UK ISPs Now Filtering Websites That Simply List BitTorrent Proxy Websites, But Don't Host Any Infringing Content Whatsoever

from the is-this-real-life? dept

Fri, Mar 13th 2015 1:48pm — Karl Bode

It's almost as if the UK is trying to be a shining example of the "slippery slope" we often refer to when talking about the dangers of filtering the Internet. Either that, or they're secretly creating absurdist art. Whether it's the government's porn filter architect getting arrested for child porn, the UK's filters blocking useful and entirely legal websites, or the desire to expand Internet filters to include ambiguously defined "extremist content," the UK has finally achieved high comedy with its stumbling, bumbling foray into trying to clean up the Internet of its naughty bits.

With the country's Pirate Bay filters going so well (as in not really well at all), the UK is engaged in a heated game of whac-a-mole to stop users from accessing the Pirate Bay specifically and BitTorrent websites in general. Despite years of effort and expenditures it remains relatively simple for most UK residents to dodge these bans, quite often by either changing simple DNS settings or by using a proxy server. The Pirate Bay has made it easier by often switching IP addresses, and when that doesn't work, users can still access the website via dedicated proxy sites. UK ISPs were already being forced to filter these proxy sites.

Now, in an added wrinkle, UK ISPs have started filtering websites that simply list these proxy websites. That's right, for good measure ISPs are now filtering websites that simply list other websites, but host no copyrighted material themselves whatsoever:

"Among the blocked sites are piratebayproxy.co.uk, piratebayproxylist.com and ukbay.org. Both sites are currently inaccessible on Virgin Media and TalkTalk, and other providers are expected to follow suit...TF spoke with Dan, the operator of UKBay.org, who’s baffled by the newly implemented blockade. He moved his site to a new domain to make the site accessible again, for the time being at least.

"The new blocks are unbelievable and totally unreasonable. To block a site that simply links to another site just shows the level of censorship we are allowing ISP’s to get away with," Dan says. "UKBay is not even a PirateBay proxy. It simply provides links to proxies. If they continue blocking sites, that link to sites, that link to sites.. there’l be nothing left,” he adds."

The filters include websites like piratebayproxy.co.uk, which features BitTorrent related news but also happens to list available proxies in a sidebar. What's next? A filter on the websites that list the websites that list the websites that offer proxy access to BitTorrent websites? Maybe for good measure UK ISPs should start filtering forums where you can discuss even so much as thinking about piracy just to be safe? It makes one wonder: when does a slippery slope stop being a slippery slope -- and just become an outright waterfall?

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Filed Under: censorship, copyright, filters, proxies, uk

37 Comments

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TheResidentSkeptic (profile), 13 Mar 2015 @ 9:34am

Finally!
By setting a precedent of being able to block websites that simply "list links" to other "bad" websites - that means the *IAA can finally have that damn google blocked...
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- Anonymous Coward, 13 Mar 2015 @ 2:18pm
  
  Re: Finally!
  Nah, Google is always something special because in my opinion without Google politicans can't find the internet everyone is talking about.
  
  Oh and if you think Google doesn't host stuff directly try to search Youtube for "full movie" and maybe set the filter option duration to long or do it on Google direcly and go to the videos tab.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Mar 2015 @ 2:01pm

I wonder how long it will be for the UK isp's to add Google to the "block list" being a person can just go to Google ans do a search for The Pirate Bay proxy server and get loads of results for proxies that can be used to gain access to TPB and thus bypassing the blocks that the UK has been forced to put in place.
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limbodog (profile), 13 Mar 2015 @ 2:07pm

Prediction
Within the next dozen or so years, a commission of copyright maximalists will determine what websites you may view. This will be done in relative secrecy, much like the MPAA, under the guise of "protecting our children." Websites that do not receive a pass from this commission will be branded as unfit, and automatically filtered by Comcast, the one internet provider in the USA.

