Bangladeshi telecom authorities shut down smartphone messaging and voice services Viber and Tango, which have become a popular communication medium for supporters of the anti-government protests now in their third week.
The Bangladesh Telecommunications and Regulatory Commission closed down the apps “for the time being” on orders from law enforcement and security agencies, a commission spokesman told AFP. He did not give reasons for the decision, but local television station Channel 24 said Viber and Tango were shut down to prevent protesters from “exchanging information” across the country.
Viber and Tango have been popular among opposition protesters, including activists from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its Islamist allies who have launched a crippling nationwide transport blockade to try to topple the government. The protests have turned increasingly violent with activists firebombing hundreds of buses and trucks, and security forces retaliating with live bullets or tear gas. At least 25 people have died in the latest violence including about a dozen burnt to death after protesters firebombed buses.
http://www.bgr.in/news/bangladesh-shuts-down-messaging-services-viber-and-tango-to-quell-violence/
[Also Covered By]: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-bangladesh-messaging-quell-violence.html
Do you think that such measures really work, either in the short term or in the long term ?? Given the above situation how would you handle it ?
(Score: 2) by edIII on Monday January 19 2015, @10:33PM
You mean they took down two popular services?
Firechat. Let's see them have to shut down all cellular services and start putting up cell phone jammers to stop protesters from exchanging information.
If they can't seem to coordinate logistics been separated groups, that's where they need to get organized and start using couriers or literally chain the protests together with long range wireless APs. I'm sure some enterprising techies in the protest groups could come up with something, but Firechat is an excellent start.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by frojack on Tuesday January 20 2015, @01:09AM
Actually these chat services need to step up their game and route around this kind of damage. Use a flexible series of ports, use a multitude of IP rotating addresses, and, most importantly, add encryption, and STOP relying on broken SSL.
Not just one or two of them, all of these chat services.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by edIII on Tuesday January 20 2015, @01:41AM
On this we agree.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 19 2015, @10:59PM
I'd move out of Bangladesh. But I don't have a personal stake in the fight or to Bangladesh.
Applied to the United States... no, I don't think such actions would succeed. But it's a reminder that as long as there are pipes which can be blocked or centralized services which can be shut down, your freedom of communication is limited to those who control those pipes and services.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday January 19 2015, @11:56PM
Well, one can always use a low tech phone [youtube.com] to coordinate one's rebellion - weather permitting, perfect freedom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by DECbot on Tuesday January 20 2015, @12:26AM
That works until some three letter agency tracks everyone you call, everyone that calls you, and everyone your caller calls, and the callers' caller calls..... and tracks all of their political affiliations (member of $TERRORIST party? YES/no). Then officers with black uniforms with red armbands ^W^W^W^W^W black body armor jump out of armored vans with machine guns and secret court papers in hand to haul you away to secret trials.
cats~$ sudo chown -R us /home/base
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday January 20 2015, @01:54AM
Go watch the documentary piece that I linked to get an explanation on how it works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 20 2015, @01:56AM
the link doesn't go to a documentary but to a daffy duck b/w cartoon
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday January 20 2015, @03:39AM
Did you also notice if the cartoon shows an indian coordinating an attack by the use of a low tech phone?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 20 2015, @05:07AM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 20 2015, @05:12AM
wow, can't even html applebaum moto e project [torproject.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 20 2015, @05:53AM
Yeap, as old as the Native Americans: smoke signals.
(happy now?)
(Score: 1) by anubi on Tuesday January 20 2015, @08:21AM
Apparently, there is a several smart phone ad-hoc networks [wikipedia.org] (SPAN) in the fray.
Firechat is one of them.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 20 2015, @04:33PM
Why? Did he look too much like Mohamed?
(Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Tuesday January 20 2015, @12:02PM
In case you haven't been keeping up with current events the teleco corps have been selling cellular backbone gear that lets you intercept pretty much everything [bloomberg.com] and even makes nice little transcripts thanks to the lovely software we sell with 'em. Free rubber hoses with every purchase of $75K or more so call now, operators are standing by!
Your video can claim whatever it want, won't change the fact that if the enemy controls the backbone that's your ass Mr Postman. With this gear they get location, text, and transcripts of conversations, more than enough to hang you with.
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday January 21 2015, @05:53AM
LOL!
FYI: the linked Looney Tunes clip "demonstrates" the use of smoke signals (from a phone booth with a chimney) to gather a horde Native Americans against Duffy Duck.
Good luck to you with your lovely software.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 1) by anubi on Tuesday January 20 2015, @01:01AM
Amateur Radio.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday January 20 2015, @01:56AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 1) by gnuman on Tuesday January 20 2015, @03:54AM
You must also have means to move out of any country to move out of it, and actual permission from other nation to actually receive you. If you don't have both, you either can't leave or risk loosing your investment in the move by being deported.
Since most people in bangladesh make less than $100/month, they may not have enough money just to move anywhere else.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 20 2015, @05:19AM
So, they shut this down, which usually is bad, oppressive government and all, but because the protests are by Islamists, I can whole-heartedly agree with this decision. Islam is a cancer. Mod me troll or flamebait, but it's true and we all know it. Whatever your view on religions, none have promoted such an appalling, uncompassionate, violent oppressive view on such a massive scale as Islam has. I look forward to the day when Islam is dead.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 20 2015, @07:27AM
It makes me feel a little sad that (presumably) smart people, or that should know better, fall for this anti Islam propaganda that the USA has been spreading. Sure, the terrorists operate in name of Islam, or whatever. You should know that Western countries, and especially the USA, fight wars in name of their God too. At the same time, there is no religion TODAY (including Islam) that promotes or even endorses violence. You can go on saying things about violence in the Koran, but then I would like to point you to the Old Testament. No religious person /in their right mind/ would take this literally. But still, just because a relatively small number of sociopathic nutjobs go around on killing spreas and shout that it is because of $religion makes you look over the former and confirm the latter as cause. Why? Because propaganda, that's why. Sorry, sir, you've been had.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 20 2015, @09:06AM
No religious person /in their right mind/ would take this literally.
