Iran's Internet Filters Filter Out Leader's Screed Against Getting Around Filters

from the shouldn't-a-lightbulb-be-going-off-somewhere? dept

Well this would be funny if it weren't so sad and didn't involve mass censorship. Iran has been getting a lot of attention lately for its plans to increase its internet filtering -- and potentially even set up its own "safe" (read: heavily monitored) local internet. For now, as the filters have been going up, apparently lots of sophisticated internet users in Iran have been figuring out how to get around them. No problem. Iran's "supreme leader" Ayatollah Ali Khamenei simply issued a "fatwa" against using anti-filtering tools -- and that was published to the web.... where it was promptly filtered. Yes, you read that right. His attack on anti-filtering technology was itself a victim of the filter -- such that you couldn't read it unless you were using anti-filtering technology (the same technology the fatwa was condemning).

Apparently this happened because (of course) Iran's internet filter is so ridiculously unsophisticated that it works based on keywords -- and the mere mentioning of anti-filtering software likely set off the filters. Of course, while you might hope this would lead to a realization that such filters are not a good idea, somehow I doubt there will be any such epiphany.
Hide this

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: ali khamenei, censorship, fatwa, internet filtering, iran


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  • icon
    Richard (profile), 11 May 2012 @ 9:13am

    !!!!!

    You couldn't make it up!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2012 @ 9:40am

      Re: !!!!!

      And some people think reality doesn't have a sense of humour! :D

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2012 @ 9:15am

    Teacher: Anyone not here speak up now.

    *Pause, as the teacher looks around the empty room*

    Teacher: Ok, guess everyone is here. This field trip is over, time to board the bus and head back to school.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    TtfnJohn (profile), 11 May 2012 @ 9:15am

    LOL doesn't describe this!

    Aren't keyword filters the sorts of things that SOPA/PIPA supporters are drooling about getting?

    From the followup post to this they are due for an epiphany, too, and won't have it for the same reasons.

    Just, too, too funny!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2012 @ 9:15am

    Dunno, sounds fine to me

    So, only the people breaking the law know that they're doing so?

    Seems ok to me :)

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    DogBreath, 11 May 2012 @ 9:16am

    This is too funny!

    I can't wait until Iran goes overboard and starts removing heads based upon IP addresses, the whole government and all the religious leadership will be gone in one night!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    fb39ca4, 11 May 2012 @ 9:27am

    It's like driving a car on a road that does not have speed limit signs, and then getting pulled over for speeding.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2012 @ 9:25pm

      Re:

      This actually happens all the time. In Ohio the speed limit, unless otherwise posted, is 25 in residential/city, and 55 in the country.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    :Lobo Santo (profile), 11 May 2012 @ 9:29am

    Alt languages... how soon?

    It won't be long enough there's a hole set of near-word curse words like "shiz" instead of shit, and "pigs" instead of cops--etc et al, you get the idea.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2012 @ 9:51am

      Re: Alt languages... how soon?

      I wouldn't be surprised if the Iranians already had an unofficial system like this - the Chinese do for sure (Google for "grass mud horse" if you're interested in how the Chinese communicate around censorship).

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        ShivaFang (profile), 11 May 2012 @ 3:27pm

        Re: Re: Alt languages... how soon?

        That's how France got around twittering about election results before the official counts. Using euphamisms about the candidates instead of their actual names.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2012 @ 9:33am

    It Worked

    By having it only read by people using the anti-filtering technology he got to his target audience. This is just the opposite of the FBI/ICE DVD warnings that never go to the target audience. It seems to make a lot more sense than the warnings.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2012 @ 9:42am

      Re: It Worked

      That's what I thought! But it seems doubtful that was the way it was supposed to work...

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    sehlat (profile), 11 May 2012 @ 9:46am

    Poul Anderson once covered the whole thing.

    "Then I remember it's the Adversary who is humorless. I'm sure God likes to laugh."

