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posted by martyb on Wednesday September 16 2015, @08:10PM   Printer-friendly
from the information-wants-to-be-freely-accessible dept.

The first library-hosted Tor node in the U.S. is to be reactivated, after a public meeting on Tuesday at the Kilton Public Library in West Lebanon, New Hampshire, in which area residents expressed support for the Board of Trustees and the Tor system. The Library had also conducted surveys which indicated strong support from both residents and non-residents alike.

The node had been set up as part of the Library Freedom Project's pilot program, following a unanimous decision by the Board in June; however, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had apparently contacted City officials and law enforcement, informing them that (FTA) "Tor sometimes is used by criminals to distribute child pornography or illegal drugs, among other abuses." After discussion with the Town, the Board had suspended the relay, pending discussion at Tuesday's public meeting.

City officials insisted that they had not intended to force the Board into a particular decision, but rather intended to educate the public about their concerns.

The Board Chair, Francis Oscadal, was quoted as saying, "I could vote in favor of the good ... or I could vote against the bad. I'd rather vote for the good because there is value to this."

See also: Concord Monitor .


Original Submission

Related Stories

A Dozen US Libraries Line Up to Run Tor Exit Nodes 22 comments

El Reg reports

A dozen libraries across the US have asked for details on how to host Tor exit nodes following a decision by the small town of Lebanon, New Hampshire, to [forgo] police warnings.

Following a decision by the library's board of trustees earlier this week to put the exit node back online, the founder of the Library Freedom Project, Alison Macrina, said that she had heard from a number of other libraries interested in hosting tor nodes.

"Between libraries and community leaders around the country, we've heard from probably about a dozen who are interested in joining this", she told Motherboard.

One of those people was present at the board meeting, having driven two hours to attend. As a library trustee at nearby Reading, she revealed that it was going to have its own meeting on the issue next month.

[...] Macrina now says that the DHS' efforts have put her project on the map. "This has catalyzed additional libraries and community members", she told Motherboard. "Folks have emailed me saying 'We don't care if it gets shut down, we want to push back against [the DHS]'."

Previous: Library Running Tor Exit Node Gets Visit from Cops; Takes it Down
Despite Homeland Security Opposition, Tor is back at New Hampshire Library


Original Submission

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  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Nerdfest on Wednesday September 16 2015, @08:31PM

    by Nerdfest (80) on Wednesday September 16 2015, @08:31PM (#237103)

    The telephone, web, and mail system are also sometimes "used by criminals to distribute child pornography or illegal drugs, among other abuses.". Good for these people for having a clue and doing the right thing despite the fact that it makes it difficult for the TLAs to (illegally) monitor it.

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by M. Baranczak on Wednesday September 16 2015, @08:55PM

      by M. Baranczak (1673) on Wednesday September 16 2015, @08:55PM (#237118)

      A non-comprehensive list of things that people have used to transport illegal recreational drugs - and I'm limiting myself just to people that I've met personally:

      - a Bible
      - a prosthetic leg
      - a toy monkey
      - a vagina

      By the logic that DHS is applying here, they should all be banned, too.

      • (Score: 3, Funny) by Gaaark on Wednesday September 16 2015, @10:09PM

        by Gaaark (41) on Wednesday September 16 2015, @10:09PM (#237148) Journal

        VAGINAS should never, ever be banned.

        Well maybe during certain times, but that is it. PERIOD!

        And i am unanimous in that!

        --
        --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
      • (Score: 2) by Gravis on Wednesday September 16 2015, @10:09PM

        by Gravis (4596) on Wednesday September 16 2015, @10:09PM (#237149)

        they probably would if they could. -_-

      • (Score: 2) by The Archon V2.0 on Wednesday September 16 2015, @10:25PM

        by The Archon V2.0 (3887) on Wednesday September 16 2015, @10:25PM (#237157)

        Well, some of the people who wouldn't ever ban item 1 seem pretty desperate to ban most uses of item 4.