I'm going to get a lot of flak for saying this, but honest belief in any religion is already a sign of insanity. People who treat ancient fairy tales as objective reality are not in their right mind at all.
But still, just because a relatively small number of sociopathic nutjobs go around on killing spreas and shout that it is because of $religion makes you look over the former and confirm the latter as cause.
Small number of nutjobs whose actions are condoned by most of the Islamic world [pewglobal.org], especially within their own sects.
Why? Because propaganda, that's why. Sorry, sir, you've been had.
Or perhaps you've been had by the "religion of peace" propaganda instead. I'm sure some Muslims are genuine nice guys who desperately cling to their faith, but they do not represent mainstream Islam.
(nonsense about Christianity)
Arguing about other religions is a red herring.
(Score: 2) by Yog-Yogguth on Tuesday January 20 2015, @05:44PM
I don't know what you're watching since I don't have a TV but I only need to talk to any ordinary muslims where I live, ask them what their opinion is about stuff, that kind of thing. For the vast majority of ordinary muslims it's fucking ugly on the surface and doesn't get any prettier once you dig down. Maybe you've only met highly educated muslims or fake highly ideological but non-religious “muslims”? No US propaganda involved because I don't give a shit about the US government and their lies any more except to ridicule their idiocy and bemoan the horrible fate they've bestowed on all of us. And I'll do the same to your kind of suicidal idiocy because there's hardly any difference. And I'll do the same regarding islam because there's hardly any difference there either. As far as I am concerned you are all enemies of humanity and civilization.
I have no obligations to them, to you, or to the US government and any demands for “respect” or influence from any of you are equally unwanted.
Neither of the three of you show any sliver of understanding for the meaning of the word reciprocity. Without that you either can't or more likely deliberately pretend not to understand how so many crucial concepts become self-annihilating when they are not mutual. In turn this means you are all automatically unfit for inclusion in any functional society. Your kind, the US government, and far too many muslims.
Hey did you know the current poster boy/hero for white Western European neo-nazis is a “French” black muslim comedian [wikipedia.org] who has reinvented the nazi salute [wikipedia.org]? Are you saying he's US propaganda? That the local muslims are US propaganda? That you and your kind is US propaganda?
And if you think the problems in Europe (and Asia and Africa) are confined to a few nutjobs and armed violence you're completely fucking clueless. In Europe there's a lot of shit happening every god damn day from tiny stuff like bullying and harassment of kids to several carbeques each week in every city with a significant muslim population, then add the rapes and general crime, the grooming rings and the new slave trade, and always nothing but the same old idiotic bullshit from people like you. Do you think the no-go zones are fiction? Do you realize that your “moral” stance condones all the shit and misery? Fuck you, you're a total bastard.
Bite harder Ouroboros, bite! tails.boum.org/ linux USB CD secure desktop IRC *crypt tor (not endorsements (XKeyScore))
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 21 2015, @04:15AM
You're so hip, not owning a TV. That said, you base your opinion on personal anecdotes. When you even go as far as to call strangers you've never met 'total bastards' and tell them to fuck themselves, it's not that hard to imagine how any social interaction you take part in would pan out. You seem to have a lot of hatred towards people of a specific religion. At the same time, you're too cool to give a fuck about anything, that's your words. Now tell me who doesn't have a clue here.
(Score: 2) by Yog-Yogguth on Thursday January 22 2015, @05:23AM
Here's your comment full sentence by full sentence:
- Irrelevant ad hominem but thanks for calling me a hipster I think that's a first :D (yeah I know it's an insult; don't worry I read you loud and clear).
- Obviously factually incorrect but that's to be expected since you're clueless: you wouldn't know and you don't know. A lot more people talk together a lot more than you realize; they all live in a shared environment. They all have families and friends and associates, they're just as diverse as society in general, many of them are themselves immigrants, some are even muslim. There's nothing rare about the things I speak of, the problems have some degree of official public recognition although it's fucking obvious there's a concerted effort to belittle the issues (although that really stopped working about five year ago): one can't hide shit like this forever, that just doesn't work, too many people are affected on a daily basis. The “left” is playing catch-up to the “right”, who is playing catch-up to the new-ish political parties, who is playing catch-up to general public sentiment, who is playing catch-up to the people risking their lives to exercise their freedoms and/or voice their dissatisfaction, who are trying to avoid the outcomes that involve war etc..
- Meaningless ad hominem (and on the internet of all places lol).
- Stereotypical nonsensical and irrelevant ad hominem (hatred, so scary (sarcasm)) based on lack of reading comprehension (the end is talking about people like you not muslims).
- Where in my comment do I say that? Is that your general impression from reading my comment?
- I'll tell you again: you don't have a clue.
Bite harder Ouroboros, bite! tails.boum.org/ linux USB CD secure desktop IRC *crypt tor (not endorsements (XKeyScore))