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UnblockOz: Helps Australians reclaim their unfiltered Internet access
- HappyTypist 10y agoThe easiest is just changing your DNS servers to 8.8.8.8. I wish iOS allowed you to change DNS for celluar networks.
- secoif 10y agoCan someone confirm that this actually works? Seems like a pretty weak attempt at a block if true. I think the real problem is them sniffing your traffic. > I wish iOS allowed you to change DNS for celluar networks. Are you torrenting from your iPhone?
- blorgle 10y agoConfirm, it's just a DNS block like previous attempts by the AU Gov to block stuff. If you're on a Apple device you probably need to use VPN to specify an alternate DNS and either route your traffic through that VPN as well or just use it for DNS.
- joneil 10y agoI just confirmed this is working with iiNet (2nd or 3rd biggest broadband provider in Aus). The block screen looks like this: http://i.imgur.com/Tuz7KrZ.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Tuz7KrZ.jpg So it is being blocked at ISP level, and it's up to them how they implement the block. For now, they've chosen DNS blocking, which is of course easy to work around. Here's hoping the block encourages everyday citizens to be take technical measures to evade not just the block but the censorship.
- kristianp 10y agoWow, I didn't realise this had started. If I go to http://thepiratebay.se http://thepiratebay.se I get this message: Copyright Notice ACCESS TO THIS WEBSITE HAS BEEN DISABLED BECAUSE THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA HAS DETERMINED THAT IT INFRINGES OR FACILITATES THE INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT. Please access the content you are seeking via licensed sites – www.digitalcontentguide.com.au provides information about many sources of licensed content.
- captn3m0 10y agoDoes it work over HTTPS?
- hackits 10y agoHTTPS still has to resolve the domain name that is part of the url.
- teraflop 10y agoYeah, but an ISP should at worst be able to block connections to specific hosts or IP addresses. If they could generate certificates for arbitrary domains (like thepiratebay.se) allowing them to serve a "blocked for copyright infringement" page over HTTPS, then something would be seriously broken.
- unlikelymordant 10y agoIf it is just at dns, it can just point you to a different ip
- cyphar 10y agoYes, but they won't (or rather shouldn't) be able to get a valid SSL certificate for the domain. This is literally one of the scenarios SSL was created to protect against..
- lokedhs 10y agoThen the browser will refuse to serve the page since the certificate will not match the site you intended to go to. Granted, they'll still stop you from going there but the user won't understand why it fails.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- mkj 10y ago
- waterhouse23 10y agoSame deal in the UK. I wonder how long until the US goes down the same route. I'm quite surprised that they've gone down the DNS based filtering route. I'd expect that to change in a few years time. I recommend investing in a VPN service. They're relatively cheap. And if you pick the right one, the bandwidth is generally pretty good.
- blowski 10y agoAnt specific recommendations? I use IP Vanish and I have no performance problems.
- waterhouse23 10y agoI don't have any specific recommendations (though I'm happy with my provider). What I would say, is go with a provider who accepts bitcoin and doesn't require an email address. Even if you end up paying my card/PayPal, at least you know they have a route to a more anonymous/private service.
- dwightgunning 10y agoAt some point all the interesting/useful countries to exit the VPN will be censored. Then it's game over.
- waterhouse23 10y agoYes, that's a sad prospect. However, at that point I assume there'll also be no countries to host content in either so VPN would be useless in any case. I assume at the point Tor's popularity will surge.
- toyg 10y agoNo - then it's a business opportunity for smaller countries, with "looser" copyright rules and enforcement, to build a world-class VPN industry. The Switzerland of VPNs is a historical inevitability: even the rich and powerful need it.
- jazoom 10y agoVPN is another option.
- RangerScience 10y agoSo, what are numbers I can call to leave messages of international support?
- dwightgunning 10y agoAwesome to see this is an informative and helpful guide rather than a cash-grab service. Well done and keep up the good work!
- gszathmari 10y agoThanks for the kind comment, this is what keeps us running
- acd 10y agoI think that government censorshop is bad for free speech. If you have two dns services one normal and one with blacklisted ip, then you can loop over the domain names in both dns services compare the result and find the blacklist. Easier for reverse dns loopups, but not impossible if you have a list of forward dns names.
- adentranter 10y agoAs an Aussie I find this pretty funny. Since they passed the law to make ISPs store your data ( which was a warning shot to piraters from my POV ) not many people's behaviours changed. Ie people still pirated. The difference between simply logging traffic and blocking certain sites means instead of being able to watch what I do, I'll be sign up to a VPN and they won't see any of my traffic. If anything blocking these sites is great as it will force lazy people to use VPNs. Good work to these guys making it easier to get started.
- Insanity 10y agoWe have a similar situation here in Belgium in terms of blocking the pirating websites. I can not just access tpb as I get a warning that the site is "illegal" and I should not use it. The thing is that they do not block every domain from which people can torrent and there are plenty of mirrors to choose from. I agree that it will get more people to use a VPN. But that is, more _tech savvy_ people. I know quite a few people who torrent who do not fall in that category. These people will just look for other websites and will not switch to a VPN unless someone explains them the "point" of it and how to do it.