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Jonathan (profile), 11 May 2012 @ 10:05am

    No, no. This is the way it is supposed to work! The only people who NEED to see this fatwa are those who use the filtering software and can therefore see it.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      ike, 11 May 2012 @ 10:07am

      Re:

      Exactly! It's the opposite of the FBI Copyright warnings which are only shown to those who need not see it.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Ninja (profile), 11 May 2012 @ 10:55am

      Re:

      It must be Allah guiding them to the circumvention tools so they'll see it.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2012 @ 10:22pm

      Re:

      You're right! This may be the first time a world leader has correctly side-stepped the striesand effect.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2012 @ 10:23am

    now that Holland has banned the use of proxies, at the behest of BREIN, to ensure TPB cant be accessed by Dutch residents, perhaps they would be interested in buying the technology from Iran?

    how any country in the so-called democratic world can condemn another country for using website blocking, filtering or any other sort of restrictions, but then do exactly the same (or worse) themselves, is beyond me. what a bunch of hypocritical arse holes!! it really wont be long before no one will be able to do anything without getting permission from the (entertainment industries) government first!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Mr. Smarta** (profile), 11 May 2012 @ 10:41am

    Funnels

    "Funnels! ... The condom you can trust."

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Ninja (profile), 11 May 2012 @ 10:52am

    So, you spelled FATE wrong. It's not fatwa, it's fate, you know, karma, being a bitch. /lousyjokeattempt

    Ahem. Wtf is a fatwa? *goes for the big G for epiphany*

    fatwa
    fat·wa
    [faht-wah]
    noun
    an Islamic religious decree issued by the ʿulama.
    Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fatwa


    Thank you God. I mean Google.

    Amusingly the definition near this result was hosted at terrorism.about.com/od/.../g/Fatwa.htm

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2012 @ 12:26pm

    ROTFLMAO!

    That is all...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    That One Guy (profile), 11 May 2012 @ 12:59pm

    When you live by the sword...

    You end up getting beaten by your own filtering technology apparently.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Anonymous Monkey (profile), 11 May 2012 @ 12:59pm

    OMG

    Duh-dum-duh-da
    Captain Obvious strikes AGAIN!
    ... or is it oblivious? @.@

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2012 @ 2:59pm

    I take it the Ayatollah is enjoying the Tropico expansion?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Rekrul, 11 May 2012 @ 11:53pm

    This is what you get when you let religious fanatics make the law...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      The Logician (profile), 12 May 2012 @ 7:53am

      Re:

      Stalinist Russia and Maoist China were both atheistic regimes, Rekrul. That does not qualify as improvement.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    nielkevin (profile), 14 May 2012 @ 5:43am

    Digital Marketing Company

    Trendy SEO provides complete SEO services for effective low cost. We are a total web marketing services solutions provider.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Eddy, 3 Jun 2012 @ 2:45pm

    Filtre a besoin pour survivre et rentrer chez eux.-Filter needs to survive and return home.

    Hey. I hope you are healthy. I'm Martinez of North Korea. To find my family and friends back home (Paris) I need a good filter. You can afford to send a Mmnvntvn'm dry. TIG also get compensated. after returning home.
    Hey. J'espère que vous êtes en bonne santé. Je suis Martinez de la Corée du Nord. Pour retrouver ma famille et amis à la maison (Paris) J'ai besoin d'un bon filtre. Vous pouvez vous permettre d'envoyer un Mmnvntvn'm sec. TIG aussi être indemnisés. Après retour à la maison.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Eddy, 3 Jun 2012 @ 2:46pm

    Filtre a besoin pour survivre et rentrer chez eux.-Filter needs to survive and return home.

    Hey. I hope you are healthy. I'm Martinez of North Korea. To find my family and friends back home (Paris) I need a good filter. You can afford to send a Mmnvntvn'm dry. TIG also get compensated. after returning home.
    Hey. J'espère que vous êtes en bonne santé. Je suis Martinez de la Corée du Nord. Pour retrouver ma famille et amis à la maison (Paris) J'ai besoin d'un bon filtre. Vous pouvez vous permettre d'envoyer un Mmnvntvn'm sec. TIG aussi être indemnisés. Après retour à la maison.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    mayk, 4 Dec 2013 @ 4:09am

    در ایران فیلترینگی اگر صورت میگیره صرفا برای حفظ نابالغان و کودکان هست تا با مطالب غیر اخلاقی ذهنشون رو سردمداران رسانه ها که اکثرا اسرائیلی هستن خراب نکنند،

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 7 Oct 2014 @ 8:10am

      Re:

      اگر صورت می گیره؟!
      خوبه لااقل شک کردی ادیسون

      link to this | view in chronology ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories

This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.