Betcha $1.
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- Pragmatic, 17 Mar 2015 @ 6:24am
  
  Re: Prediction
  *Pays up*
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Mar 2015 @ 2:12pm

meh. If you call your site piratebayproxy you really shouldn't be surprised when you get filtered.
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- Anonymous Coward, 13 Mar 2015 @ 2:15pm
  
  Re:
  https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140616/10363927595/phew-appeals-court-says-having-dirt-your-webs ites-domain-name-doesnt-make-you-liable-defamatory-comments.shtml
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- FWV242, 13 Mar 2015 @ 6:41pm
  
  Re:
  meh.
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Baron von Robber, 13 Mar 2015 @ 2:16pm

Gee, the Cat 5 that runs from my cable modem to my router helps me get to BitTorrent Proxy Sites.

Oh dear.
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- Anonymous Coward, 13 Mar 2015 @ 2:29pm
  
  Re:
  "Gee, the Cat 5 that runs from my cable modem to my router helps me get to BitTorrent Proxy Sites."
  
  Bzzzt!! Guilty of a pre-crime AND a thought-crime, that is pretty serious hard time right there.
  
  Go directly to jail. You may find there's a line, queue nicely in true English fashion.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Mar 2015 @ 2:18pm

Quick check here, looks like opting out of the 'porn' filter avoids these block as well. (Using BT).
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Mar 2015 @ 2:19pm

It's never only just something.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Mar 2015 @ 2:31pm

Look at this way: going round the filter makes your intent to steal clear...
>>> It makes one wonder: when does a slippery slope stop being a slippery slope -- and just become an outright waterfall?

And that'd be convincing evidence (in the unlikely event) you get sued for infringement...
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Whoever, 13 Mar 2015 @ 2:55pm

GoDaddy *again*
Using traceroute and tcptraceroute from both inside the UK and outside to piratebayproxy.co.uk suggests that either Cognet or GoDaddy is complicit here.

Both the inside-the-uk and outside-the-uk traceroutes terminate at IP addresses owned by GoDaddy. Just different addresses.
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- Anonymous Coward, 14 Mar 2015 @ 8:25am
  
  Re: GoDaddy *again*
  Yay GoDaddy!
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- PaulT (profile), 16 Mar 2015 @ 2:08am
  
  Re: GoDaddy *again*
  So? The filter is implemented by UK ISPs and ordered to some degree by the UK government. They're still available elsewhere, with GoDaddy happily servicing the pages.
  
  GoDaddy have no involvement here, apart from them being used to register and/or host the domain. Which isn't surprising since, whether you like it or not, they're still one of the largest hosting & domain providers in the world.
  
  I understand being suspicious of GoDaddy for many reasons. but let's keep criticisms to things they've actually done.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Mar 2015 @ 3:04pm

and yet another step towards the entertainment industries achieving what they originally set out to do, gaining control of the internet. and before everyone shouts me down, up til now everything they have done has gotten them closer to what they want. with basically the word 'TORRENT' ensuring that a website is blocked and them now going after the complete blocking of domain names, what else is left for them to go after? not very much, really. almost every government and every court, whether bribed or not, have gone on to the entertainment industries side. the biggest reason why they have managed to get that is simply the laxidasical attitude everyone had when the industries first started their campaigns. starting with 'small fry' getting wins and blocks put in place and securing fines, expenses and then prison sentences, moving on to biugger things wasto be expected. that move gave them more power and moreexcuse for courts to do as they wanted. and again, it was the thought that 'oh, they wont go after that' but they did. then it was 'phew! they left us alone', only to find that the 'left alone' was the next on the list. and basically, at no time did any of those with the finances and the power stand up to them, so we have the shit situation we have now! and in all honestly, we bloody well deserve it! if the net is lost completely as i am sure it will be, it will be our own fault and when it gets turned into a distribution platform for Hollywood etc and torrent files are the dogs bollocks of a file transfer protocol rather than what they call the worse thing invented ever, and the industries can charge what they like for downloading a movie or an album and every other website is only allowed up if the industries say so, after paying them a fee, of course, everyone can then think to themselves what fucking morons we were to not fight like we did over ACTA and other deals!!
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- Anonymous Coward, 14 Mar 2015 @ 8:28am
  
  Re:
  "and yet another step towards the entertainment industries achieving what they originally set out to do, gaining control of the internet."
  
  That's certainly a lot better than letting the pedophiles, terrorists and copyright pirates continue to run it.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 15 Mar 2015 @ 1:56am
    
    Re: Re:
    Hilarious that you think anyone not RIAA-affiliated are all terrorists, pedophiles and pirates.
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- Anonymous Coward, 16 Mar 2015 @ 12:52am
  
  Re:
  Where's Bob? I think we need a new song. The Post-democratic free cats governing internet blues..
  