- sspiff 10y agoDoesn't using a VPN make you liable in two jurisdictions instead of just one? (The exit point of the tunnel, and the location where you are actually connecting to the VPN) I understand that it is technically more challenging to detect and prove the user is participating in privacy or whatever it is that they're using a VPN for, but really it's just a matter of applying pressure to the VPN provider to cough up any details they have, or in some cases to install tracking functionality in their virtual network.
- dndln 10y agoSure, that's why the choice of VPN provider is important. You need to choose a provider which doesn't keep logs, and has the character to shut down their business before being legally compelled to reveal users, like lavabit did. You can read this thread for an example: https://airvpn.org/topic/15396-does-airvpn-log-its-users-ip-addresses/ https://airvpn.org/topic/15396-does-airvpn-log-its-users-ip-... For additional protection, you can also run Tor over VPN.
- nness 10y agoAt this point in time, ISP's are just doing DNS redirection. You can get around the restrictions by setting your browser's or router's DNS to Google's on 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.
- coffeecheque 10y agoFor those that are interested, the blocks were ordered in early December by Australia's Federal Court. The court was given the powers when the Australian Copyright Act was amended in 2015. The case was heard over several days, and while it was inevitable that it would order the sites blocked (there was no opposition to the blocking application, as such) - the copyright holders didn't get everything they wanted. They wanted an injunction that they could effectively add to or amend over time (such as when mirror sites pop up), but the Federal Court didn't go that far. The blocking orders require a certain level of oversight. It seems that new domains will require either a new case, or another affidavit to be filed. We're yet to see what the process will be. Also there's a multi year timer on the domains that are blocked. Rights holders will need to file an application to keep the blocks in place. Many people have discovered the blocks aren't really that effective. It seems for many ISPs a simple DNS change will get around it. The court didn't order a specific technical means to achieve the blocks, leaving it up to ISPs to choose. They've obviously chosen methods which aren't all that effective.
- predakanga 10y agoAdditionally, the copyright holders were ordered to pay costs incurred by the ISPs in implementing the block. I think the case was a good balance between upholding the law and making it clear that it wouldn't be a system over which the copyright holders have total control.
- joaodlf 10y agoThis is a world wide issue in the free world at this point, but Australia is stuck in the 90's when it comes to the internet. We have some business there and find everything about Australia ridiculous: ISP monopoly; hosting costs; licensing and internet related law... We ended up hosting in Singapore to serve our Australia needs. AU needs a major revamp on everything internet.
- joshontheweb 10y agoSpeed is the biggest thing Oz needs. I lived there for a year and the speeds and latency are wel below what you would expect for a country of it's stature.
- joaodlf 10y agoYes! Speed is absolutely archaic. Lack of links can explain some of that (ISP monopoly is another one, lack of investment is so much easier when you control everything...). I'm amazed by the response times our users get in AU.
- mickael-kerjean 10y agoI don't really experience what you're saying about speed and response time at all (I'm in Sydney) I just come back from Thailand and I was amaze how fast and reliable is browsing the web in Australia in comparison. Trying the Internet in China, even staying in the airport is quite an experience in comparison: in China they would give you access to the Internet only if you scan your passport in exchange for credentials to use if you need access ...
- mmjaa 10y agoI'm Australian, and I decided 3 decades ago to not live there any more, because of what I saw was happening with the Internet and the way the country was crippling itself in comparison with the rest of the world. No amount of cheap plastic shit from China can keep me interested in a country so self-absorbed, and at the same time so utterly ignorant of the clear repression holding the nation back.
- secoif 10y agoSomething very unsettling about a government mandating ISPs block/sniff/track your internet traffic on behalf of the film industry. If only the government was equally motivated to remedy injustices incurred by those who aren't already filthy rich.
- gonzo41 10y agoDon't worry this isn't a concerted effort to actually block things. Its a pretty weak effort to go through the motions. If your tuned into this debate at a federal level there are a vocal bunch of senators bemoaning the Australia tax that our geography puts on us. These guys put out info on how to use vpns and avoid geoblocking and such for the masses. Best in show example: Adobe software and Game of thrones. Australians want to work, trade and play in the free first world. And until we get that we'll steal everything that isn't nailed down.
- nickonline 10y agoA bunch of convicts the lot of us.
- vacri 10y agoFor the record, we stopped being a penal colony about 15 years before the US stopped being a slave-using nation...
- rodgerd 10y agoThis is what it looks like when your government is beholden to Rupert Murdoch.
- firmgently 10y agoIt's been like this in the UK for ages, now people have to google 'pirate proxy' instead, it's at least 3 extra clicks - when will this horror end...
- toyg 10y agoWell, from this year you also need a VPN, because all your traffic is logged. I'm looking forward to Comrade "Shared Society" May to force a proper Great Firewall any day now.
- iamben 10y agoThe porn blocking is the first step towards that. First they came for the porn...
- subliminalpanda 10y agoSeeing these block pages come up in Australia, a free country, is awfully troubling. I shudder everytime I had to see this: https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3G10OAwNPgw/VD-Kzl_coHI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/CBlC7mzckKI/s1600/Block%2Bsite%2Bmanagement.PNG https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3G10OAwNPgw/VD-Kzl_coHI/AAAAAAAAA...
