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[ga] FYI - MAPS rises it's ugly head again...
All assembly members,
See: http://www.safesurf.com/press/press27.htm
SafeSurf Press Release
1304 Newbury Road, Unit E, Newbury Park, CA 91320
E-mail: safesurf@safesurf.com * Web Site: http://www.safesurf.com/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 25, 2001
Contact : Ray Soular
Press Phone : (818) 613-1415
SafeSurf Warns of Stealth Censorship
Los Angeles, CA - Thousands of family friendly Web sites, for
no
fault of their own, are being rendered inaccessible by "stealth
censorship" and it may be putting people's lives at risk, warned
SafeSurf, the online safety organization.
This new type of censorship, promoted by a California
corporation called Mail Abuse Prevention System, LLC (MAPS), silences
every Web site whose address is located on a server that also happens
to host one or two unrelated email marketing sites. However, since
the
browser message displayed says that the Web sites are non-existent,
online surfers have no idea they are being denied access to many
parts
of the Internet.
"This is stealth censorship*", remarked SafeSurf Chairman Ray
Soular as he described how Web site owners have no rights under this
system. "Mail Abuse Prevention System (MAPS) publicizes its Realtime
Blackhole List (RBL) as being only of certified email abusers
(spammers). It provides this list to Internet Service Providers
(ISP)
who rely on its accuracy when shutting out these spammers. In
reality, MAPS' practice of listing entire groups of IP numbers,
instead of the specific addresses of the spammers, is causing ISPs to
shut off access to sites that have done no wrong other than they have
similar IP numbers to the spammers. Its like shutting off phone
service to thousands of people simply because they have the same
prefix as an obscene caller," explained Soular.
"To make matters worse, MAPS has no idea of what content it may
be blocking. Imagine trying to connect to a crisis assistance site
after a devastating earthquake, only to find its among a vast IP
group
being blocked by RBL. People can die as the result of their blind
imprecision. They MUST be regulated," Soular reasoned.
Teleglobe, a global Internet provider who subscribes to the
MAPS' Realtime Blackhole List (RBL), was blocking SafeSurf in many
countries, simply because SafeSurf's Web site was on a public server
owned by an hosting company once accused of providing services to
email marketers.
(News Flash Oct 29, 2001: MAPS removed SafeSurf from its
Blackhole list and Teleglobe removed blocking.)
"Under their system, an unsuspecting Web site can become a RBL
hostage at any time, for any reason, and without appeal. Unless the
owner of the server meets MAPS demands, the innocent hostage site
will
be left to rot in the 'Blackhole'," pointed out Soular. "This is the
worst manifestation of censorship imaginable because it is applied in
a way which fools Web surfers into thinking they still have their
freedom", said Soular.
###
_______________________________________________________________
Below is the text of SafeSurf's Open Letter to the Internet
Community concerning MAPS' Realtime Blackhole List (RBL) that targets
general IP groups instead of specific IP addresses.
SafeSurf was recently alerted that we were marked for blocking, for
no
fault of our own, by Mail Abuse Prevention System's Realtime
Blackhole
List (RBL). SafeSurf has never sent out a single piece of junk email
in the life of our company. Parents and Webmasters depend upon
communication from SafeSurf to enable them to protect children on the
Internet. As a result, by blocking SafeSurf, MAPS is endangering
millions of children across the globe.
MAPS' RBL blocking is censorship in its worst manifestation. It is a
extremist system that seeks to censor people simply because they
happen to be with the same ISP that has a particular individual that
MAPS does not like. Their tactics would be similar to someone using a
nuclear weapon to wipe out a cockroach.
Although they may contact the ISP, MAPS makes no effort, whatsoever,
to warn the people actually being censored. The innocent Web Sites
have to depend on others to discover that their right to free speech
has been desecrated. MAPS actions demonstrate what SafeSurf has long
suspected; true censorship arises for the purpose of advancing the
agenda of a particular group of individuals. Censorship is a broad
brush that drips paint on the pure, as well as the tainted.
MAPS may claim that their actions are in the interest of good, but in
reality they would easily trade in the good of children to achieve
their goal. They have more than proved this point by holding the
SafeSurf Web Site hostage until they force the acquiescence of
others.
MAPS has no idea of what content it may be blocking. Therefore, they
could negligently block sites that contain important life saving
medical information, sites that protect children, and sites that
output emergency info during tornado watches, fire and flood alerts.
Imagine trying to connect to a crisis assistance site after a
devastating earthquake, only to find its among a vast IP group being
blocked by RBL. People can die as the result of their blind
imprecision. They MUST be regulated.
We hate spam as much as anyone else. SafeSurf receives hundreds of
spam emails every day. However, we cherish our civil liberties too
much to ever trade them to the careless people who are running MAPS.
We have tried to reason with MAPS, but they refuse to offer affected
Web sites a case-by-case appeal process. They seem to not care about
fairness. They are blinded by the smell of spammer's blood and do not
seem to care how many innocent Web sites they trounce in the process.
Then, they rationalize and try to put the blame for their wanton
actions on everyone else.
This issue is completely different from the debate over porn
filtering, because in that debate, at least it was agreed that the
sites we were discussing were responsible for their acts. In this
case, MAPS employs an underhanded tactic of targeting the innocent in
order to persuade the guilty.
We must insist that MAPS operate in a responsible manner. A just
cause
is no excuse for unjust actions. By accepting MAPS, we are, in
effect,
agreeing to full censorship of anyone, for any reason. This is beyond
the worst-case scenarios we could've imagined coming from
governments.
MAPS may be on a crusade to rid the Internet of spam, but this should
not give them the authority to deny freedoms to the blameless. It
should not give them the power to shroud someone's brilliance simply
because it happens to be on a MAPS targeted ISP. It should not give
them the right to make a mockery of the pillars upon which America
was
built.
I feel sorry for all the subscribers to Teleglobe, which trusts MAPS'
RBL list. They have traded access to the truth in exchange for a
cleaner mailbox. The really sad part is they don't even know it.
We must raise our voices to warn the online world of stealth
censorship. For in the end, we will either loudly hold on to our
liberty or it will become clear that we gave up our rights by our
silence.
Sincerely,
Ray Soular, Chairman
SafeSurf
* The term, stealth blocking, was first used by Bennett Haselton in
"The Coalition Statement Against Stealth Blocking" to be found at
http://www.peacefire.org/.
Regards,
--
Jeffrey A. Williams
Spokesman for INEGroup - (Over 118k members strong!)
CEO/DIR. Internet Network Eng/SR. Java/CORBA Development Eng.
Information Network Eng. Group. INEG. INC.
E-Mail jwkckid1@ix.netcom.com
Contact Number: 972-447-1800 x1894 or 214-244-4827
Address: 5 East Kirkwood Blvd. Grapevine Texas 75208
--
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