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posted by martyb on Saturday September 12 2015, @12:58PM   Printer-friendly
from the unacceptable-acceptable-use-policies dept.

Is it just me or have ISP (Internet Service Provider) terms and conditions gotten a lot more one-sided about what you can't do and what they can do?

I was considering switching to the new Vodafone Connect broadband and phone service as there are some nice discounts for existing Vodafone customers (and I've had enough of BT's high prices for FTTC) but reading through the text of their Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) has caused me to think again. I'm sure a lot of the text in the agreement is fairly standard, and to be honest it's been a while since I switched providers, but some of these terms seem rather overreaching. For example:

2.7. You must not use the Vodafone Connect Services to access, download, send, receive, store, distribute, transmit, upload or in any way deal with material or data that we deem:

i. to be offensive, threatening, defamatory, racist, abusive, harassing, invasive of privacy, obscene, harmful, indecent or menacing;

Those words cover one hell of a lot of territory... sorry, did you deem my use of the "H" word offensive? What if I'm in a private chat with a friend and he calls me a "####" so I tell him to "#### off"? Use your imagination, we could be covering offensive, abusive, obscene and indecent right there (if not more).

Further on there's a section titled "Actions we may take" (where "we" is Vodafone) and this one really got my attention:

[More after the break...]

4.1. We may, at our sole discretion, run manual or automatic systems and monitoring in order to ensure that you remain compliant with the terms of this AUP at all times (for example we may scan for open mail relays, or open proxy servers). By accessing the internet via our Vodafone Connect Services you are deemed to have granted us permission to access and monitor your computer systems and networks.

So just by using their service I've given permission for them to access and monitor all my systems and networks! Well, given that they bought Cable & Wireless they do have a history of working closely within the surveillance system. Funny though, that they deem it acceptable to "access and monitor" my systems when earlier in the AUP it states:

2.11. Without the explicit permission of the relevant operators you may not run "scanning" software which accesses remote machines, networks or other computer systems.

Of course, they've got the usual "we can change this document at any time without explicitly telling you, and continuing use of the service means you agreed to any new conditions we've set" (See section 1.3) and finally you better not ever get a virus (goodbye Windows users):

2.13.You must ensure that your computer systems and network are not configured in such a way that others are able to exploit them in order to disrupt the internet or any other third party network. This includes but is not limited to ensuring that your network cannot be exploited as an open mail relay, open proxy server, or as a component of a wider network used in denial, or distributed denial of service attacks by third parties.


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  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 12 2015, @02:31PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 12 2015, @02:31PM (#235572)

    Umm, no that isn't the "answer".

    So you personally get a VPN to work around unreasonable restrictions, great. What happens when the next ISP does it, then the next, then all of them? Unless people stand up and say NO. ( with dollars, legislation, protests ) then they get a green light to do it everywhere.

    What happens when they ban VPNs, or TOR, FreeNet, I2p, whatever, next? While its hard to stop it at a technical level i agree, when they find out you are doing it, your account is gone, and you are blacklisted. ( in many areas, no need for a blacklist when you have one choice due to all the virtual-monopolies ). Remember too, that they dont need to know what you were doing as you violated the AUP. *poof* you are gone. No recourse, nothing.

    "Whey they came for me, there was no one left to stand up"

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 12 2015, @05:13PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 12 2015, @05:13PM (#235618)

    Then cut the wire. Drop off the net and not give them your money. It is either:

    A) show your ISP that they are idoits

    B) Sit under a rock, out in the woods and wait for it to fall on your head.

    You want to change the system:

    A) Remove their cash flow. No money they do not exist. That is what the outside is doing. They take them to court and take your money away from them.

    B) Take them to court, yourself based on unconscionable terms and have the whole contract voided.

    C) Get into office and take the money form the other side and stiff them. 1 term, good loot, next guy puts back.

    E) Revolt???

    What is your choice?

    • (Score: 2) by edIII on Saturday September 12 2015, @08:01PM

      by edIII (791) on Saturday September 12 2015, @08:01PM (#235664)

      I was going for "F) All of the Above, with Gusto", but...

      "B) Sit under a rock, out in the woods and wait for it to fall on your head."

      If I'm under the rock, how can something fall on my head? Why am I in the woods? Am I protesting a WISP?

      Anyways, I choose everything but B), unless I can also test my theory about the death of mimes in the forest.

      --
      Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.