Featured: Privacy News Online – Week of August 14th, 2020

Chinese gamers will need to verify their real names on all games by September

The Chinese government is rolling out a real name authentication and verification system to all online games in the country by the end of the month. Some of these verification systems actually utilize facial recognition. While some big gaming companies have already been rolling out their own real name verification systems, This final deadline to do so was revealed by the Chinese Central Publicity Department at ChinaJoy, the country’s biggest gaming convention.

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China expands Great Firewall to block HTTPS traffic that uses TLS 1.3 and ESNI

Doesn’t seem to be a good week for Chinese internet users. According to a joint report by  iYouPort, the Great Firewall Report, and the University of Maryland, Chinese censors have upgraded the Great Firewall of China so that it blocks these newer types of HTTPS traffic. TLS 1.3 and ESNI are new technologies that augment HTTPS so that it is more secure – something that China is clearly not OK with. The blocks were first noted near the end of July and represent an escalation in the differences between China’s internet and the free and open internet.

The Department of Justice wants to stop California from having net neutrality

The DOJ has filed for an injunction to stop California from enacting their state level net neutrality law. Ever since net neutrality was repealed by the FCC starting in 2018, states have sought to keep net neutrality alive at least within their borders – something that US courts ruled states could do. This injunction won’t be ruled on until October, but California’s Attorney General has stated that he looks forward to defending California’s state net neutrality protections.

More Privacy News This Week:

Capital One ordered to pay $80 million penalty for its role in a 2019 data breach

Back in 2019, Capital One suffered a breach that affected 100 million people. The Office of the Comptroller of Currency emphasized that Capital One knew about their security flaws but chose to do nothing about it . As part of the penalty, Capital One will need to create a compliance committee and create an action plan for improving cybersecurity at the company. At less than a dollar for each impacted customer; hopefully that’s enough to really change things.

Turkey takes Germany’s “hate speech” law, and makes it much worse with its own censorship and data localization rules

Many countries around the world have been introducing their own “hate speech” laws which are used for censorship. Turkey is the latest country to do so, passing what the EFF calls the worst version” yet. Under the new law, Turkey can order internet service providers to throttle social media platforms that don’t comply. Turkey already doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to censorship as they’ve previously blocked VPN connections, Github, and even all of Wikipedia. Now things are getting worse.

F.T.C. Investigating Twitter for Potential Privacy Violations

Last week, Twitter let the world know that the social media platform is facing an FTC investigation that could result in a 150 to 250 million dollar fine. The investigation has been ongoing since October of 2019 and focuses on the fact that Twitter collected phone numbers from users for security use, but turned around and used the phone numbers to help target ads. This is something that Facebook has also been fined for doing.

A mysterious group has hijacked Tor exit nodes to perform SSL stripping attacks

A report by security researcher and Tor exit node operator Nusenu highlights that a group has been using hijacked Tor exit nodes to perform SSL stripping attacks targeted at cryptocurrency users. At its height, the group controlled 25% of the exit nodes and is still active with roughly 10% of the Tor exit nodes. The SSL stripping would downgrade users from HTTPS to HTTP then replace the bitcoin addresses that payouts would go to. This isn’t the first time this type of attack has happened, and likely won’t be the last.

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The post Privacy News Online | Weekly Review: August 14, 2020 appeared first on Privacy News Online by Private Internet Access VPN.

at least 13 countries have adopted or proposed models similar to the NetzDG matrix. According to Freedom House’s Freedom on the Net (2019), five of those countries are ranked “not free” (Honduras, Venezuela, Vietnam, Russia and Belarus), five are ranked “partly free” (Kenya, India, Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines), and only three ranked “free” (France, UK and Australia). Most of these countries have explicitly referred to the NetzDG as a justification for restricting online speech. Moreover, several of these countries, including Venezuela, Vietnam, India, Russia, Malaysia, and Kenya, require intermediaries to remove vague categories of content that include “fake news”, “defamation of religions”, “anti-government propaganda” and “hate speech” that can be abused to target political dissent.

One more can now be added to the list. Turkey has just passed what the Electronic Frontier Foundation calls “the worst version of Germany’s NetzDG yet“. Although it’s unfortunate that a regional leader like Turkey has brought in this law, it’s hardly a surprise. Turkey has a terrible record for freedom of speech: it is ranked 154th out of 180 countries in the RSF 2020 World Press Freedom Index. In 2018, its courts blocked access to around 3000 articles, including those on political corruption and human rights violations. Turkey has a track record of repeatedly blocking online companies like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Its government also brought in a VPN ban, and blocked the whole of Wikipedia.

One reason for these continuing attacks on freedom of speech is that Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is notoriously thin-skinned. For example, a Turkish citizen who simply shared a meme comparing Erdogan’s facial expressions with Gollum from “Lord of the Rings” was not only hit with a suspended sentence, but lost custody of his children. The new censorship law also seems to have been brought in partly for personal reasons, as Al Jazeera reports:

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has greatly concentrated powers into his own hands during 17 years in office, pledged this month to bring social media platforms under control following a series of tweets that allegedly insulted his daughter and son-in-law after they announced the birth of their fourth child on Twitter. At least 11 people were detained for questioning over the tweets.

