New Hampshire Library Rejects DHS Fearmongering, Turns Tor Back On
from the congrats! dept
Last week, we posted the story of how the Kilton Public Library in Lebanon, New Hampshire, had been pressured to turn off its Tor relay after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had reached out to the local police department to express concern over the library's decision, and freaking out because "criminals can use Tor." After being approached by the police, the library agreed to shut down the relay, while setting up a meeting to discuss if the library should turn it back on. Apparently, last week's press attention helped bring out lots of folks who very strongly supported turning Tor back on.Boston librarian Alison Macrina, who runs the Library Freedom Project and helped the library set up Tor in the first place, was tweeting up a storm last night, and it sounded like a lot of people showed up to make it clear that (1) the DHS could go pound sand and (2) the library should turn its Tor node back on:
This is just about my favorite thing ever. pic.twitter.com/7qqSV3snqr
— Alison Macrina (@flexlibris) September 16, 2015#KiltonLibrary WE'VE DONE IT. THE KILTON LIBRARY WILL TURN THEIR #TOR RELAY BACK ON!!!
— Alison Macrina (@flexlibris) September 15, 2015Oh, and even better: it appears that the publicity around this and the success last night may be inspiring other libraries to set up their own Tor relays as well.
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Filed Under: alison macrina, dhs, law enforcement, library, police, tor, tor relay
Companies: kilton public library
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I think that's the most likely reason DHS was so concerned. Just like widespread encryption, widespread anonymity will become impossible to contain any longer.
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Good old-fashioned targeted surveillance and spy-activity are the alpha and omega of investigations and the old methods still works with encrypted traffic and can get around almost all precautions from paranoid users.
The fight against anonymity is a pyrrhic battle for everyone: If the services lose they have lost a lot of trust, but if they win they are losing their primary objective: To protect!
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Then the value is mostly symbolic. I expect the DHS to double down if they ever try to add exit functionality.
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Re: federal money
If they were several hundred miles farther south I'd definitely live there. I just can't deal with that much winter.
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now wait and see something like an FBI engineered terrorist plot reach fruition, even though that is nothing, but the Tor Library will get the blame!! not come across any government or it's security forces that go so far to try to get exactly what it wants as far as surveillance on the ordinary people! absolute scandalous!!
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if the 'S' in DHS really stood for security
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Re: if the 'S' in DHS really stood for security
what is it you are trying to hide from the bad guys?
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OMG, I have something to hide! I guess I need to fear.
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Bravo
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Whats the Difference
Congratulations to the library, glad they stand on principle.
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DHS Logicspeak
The library needs to remove all newspapers because coded messages may be placed by people with criminal intent.
The library needs to remove all science, technology, and historical references because the information may be used by those with criminal intent.
The library needs to remove all dvds from circulation because they may be loaned to people with the criminal intent of copying them.
The library needs to remove all public access copy machines because they may be used by people to duplicate copyrighted materials.
Better yet, close the library, DHS can proclaim another potential terrorist attack was thwarted.
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My thoughts
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they must be up to no good, wanting to use encryption!
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No toys for you
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Yay!
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Not something to hide as in more of a "its none of your godamn fucking business WHAT i do" so long as i respect the rights of others
Invasion of privacy is not respecting the boundary rights of individuals, therefore those that do invade, have no right complaining about those that expose them, those that are angry at them, and those that complain about them
Certainly no right to make up extreme laws that are obviously gonna be turned on these very people
Make action>Upset people>People ask for change>Create extreme law>"Subdue" upset people
Their opposition is born from their very actions, instead of stopping the action, their willing to force people to comply
.......which makes the initial action pale in comparison to the realisation of the motives of those running things......certainly not freedom, certainly not "democracy"
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Engineering
Anatomy and Physiology
Chemistry
Firearms
Religion (except of course Christianity)
Electronics
Military subjects
The Law and Civil Rights
since these subjects, and others, could be used by criminals and terrorists to their advantage.
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