US internet providers hijacking users' search queries

Jimmy Hess mysidia at gmail.com
Sat Aug 6 01:10:07 UTC 2011


On Fri, Aug 5, 2011 at 7:45 PM, Matthew Palmer <mpalmer at hezmatt.org> wrote:

> On Fri, Aug 05, 2011 at 05:04:51PM -0700, Bino Gopal wrote:
> >
> http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20768-us-internet-providers-hijacking-users-search-queries.html
> I hope more ISPs start doing this; it'll increase the take up of HTTPS.
> - Matt
>

I'd rather someone start making a blacklist of ISPs  that "inspect and
modify packets"  in transit
through their network  in any way  ( other than TTL decrementing ),   so
search engines could collectively
identify these ISPs and  choose to require  _all_  connections from them be
over SSL.


You know what's going to happen. The regulators are going to get involved in
response to things like this,
with sufficient outcry from the public.    Once ISPs show the industry can't
be trusted to moderate itself,
a new government body is likely to be formed for the sole purpose of passing
as many arbitrary,
arcane, bureaucratic, and otherwise burdensome rules ISPs will have to
follow as possible.

ISP's  'redirection' of certain search terms is proof that they have the
full capability to block search terms,
if it becomes widespread it would show that it's not unreasonable to demand
ISPs  intercept or block certain
search queries.

So eventually, there could be a government body saying what any ISP may do
to search engine queries,
and even mandating that ISPs do examine searches and block certain keywords
or phrases....

--
-JH



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