that the company even admits that it "erred in telling Blogetery's operator and members of the media that the FBI had ordered it to terminate Blogetery's service."
    http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-20010923-261.html?tag=topStories2
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    - Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2010 @ 9:58pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: Overreaction Is One Thing...
      Since when is the FBI 'some mysterious law enforcement agency'?
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      - Anonymous Coward, 20 Jul 2010 @ 2:12am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Overreaction Is One Thing...
        "Since when is the FBI 'some mysterious law enforcement agency'?"
        
        They were "mysterious" while Burst.net refused to identify them. If you truly didn't know that they were a law enforcement agency then your ignorance is probably beyond my ability to help you.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2010 @ 1:24pm

mass exodus form the usa for web hosting begins
NOW
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- imbrucy (profile), 19 Jul 2010 @ 1:33pm
  
  Re: mass exodus form the usa for web hosting begins
  While that is likely to happen to some extent, I don't think it's necessary. The problem here was not due to the US. The FBI didn't request even the single site taken down. They only wanted to information on the poster so they could handle the person directly. I think this is actually a very reasonable response by the FBI. The problem was in Burst.net panicking and taking down not only the sight in question, but all of Blogetery. That was just a huge mistake on the part of Burst.net.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2010 @ 1:46pm
    
    Re: Re: mass exodus form the usa for web hosting begins
    That was just a huge mistake on the part of Burst.net.
    
    They were probably within their contractual rights to shut the server down, mistake or not. They were not within their rights to lie about it.
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bschmalz81401, 19 Jul 2010 @ 1:33pm

BurstNET Press Release
https://www.burst.net/news/blogetry.shtml Due to this violation and the fact that the site had a history of previous abuse, BurstNET® elected to immediately disable the system.
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- Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2010 @ 1:44pm
  
  Re: BurstNET Press Release
  blah blah blah ... BurstNET® elected to immediately disable the system.
  
  And I wonder if in doing so they didn't also tip the bad guys off and blow the FBI's surveillance. Or maybe that was what they intended to do?
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2010 @ 2:09pm

I had the feeling from the outset that the cries of government censorship were being far, far overblown.

I still think it was an overreaction, but it was an overreaction by the actual ISP, who legally has the power to act stupidly.
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Rabbit80, 19 Jul 2010 @ 2:28pm

The real issue was the lies told by burst.net. They wouldn't even allow him to back anything up!
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2010 @ 3:21pm

yeah, but that was the way YOU comprehended it, there statements could easily be read as the gov ordered them to take it down
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- Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2010 @ 3:31pm
  
  Re:
  there statements, or here statements?
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Karl (profile), 19 Jul 2010 @ 3:58pm

Burst
The lesson to be learned here:

Never host a user-driven content site with BurstNET.
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- PRMan, 19 Jul 2010 @ 4:13pm
  
  Re: Burst
  Never host a ... site with BurstNET.
  
  FTFY
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Jul 2010 @ 4:07pm

This was entirely justified because if we're afraid then the terrorists win..... wait a minute.
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David Robert Lewis, 20 Jul 2010 @ 12:45pm

M.I.B
I'm one of the bloggers who got taken down, and it was definitely a bunch of spooks. Men in Black type scenario.Time to look at press freedom, rights for bloggers and protocol for dealing with "terror" threats in cyberspace.
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John Livingstone, 11 Oct 2010 @ 2:07pm

Blogetry take down
I would seriously inquire,(by a legal representative), as to whether there was a Signed order from a Judge, ordering the removal of the violating material, and request a copy.
As for Burst.net taking down the whole 73,000 blogs, sounds like a threat via the FBI that their company would be in 'jeopardy'(investigation) should they not comply with their request.
The more details/information, the better understanding we all will have as to the 'clandestine' operation methods of the FBI and other Authorities with respect to their true powers under the Homeland Security Act.
Also, if the FBI was so "Concerned" with the information on one or more blogs, why not take those specific blogs down, and investigate those who posted them??!!??

At most, maybe your content review person should receive some punishment for his/her failure to ensure that kind of content doesn't remain on your blogs.
Good Luck either way.
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