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"Acting as an exit node provides the operator with plausible deniability, since they will have no idea what data is passing through." This is a weak defence at

by tjmc 17y ago

"Acting as an exit node provides the operator with plausible deniability, since they will have no idea what data is passing through." This is a weak defence at best and a huge risk to whoever acts as an end node. What if someone further up the chain is downloading child pornography? Do you really want to be protecting their IP, relaying their traffic and sending your own IP in the clear?

azanar 17y ago
I suspect you would probably make the same argument about being a Tor endpoint. Given that Tor has been available for a while, are there examples of maintainers of Tor end nodes being held accountable for the traffic they pass on behalf of others? This seems bred the same philosophy as holding an ISP accountable for the traffic of its customers, or holding the administrator of 4chan accountable for what is posted on there. It seems tenuous. Maybe I'm missing something. How many jurisdictions are there now where an unknowing facilitator can be held accountable for the criminal acts of those he is facilitating? Either way, I'm not fond of this philosophy of scaring everyone into the clear simply to avoid gruesome labeling.
- swombat 17y ago
  There was an example of one guy having the police come to his house and seize his computers, before eventually returning them. Needless to say, he was shit-scared that his neighbours would find out that he was suspected of child pornography (though of course he was not guilty). His account was posted here some 6 months ago or so. I think it's a matter of numbers, though. If TOR (or equivalent) was as popular as BT, even the police would realise it is pointless.
  - sdfx 17y ago
    This is the post you are talking about: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=526140 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=526140
  - mhb 17y ago
    What? Like drugs? It doesn't become pointless. It merely becomes a tool which can be selectively enforced against whomever those enforcing the rules don't happen to like.
- zouhair 17y ago
  My IP have been banned from Wikipedia when I made a Tor node to help, seems someone used Tor to vandalize a lot of articles and my IP got used for access. I had to ask my ISP to change my IP, it was easier this way than asking some admins at Wikipedia, they were not very helpful.
Devilboy 17y ago
TOR exit node owners get into trouble for exactly that all over the place. I guess that they won't be able to convict you unless you have something on your PC during the FBI search..

by tjmc 17y ago

azanar 17y ago

I suspect you would probably make the same argument about being a Tor endpoint. Given that Tor has been available for a while, are there examples of maintainers of Tor end nodes being held accountable for the traffic they pass on behalf of others? This seems bred the same philosophy as holding an ISP accountable for the traffic of its customers, or holding the administrator of 4chan accountable for what is posted on there. It seems tenuous. Maybe I'm missing something. How many jurisdictions are there now where an unknowing facilitator can be held accountable for the criminal acts of those he is facilitating? Either way, I'm not fond of this philosophy of scaring everyone into the clear simply to avoid gruesome labeling.

swombat 17y ago
There was an example of one guy having the police come to his house and seize his computers, before eventually returning them. Needless to say, he was shit-scared that his neighbours would find out that he was suspected of child pornography (though of course he was not guilty). His account was posted here some 6 months ago or so. I think it's a matter of numbers, though. If TOR (or equivalent) was as popular as BT, even the police would realise it is pointless.
- sdfx 17y ago
  This is the post you are talking about: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=526140 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=526140
- mhb 17y ago
  What? Like drugs? It doesn't become pointless. It merely becomes a tool which can be selectively enforced against whomever those enforcing the rules don't happen to like.
zouhair 17y ago
My IP have been banned from Wikipedia when I made a Tor node to help, seems someone used Tor to vandalize a lot of articles and my IP got used for access. I had to ask my ISP to change my IP, it was easier this way than asking some admins at Wikipedia, they were not very helpful.

Devilboy 17y ago

TOR exit node owners get into trouble for exactly that all over the place. I guess that they won't be able to convict you unless you have something on your PC during the FBI search..