Iran Says No To Gmail; Yes To 'We Spy On You' Email
from the well-that's-comforting dept
Given reports that Iran is potentially handing out death sentences to bloggers whose content the Iranian gov’t dislikes, you would think that a secure and private means of communication is important for many people in that country. And apparently the Iranian government realizes this and doesn’t like it. So it’s decided to try to pull the plug on Gmail, and instead roll out a “national email service.” Of course, that just means an email service that the government has full access to, which I’m sure doesn’t fool anyone. However, it does make you wonder if Iran thinks it can possibly block all other types of email beyond just Gmail (and I’m sure plenty of folks in Iran can quickly figure out how to get around the blocks).
Comments on “Iran Says No To Gmail; Yes To 'We Spy On You' Email”
Counter-Censorship Operations
I wonder if Google has a team dedicated to counter-censorship? Perhaps they could throw resources at it that were previously dedicated towards Google China.
Re: Counter-Censorship Operations
While I do not agree with censorship, I also think it’s not the position of a U.S. company to try and circumvent the laws of another country. Leave that up to their citizens. We would not like Iran to try and impose their laws on our people, in like manner it is not our place to force our ways upon other parts of the world.
We must learn that we do not run the planet.
Re: Re: Counter-Censorship Operations
While I do not agree with censorship, I also think it’s not the position of a U.S. company to try and circumvent the laws of another country.
What company are accusing of that? Or was that just a straw man argument?
Re: Re: Re: Counter-Censorship Operations
If you read the comment I replied to, this should make sense. Perhaps you are not using a threaded view so I will copy it:
“I wonder if Google has a team dedicated to counter-censorship? Perhaps they could throw resources at it that were previously dedicated towards Google China.”
I hope this helps you.
Re: Re: Re:2 Counter-Censorship Operations
I hope this helps you.
It would be more helpful if you answered the question.
Re: Re: Re:3 Counter-Censorship Operations
He did answer it, Andrew was saying Google might/should/could try and fight against this using some of it’s resources. Tao was merely saying he doesn’t agree that a US company should. How hard is that to udnerstand?
Re: Re: Re:4 Counter-Censorship Operations
Understand* – Typing is haaaard.
Re: Re: Re:4 Counter-Censorship Operations
Tao was merely saying he doesn’t agree that a US company should. How hard is that to udnerstand?
Kind of like when I say that I don’t think that you should be allowed to rape any more little kids? Yeah, I understand how that kind of insinuation works.
Re: Re: Re:5 Counter-Censorship Operations
Wait, what the hell?
That came out of nowhere. Look I understand both sentiments. One sentiment is that it’s immoral to allow censorship to occur. The other sentiment is that it’s immoral to interfere with a country’s local laws unless you live in that country or have a major stake in it, because if you’re not a local you might not know best.
Re: Re: Re:6 Counter-Censorship Operations
Wait, what the hell?
That came out of nowhere.
Nobody said that Epsyle was actually raping little kids, just that he shouldn’t be allowed to. Nobody should. Who can argue with that?
Yeah, the example was probably a little extreme. The point was that someone was trying to insinuate that maybe Google was doing something (that it isn’t) without coming right out and saying it by and that’s a cheap shot.
Google isn’t trying to interfere in the internal affairs of either China or Iran. On the contrary, if Google were to take sides and assist the groups currently running those countries in their censorship programs to suppress other groups then they *would* be getting involved.
Re: Re: Re:7 The Simple Answer
Andrew F wondered if Google had a counter-censorship team and whether they could assign resources to it. I stated that I don’t think they should. I didn’t just make up a position out of the blue (as you did with the rape thing) and then make a statement against it. I responded to an actual comment contemplating foreign corporate interference with my opinion on that very topic. I hope you can see the difference.
Re: Re: Re:5 Counter-Censorship Operations
Well that was certainly a different response lol…
Re: Re: Counter-Censorship Operations
What laws? Google’s excuse can simply be, “we saw an outage and rectified it.”
Re: Re: Counter-Censorship Operations
However it is the position of every US company to maximize it’s profits … If Iranian citizens can’t get their gmail they might stop using other google products and google might get less ad revenue. Therefore it is in Google’s best interests to fight the block.