        • (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 16 2015, @11:07PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 16 2015, @11:07PM (#237173)

          Recreational use of #4 is banned but medicinal (reproductive) is fine.

      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Thursday September 17 2015, @12:57AM

        by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Thursday September 17 2015, @12:57AM (#237207) Journal

        In the last article, someone pointed out that criminals are known to use air. All the air on earth should be bottled and shipped to Mars to prevent criminals using air!

    • (Score: 2) by Hyperturtle on Wednesday September 16 2015, @11:30PM

      by Hyperturtle (2824) on Wednesday September 16 2015, @11:30PM (#237185)

      They were thinking of the children, just like the 14 year old that made the clock. Better to threaten everyone with legal problems than it is to let anyone express curiosity! Kill that cat now, before it gets itself killed.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 16 2015, @09:28PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 16 2015, @09:28PM (#237135)

    Good on them!

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 17 2015, @12:35AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 17 2015, @12:35AM (#237200)

    ...for freedom. Great move, everyone needs to donate to the library.

  • (Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday September 17 2015, @01:36AM

    by frojack (1554) on Thursday September 17 2015, @01:36AM (#237230) Journal

    In the face of all the outrage over the last article I pointed out [soylentnews.org] this would be reversed.

    And yet the comments here (above) is nothing but more rage.

    The board and the people saw through the nonsense, and put it back up.

    After this bitch slap, do you think any other police department is going to go to their library and drop hints about the library's Tor Exit node? I'm guessing not. Or at least not until some event happens that the authorities can trump up some tenuous Tor connection.

    There are a lot of libraries that jumped on the Tor exit node bandwagon. They saw it as part of their mission, even though it didn't necessarily serve their own patrons. Apparently their Patrons agree.

    Apparently the New Hampshire motto is still alive.

    --
    No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 17 2015, @02:16AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 17 2015, @02:16AM (#237239)

      Apparently the New Hampshire motto is still alive.

      Nah. They still have DUI checkpoints and other nonsense.

    • (Score: 2) by Anal Pumpernickel on Thursday September 17 2015, @02:19AM

      by Anal Pumpernickel (776) on Thursday September 17 2015, @02:19AM (#237240)

      In the face of all the outrage over the last article I pointed out this would be reversed.

      You may have been right this particular time, but there have been countless instances where government fearmongering has ruined things for everyone. Being cautious of their decision to stop until another vote is not bad. Frankly, they should not have stopped at all in the first place.

      • (Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday September 17 2015, @02:46AM

        by frojack (1554) on Thursday September 17 2015, @02:46AM (#237255) Journal

        I agree, the proper thing would have been to continue running it till the board met.
        Its not like terrorists were relying on that particular exit node to sell children or something.

        --
        No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
    • (Score: 2) by shortscreen on Thursday September 17 2015, @05:30AM

      by shortscreen (2252) on Thursday September 17 2015, @05:30AM (#237308) Journal

      After this bitch slap, do you think any other police department is going to go to their library and drop hints about the library's Tor Exit node?

      I wouldn't be surprised. Cops still harass people for trying to photograph/record them, even after courts have informed the cops that they shouldn't be doing that.

      • (Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday September 17 2015, @02:52PM

        by frojack (1554) on Thursday September 17 2015, @02:52PM (#237477) Journal

        True, but that affects them personally, (their misbehavior is about to become public).

        Why would they care about a Tor Exit node?

        --
        No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 17 2015, @07:31PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 17 2015, @07:31PM (#237640)

          It makes some part of their job harder.

          Stupid freedom...

          • (Score: 3, Interesting) by frojack on Thursday September 17 2015, @07:45PM

            by frojack (1554) on Thursday September 17 2015, @07:45PM (#237652) Journal

            It makes some part of their job harder.

            Makes some parts of their job easier. FIFY.

            All they need to do is filter out the IP of the Exit Node when they are doing their deep packet inspection, because nobody in their jurisdiction is going to want to use an Exit Node in the same town as destination of the packets they are inspecting. Those TOR users will be a world away, and beyond their jurisdiction.

            --
            No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.