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An increasing number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) around the world have been blocking more and more access based on accusations of copyright infringement. Those demanding the blocking assert that high standards are followed when making the decision. However, those studying the situation are finding otherwise. Given the scope creep demonstrated by these activities there is legitimate concern for the future availability of Virtual Private Networks (VPN) on those providers.
TorrentFreak covers analysis from University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist on the topic via his personal blog:
A group of prominent Canadian ISPs and movie industry companies are determined to bring pirate site blocking efforts to North America. This plan has triggered a fair amount of opposition, including cautioning analyses from law professor Michael Geist, who warns of potential overblocking and fears that VPN services could become the next target.
Michael Geist's personal blog jumps right in with a discussion of likely expansions to the scope of blocking and other sources of blocking over-reach.
The Bell coalition website blocking proposal downplays concerns about over-blocking that often accompanies site blocking regimes by arguing that it will be limited to "websites and services that are blatantly, overwhelmingly, or structurally engaged in piracy." Having discussed piracy issues in Canada and how the absence of a court order makes the proposal an outlier with virtually every country that has permitted site blocking, the case against the website blocking plan now turns to the inevitability of over-blocking that comes from expanding the block list or from the technical realities of mandating site blocking across hundreds of ISPs for millions of subscribers. This post focuses on the likely expansion of the scope of piracy for the purposes of blocking and the forthcoming posts will discuss other sources of blocking over-reach.
Once a technology or practice is in place, it is usually extended and abused beyond its original purpose. Even in the short history of the World Wide Web as well as the Internet, scope creep has shown itself to be a real problem.
Sources :
Canadian Pirate Site Blocks Could Spread to VPNs, Professor Warns
The Case Against the Bell Coalition's Website Blocking Plan, Part 5: The Inevitable Expansion of the Block List Standard for "Piracy" Sites
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 20 2018, @08:46PM (4 children)
I can't wait... Block all VPNs, block all encryption, block the lot... cripple the internet beyond recognition
Let's tear down this internet and start again from scratch but this time with Privacy built into the core!
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 20 2018, @08:50PM (1 child)
I can't wait... Block all VPNs, block all encryption, block the lot... cripple the internet beyond recognition
Let's tear down this internet and start again from scratch...
Too late. The Russians have already P0wned us.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 21 2018, @03:53AM
After the election....
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 21 2018, @10:46AM (1 child)
Don't wish that. If that was to happen, somehow they will manage to get the current "security costs extra" model built into the core requirements, just like it is in HTTPS today (just try to find a main stream browser that supports ANY alternative (e.g. DANE) to the broken CA model, without giving huge warnings.
Not even Firefox supports alternatives to the broken CA model.
And no, don't say Let's Encrypt, they are not an alternative to the broken CA model, they are a part of it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 21 2018, @11:27AM
Well, thanks to the add-on model, you can get it anyway. [mozilla.org]
HOWEVER: On that page you'll find: "Not compatible with Firefox Quantum" — Great job breaking things, Mozilla!