Well, really it goes from corporate spy to government spy.
More like “Iran Says No To Google Spys On You Email and Yes To Iran Spys On You Email”
Google tracks all of your clicks, and data, and email better than Iran ever will. The main difference is that Iran may sentence you and your family to death, whereas Google will just assimilate you…
Re: Well, really it goes from corporate spy to government spy.
Except I actually believe Google when they say they don’t read my emails (by that, I mean only their machines do).
Re: Well, really it goes from corporate spy to government spy.
That was the point of the title! Iran doesn’t want G-mail, but the like the whole reading people’s e-mails idea. The title was intended to be written that way… Grrr stupidity.
Solutions already exist.
That is exactly why Cornell did the Herbivore but there is also GNUNet, Retroshare, and there is other solutions that will make any IT administrator weep.
But I think Iran already did this once, didn’t they tried to make another e-mail already that nobody used?
Lets see here, Iran, a country with some top scientist developing technology for refining Uranium, and medium range missiles, as if these same scientist cannot circumvent a firewall …..
Re: Re:
“as if these same scientist cannot circumvent a firewall”
upon penalty of death
Re: Re:
When the wall is actually made of fire …
Encryption
IF you live in a dictatorship, Encrypt your electronic communication.
There are several easy-to-use tools for this, such as Flexcrypt (www.flexcrypt.com)
Re: Encryption
IF you live in a dictatorship, Encrypt your electronic communication.
There are several easy-to-use tools for this, such as Flexcrypt (www.flexcrypt.com)
Proprietary encryption products complete with back doors?
Better go with open source products instead.
Re: Encryption
Don’t fool yourself.
We all live in a dictatorship of some sort.
Re: Encryption
I use double ROT-13
Iran can try whatever they like, but
“The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it.”
-John Gilmore
Re: Iran can try whatever they like, but
fantasy land is a wonderful place. Iran and google do not live in fantasy land. I agree with the fellow who said it is just corporate spying replacing government spying. If Iran just asked google to comply with their laws they probably would.
“by Anonymous Coward
“The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it.”
-John Gilmore
“
The US National Security Administration intercepts and reads all of your electronic communications. So what’s new?
taoareyou, yes the do, the NSA.
taoareyou, yes the do, the NSA.
Iran? Isn't that some kind of disease?
Well, perhaps Iran is actually not quite a disease, at least in the most technical terms. However, it is a festering, pus-laden boil on a hugely swollen hemorrhoid on the inside of the thoroughly and permanently constipated anus of the world, so that comes close enough to being a disease for me. Their entire government is an addled collection of “ayatollahs”, “mullahs”, and assorted other religious wackos, still firmly philosophically rooted in the Stone Age, and they seem to hold the majority of their equally addled population in their thrall.
Netted out, who cares what they do to their own people? If they’re so cowardly and impotent to have tolerated and condoned this for decades, they quite simply deserve their situation. Were they all to disappear from the earth overnight, I doubt they’d be missed by anyone, anywhere, ever. And, the oil would now become cause for their neighbors to start killing each other over it in ever larger numbers. All in all, not a bad possible outcome. Let the games begin.
I’m not a Muslim, Iranian, Iraqi or a middle east lover, but this Iran news are so fake.
Compromised news outlet (like this website) keep pushing these insane news only to fabricate Iran hate idiots that will say YES to another war based on lies.
If only people could do a complete follow up before they make their mind if they hate, love, dislike, or whatever someone, some place, some organization, etc. I’m so sick of this Iran news that I care not to follow up no more. But sure thing I can see a fabrication when I see one.
There is no action, without reaction! What I think it happened is that Iran’s gov probably asked Google for some info, and they refused to share, hence the ban.
Chinese ppl are a bit more intelligent and prepare to handle Google’s nasty practices.
Re: (AC-#24)
“Compromised news outlet (like this website) keep pushing these insane news only to fabricate Iran hate idiots that will say YES to another war based on lies.“
WTF!?
Where the hell did that come from?
Sorry i can speak English well…
but
we breaking this wall
we will have gmail/Buzz/facebook/twitter/youtube/….
[url=http://forum.majidonline.com/showthread.php?t=139425]Iranian Come On[/url]
Gotta love the double standards.