  Its abhorrent blocking that torrent?
  If everyone's right there's no one left.
  And visa-versa, what could be worsa?
  I'm talkin the post democratic free cats governing internet blues!
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Mar 2015 @ 4:13pm

Step 1:
...Download Tor
Step 2: Access any of the filtered web sites.

Does this filter actually stop anyone at all?
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- Anonymous Coward, 13 Mar 2015 @ 5:14pm
  
  Re: Step 1:
  Yes. Lots of people don't know TOR exists or think its only for criminals. I also bet it won't be long before it's banned for that reason in the UK.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 14 Mar 2015 @ 1:21am
    
    Re: Re: Step 1:
    Actually there is a new UK report out that says it is pointless and technically unfeasible to block TOR
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    - ryuugami, 16 Mar 2015 @ 10:23am
      
      Re: Re: Re: Step 1:
      That's never stopped them before.
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    - JP Jones (profile), 16 Mar 2015 @ 1:37pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: Step 1:
      You can't block TOR from a technical standpoint (that's half the purpose) but you can certainly arrest/drone strike anyone running an exit node. That's the great thing about governments...they aren't limited by pesky "technical limitations" and "morals," they can just arrest or murder anyone who doesn't conform.
      
      And hey, you won't know about it because you lost access to TOR. Everybody wins! (What losers? There are no losers...)
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Mar 2015 @ 7:14pm

Somebody should suggest to Cameron that he ban ISPs. They are the true miscreants. Without them none of this would be necessary.
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Not an Electronic Rodent (profile), 14 Mar 2015 @ 8:13am

It's a competition
If there's one thing the UK is good at in our post-empire decline it's coming up with and following really dumb rules. You thought the US was un-assailable in the top-spot of "democratic police state".. think again. We win! Bwa Ha ha haaaaaa
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Mar 2015 @ 8:17am

The current internet is rotten.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Mar 2015 @ 8:24am

It's about time
It's about time ISP's started to clean up the internet. Offensive and objectionable material has been allowed to exist on the internet for far too long.
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- Pragmatic, 17 Mar 2015 @ 6:26am
  
  Re: It's about time
  What, like your comment, AC?
  
  The trouble with "Objectionable" is that it's in the eye of the beholder.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Mar 2015 @ 9:13am

When the new trade agreement comes into force ,any site
that has links to so called secret corporate info ,will
likely get blocked ,
or site that has data released by whistleblowers on large corporations that avoid paying tax .
or like hsbc enabled large scale tax avoidance .

secret corporate info could be almost anything,
eg a company that broke safety rules that caused an oil
spill or train crash or factory accidents .
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Dan G Difino, 14 Mar 2015 @ 10:20am

UK is full of this crap
People have to be able to weed through these sites themselves lest they miss an opportunity to venture into a deal with copyright holders and their works. No one has a right to block possible business ventures and opportunities using bullpucky tactics that assume everyone is guilty first.
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Andrew, 15 Mar 2015 @ 1:50am

Government
Goverment is the entertainment division of the military industrial complex, as Zappa said. But now also the sales and marketing division too - working not for the people it's supposed to represent but the arms, pharma, agri, media (propaganda) businesses that actually own and run it. While we all believe we actually have a choice in anything more than who's simply running the division this term.
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Jam man, 16 Mar 2015 @ 7:29am

It's unfounded and the UK knows it
Thing is, the EU Court of Justice declared hyperlinking to infringing content is not infringing. IANAL, but I would think that this easily extends to hyperlinking to the PirateBay or proxies of such.

So this seems to be a pretty clear attack on speech since they are knowingly censoring websites that are almost certainly inculpable.
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Anonymous Coward, 16 Mar 2015 @ 1:02pm

Wouldn't somebody think of the children?
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Mar 2015 @ 5:46am

UK user here; please stop listing sites that list sites that list proxys to the pirate bay as I like reading techdirt and don't want to see it banned.
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Rizna, 4 Apr 2015 @ 1:00pm

re
what does it mean now not possible to download bittorrent via proxy ?
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