ISIS: Iraq KILLS the INTERNET: VPNs, social media and chat apps blocked by government Iraq has widened its internet ban to include virtual private networks and mobile data in a bid to halt the progress of brutal offensives in the country led by the extremist militant group calling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis). Described as "fascist" and "criminal" by Jon Snow of Channel 4 News, Isis …
That's the easy answer, on the one hand it makes life more difficult for Isis, on the other hand it becomes even more difficult for people like my wife who rely on Viber and Skype to stay in touch and check the family is safe. But it is a disproportionate response IMHO, the small majority of Isis is amplified while the law abiding majority become muted. I know that it is horrible to have web sites featuring executions and it probably does attract the nutters to the 'cause' (what ever the F%&k that maybe) but it also outrages the vast majority of sane human beings. Knee jerk responses like this, again IMHO, cause more harm than good, I was going to go on with examples, but el reg readers tend to be able to take rational arguments and draw their own conclusions.
"Limiting access to internet services - essential for communication and commerce for millions of people - is a matter of concern for the global community."
As opposed to trying to stop mass slaughter. But this viewpoint is perfectly understandable - after all, dead bodies can't see ads.
Good to see Facebook have their priorities right.
Really? It was said that during their more active times, Al Queda used the internet to communicate, and recruitment and propaganda web sites exist. Should the government have therefore attempted to close the internet in the UK?
How about banning mobile phones too? Surely that's the next logical step.
You know, cars and roads make it easier for criminals to escape...... Ban them too!
Ah, so armed uprising means it's OK to close the internet, like that's going to make any difference.
Bloody hell, you've all been complaining about censorship, yet this is OK? NIMBY's?
The internet is used by paedophiles so should we close that down?
I feel you are all hypocrites who wouldn't stand for it here, but because it doesn't affect you, you've all turned into Matt Bryants.
The internet ban is designed to stop Isis minions from communicating with each other and is also aimed at hobbling its propaganda machine.
I suppose they will continue to run on the non-lethal aid we so helpfully provided via Syria.
Interventionism 20:14: "Truly as like Rommel they will ride of the desert, wielding the out AKM the roman-named one provided them during the surge days. And the day will come where the nation of Shia Persia will again be the non-enemy of the country that begat the Balfour declaration and the Lord Blair will awaken, darkly, calling for intervention and bombing runs"
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This is why we need decentralised, wifi-based mesh networks.
If only the technology would get off its arse and make itself easily deployable by the masses.
It's frightening how easily a government can order the complete shutdown of the Internet in a country. A network that is so essential to so many people in their daily lives should not be so vulnerable.
And, before someone says it, I don't mean accessing facebook or watching kitten videos.
More and more, people are turning to the Internet as their main communication medium for news, person-to-person comms (a la Skype) and ditching their landline phones in their droves.
IN the west we should be taking note and doing something about it.
As someone who is in the area, and who has friends in Mosul, maybe I can say something about the situation here.
Maliki (who's a Shia), the current prime minister has been passing laws and doing things that discriminate against the Sunni population. There was a vice president who is Sunni and he has been forced out of the government. Maliki has been using the ISIS threat to try and have emergency powers, which basically gives him full control over the whole country.
Mosul is a Sunni area, where the people have lost trust in Maliki completely. The exodus of people from Mosul to the Kurdish region has been because the population are scared of Maliki using helicopter gunships and F16s to bomb Mosul, just as he did in Fallujah (another Sunni area).
The situation in Iraq is extremely complex and it is not all black and white. In the Kurdish area, the Internet is working as normal.
To someone familiar with the region, the situation is indeed not as black and white as the media makes it out to be. Just reading the beeb, one can see the propaganda machine is in full swing and painting the whole of occupied/revolting areas as being fully controlled by ISIS. Surprising ISIS managed to recruit so many in the space of a few weeks. What is less highlighted is the fact that the rebels also consist of former Iraqi army officers (not ISIS) who were kicked out by the Maliki regime and probably are better at planning than some zealous young fighter. Now that US is in talks with Iran, one can guess they are only worried about protecting the oil fields in the north (most refineries are in the south), and beating up the ISIS drum provides enough justification to provide aid and start a proxy war. Better the devil you know than the ones you don't.
Unfit for Future Great Game Purpose Governance Office[r]s?
The following, which was shared previously with EL Reg [Tue 10 Jun 07:36], says it all loud and clear, again.
Thoughts for the 0dDay …….. It is the absolute right of the State to supervise the formation of public opinion. …… [Joseph Goebbels] ….. and to mentor and monitor ITs phormation of programs and projects for Global Operating Devices for Remote Command and Virtual Control of Manipulative Systems be a Quantum Leap for Man and Giant Step for Mankind in CyberIntelAIgent Fields of SMARTR Exploitation and Alien Exploration in Systems of Operation.
Described as "fascist" and "criminal" by Jon Snow of Channel 4 News, Isis has been using social media to broadcast horrific images of mass executions and other barbaric war crimes. It now controls much of Iraq and is closing in on its capital, Baghdad.
One man’s fascist criminal is another man’s repressed and/or repressive/oppressed and/or oppressive/depressed and/or depressive freedom fighter whenever one throws into the mix the social media broadcasting of earlier Shocking Aweful Desert Storm footage whenever General Schwarzkopf was in gung-ho charge.
And closing down and restricting any widely exercised and popular internetworking media facility tells the world and his dogs of war that governments have lost the plot and secret intelligence server service advantage, surely?
Although it be best to neither confirm or deny that in the best interests of national, international and internetional security.
And mirroring a leaf out of the Director General of the Office of Counter Terrorism [OSCT] at the Home Office’s Playbook …….. Save where otherwise stated, all facts and matters referred to in this statement are true and within my knowledge or have come to my attention during the course of my work. Insofar as facts and matters are not directly within my knowledge they are true to the best of my knowledge and belief
when the UK proscribed ISIS on Sunday, quite a few Tw@tter accounts (in the UK) went dark, in a related move.
The knowledgable interviewee said that ISIS had a seemingly very effective widespread support base that was following & responding to events. Methinks there's currently some Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), Part III, (2007) "give us your passwords laddies" going-on, allegedly.
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