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- madshiva 10y agothis is really a bad news. Yes ok tpb can be used to download pirated content but there's also some content that are not pirated content on the site too. Nobody should be allowed to shutdown site or flag as illegal without true charge. It sad where in 2017 we still live and lose time with people that don't wont go forward and do 5 step back. What next? blocking bitcoin because this ruin the bank economy?
- exodust 10y agoDoesn't matter that much. This move was to deter the mainstream downloaders who have TPB saved as a bookmark and don't know how, or can't be bothered to learn how to access it other ways. Blocking the "click to download this new release movie" users probably did prevent a few downloads.
- gravelc 10y agoMuch, much more frightening than website blocking in Australia is this: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-05/telco-industry-pushes-for-metadata-collection-changes/8162896 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-05/telco-industry-pushes-... Our esteemed government told us universal metadata collection was for fighting terrorism. Then, over the Christmas period when the public is disconnected from politics, a sham enquiry was held to open up metadata to civil courts (i.e. for copyright, divorce cases etc). Needs a bit more than router DNS changes to protect one's self from this. VPN at a minimum. Given our already rubbish speeds, it's really annoying to cop a further speed and latency hit from a VPN (along with the $$$ it costs).
- Untit1ed 10y agoNot to mention that some sites will block you if using a VPN :(.
- lsh 10y agoAnd that Cloudfront appears to hate and block those using VPN services.
- rqebmm 10y agoFull Disclosure: I work for a private VPN company This depends on the VPN provider. Private VPN services share IPs between customers, and the extra layer of privacy they provide comes with high potential for abuse. Some providers care more about preventing fraud than others. Cloudfront is likely just blocking IPs that have behaved poorly in the past, so I'd suggest you look for more reputable VPN providers that actively weed out fraudulent users.
- redblacktree 10y agoCould you provide some more advice (or links to advice) on this? I'd like to set up whole-house, always-on VPN, but I'm concerned about service quality issues, specifically blocking. (i.e. the wife will make me take it down if it adversely impacts her ability to watch Netflix or inconveniences her in any other way)
- heldrida 10y agoThe ones who need help are the Aboriginal people. Stop with the aboriginal genocide!
- akjainaj 10y agoAboriginal genocide? In Australia? Is this even a thing?
- akjainaj 10y agoWhy do they like to call it "censorship" when they just mean "piracy websites"? It's not like they're keeping you from publishing your thoughts about the government and the establishment, you just want to download series for free. I don't mean to say you shouldn't be able to download your favourite series for free, but please don't use words such as "censorship" that make it look like the gov is threatening to send you to a gulag if you say the prime minister likes golden showers.
- nickonline 10y agoDo you understand censorship? This clearly fits within censorship as it's considered politically unacceptable. censorship, noun: the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security.
- akjainaj 10y agoThis is not about the government "suppresing part of a film that is considered obscene" or "removing news articles that are politically unacceptable". This is about you wanting to download movies or series without paying money to the people who made them. Movies or series that are completely legal to watch and sell in Australia, as long as you pay the people who worked to make them. Too many people masquerade their freeloading as political activism to feel superior. Sticking it to the man, eh? And once again I respect the right to download or upload whatever you want, but making it look like you're fighting the big brother censorship when you just want to watch game of thrones, a show that is completely legal to watch in Australia, without paying for it is... childish
- apk17 10y ago> This is not about the government ... "removing news articles that are politically unacceptable". That's actually part of the problem. The government should close down illegal establishments, and not just be blocking access to them. The other part of the problem: Once the gov can tell the ISPs what to block (a) the block list must be secret and (b) the process can be very easily abused, with 'overblocking' being the standard excuse.
- nikcub 10y agoI've helped a half-dozen friends and family members in the past couple of weeks fix their net filtering. I usually do it by logging into their routers and setting their DNS servers to OpenDNS or Google. A few things i've noticed. Most people don't know this is something that can be fixed. I think that will change in the same way adblocking has spread (ublock is a well-known brand amongst my non-tech family and friends). Second is that the DNS change will likely only be a temporary solution for this first stage of blocks. It is only a matter of time before more sophisticated blocks are put in place - and there are other methods mandated by the law available after DNS filtering (including IP blocks) I've also noticed an irony in this situation. The Australian government passed legislation for the copyright protection internet filtering at around the same time they passed their ISP level metadata retention laws. The irony is that because of the copyright blocks Australians are seeking and learning about solutions such as Tor and VPN's, which make the second set of metadata retention laws less effective. One of the positive side effects of the laws is that it doesn't address the demand for content (Australians are well known pirates) and users will seek out workarounds which will have the effect of increasing awareness of privacy issues and technical workarounds. I tend to agree with Ed Snowden when he says that solutions to privacy are in encryption and technology - not in politics. Unfortunately governments are going to do what governments do - either in the open, or in secret.
- aussieguy123 10y agoMy ISP (TPG) is using DNS and IP blocking, had to use a VPN to get around the block. The site mentions DNS as a way to unblock, this doesnt work anymore