Reverse Filtering

In course of Internet filtering research – enumerating what is blocked where, using what technology and why – it is necessary to account for all lot of ambiguous data and the level of complexity involved in making authoritative determinations of filtering technology, levels and content. One such item to take into account is reverse filtering. Reverse filtering occurs when it’s the requested web server that blocks itself from processing requests for specific countries as opposed to what is generally presumes – that countries or institutions block access to a particular website via filtering technology, firewall or some such network device configured to block access to the requested web site. When reverse filtering occurs it be just assumed that the requested content is blocked by the country/technology being enumerated when in fact the web site is deny itself to users from particular countries.

Blockpage Gallery

The Blockpage Gallery is a collection of screen shots from a wide variety of countries, ISP's, commercial and open source filtering applications. The screenshots have been collected during various explorations of Internet filtering worldwide.

The Google Bomb Wars

Google bombing is nothing new. Its been used for a variety of humorous searches such as "weapons of mass destruction" and "french military victories". However, after an anti-semitic web site www.jewwatch.com obtained the number one ranking for the Google search jew some e-activists decided to create a Joogle bomb to combat this placement and succeeded in getting wikipedia’s entry for jew into the top spot. Google has released this statement on the matter. In addition there have been efforts to shut down the site, see removejewwatch.com for details. Seth Finkelstein has noticed that jewwatch.com is not listed in the German and French localized Google, due to Google’s filtering of search results in those countries.

Media Reflections

The flurry of recent press surrounding the Citizen Lab and the OpenNet Initiative has given me an opportunity to reflect on Internet filtering/censorship research, circumvention technology and the politics free speech on the Internet. The discourse surrounding freedom of speech carries far more political connotations than glossy media reports reveal. The discourse characterizes Internet filtering as a dichotomy: that free speech is something "we" have and "they" do not. Such a characterization creates a perception that Internet censorship research is embedded in a right-wing or neo-liberal worldview oscillating on a political continuum between a paternalistic view of global human rights and an anti-communist, islamophobic ideological position. However, beneath the surface layer a thorough analysis reveals greater levels of complexity.

In the media

The media can be your best friend and/or your worst enemy. They can make you famous or infamous. They can misquote you, misrepresent you, infuriate you as well as promote you, get recognition for your projects and help you get your message out to the public. What follows is a somewhat narcissistic collection of media related to various projects I've been involved with.

Burn-in-ating

Well, the burn-in-ating has begun. The Internet Censorship Explorer (ICE) is my new blog where you'll find bleeding edge Internet filtering and censorship research related to my work with the Citizen Lab and the OpenNet Initiative. ICE will also contain news and my views on hacktivism as well as circumvention technology -- including proof of concept code and any other snippets of raw data that don't really have a place anywhere else. To be clear, this blog represents my personal views and does not neccessarily reflect the views of the Citizen Lab or the OpenNet Initiative.