The new law was passed extremely quickly: barely a month passed from its announcement to its approval.

The EFF has provided a good summary of its main features. They include requiring social media platforms that have more than two million daily users to appoint a local representative in Turkey. This is similar to the approach taken by Brazil in its new “fake news” law, discussed by Privacy News Online a few weeks ago. The penalties for failing to do so can be steep: they include advertisement bans, heavy financial penalties, and bandwidth reductions. The legislation allows Turkish courts to order Internet providers to throttle social media platforms’ bandwidth by up to 90%, in effect blocking access to those sites. Once local representatives are in place, they are responsible for blocking or taking down content when ordered to do so by the Turkish government.

Social media companies will also be required to remove content that allegedly violates “personal rights” and the “privacy of personal life” within 48 hours of receiving a court order, or face steep fines. Measures to protect privacy are to be welcomed, generally; however, these sound dangerously vague. It’s easy to imagine them being abused by the rich and powerful who want true but embarrassing material removed. Another requirement is for social media platforms to store user data locally. It is likely that Turkish authorities will use this to demand details about people posting items that displease Erdogan, for example. In order to avoid that risk, many Turkish social media users will probably prefer to engage in self-censorship, which is doubtless the outcome the authorities want here.

Freedom of speech in Turkey has been under attack for years, and the new law is likely to exacerbate the existing problems. Given Erdogan’s grip on power, there’s not much that can be done about that for the moment. The worry has to be that if these new measures choke off online dissent in Turkey, as seems likely, it will encourage other repressive governments to adopt a similar approach elsewhere.

Featured image by Mstyslav Chernov.

The post Turkey takes Germany’s “hate speech” law, and makes it much worse with its own censorship and data localization rules appeared first on Privacy News Online by Private Internet Access VPN.

Private Internet Access still works in Turkey.

After the initial social media blocks early morning on 11/04/16, many users turned to VPNs to continue using social media. Some users that were already connected via VPN and proxy options noticed that their connection stopped working some 24 hours into the social media ban.

My VPN services have stopped working. Can anybody else confirm if there's some sort of VPN blocking going on? #Turkey (Using Tor right now)

— NightOwl (@Javissko) November 4, 2016

Turkish government requests VPN ban

One Turkish tech media site, Turk-Internet pointed out that the Turkish government’s request specifically called out many popular VPN companies while leaving out smaller ones, and might be meant to encourage Turkish activists to use insecure VPN services which are under Turkish surveillance. They also pointed out that business’s VPN needs might force the Turkish government to relinquish their VPN ban within days.

Most of #Turkey use #VPN to connect social media. Now Turkish Gvt Agency asked operators to block #VPN services.#racetobottom censorship https://t.co/uHiTqRgrNq

— ilhan tanir (@WashingtonPoint) November 4, 2016

A VPN ban is the definition of Internet Censorship

Internet censorship is a very real concern in today’s world. Whether the block occurs on just a few sites, just a few porn sites, or just a few topics, it is the beginning of a slippery slope. Just like with mass surveillance, starting means you are on a race to the bottom where there are no winners. Just 24 hours ago, Turkey blocked WhatsApp for the first time; now, they have issued the order to block over a dozen VPN services and the Tor Project. Whether that is even feasible remains to be seen. It is unlikely that Turkey has a technically sophisticated firewall like the Great Firewall of China. Just the mere act of trying to ban VPNs and Tor reveals beyond a doubt the lack of technical knowledge in the current Turkish regime.

The post Tired of people circumventing social media blocks, Turkey calls for VPN ban appeared first on Privacy News Online by Private Internet Access VPN.

Confirmed: Twitter, Facebook and YouTube blocked by throttling in #Turkey – developing incidenthttps://t.co/XA9JZaxn54 pic.twitter.com/3sAjwikGY5

— Turkey Blocks (@TurkeyBlocks) November 3, 2016

However, Turkey Blocks has since confirmed that WhatsApp is also currently being blocked. This is the first time that Turkey’s government has blocked WhatsApp.

Update: WhatsApp messaging service block in #Turkey confirmed, joining Twitter, Facebook and YouTube shutdownshttps://t.co/XA9JZaxn54 pic.twitter.com/XNusUu2rgW

— Turkey Blocks (@TurkeyBlocks) November 3, 2016

Social media services blocked in Turkey amid ongoing political unrest

The social media block lines up with an operation currently ongoing by the Turkish government to arrest pro-Kurdish political party members from the HDP headquarters in Ankara. Arrested members thus far include the co-leaders of the HDP, Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag. The incident report reveals that the blocks started around 1:20 AM local time Friday morning. As with the previous shutdowns of social media services (it’s happened several times this year), the block is being enforced by the increasingly restrictive country’s few Internet service providers (ISPs). The throttling and bans start at the largest ISP, TTnet, which covers more urban areas, and hasn’t reached some smaller ISPs such as Uydunet, yet. Those that are able to access social media have been keeping the world updated on the unfolding events. There is even Periscope footage from the arrests at HDP headquarters in Ankara. This shutdown of certain parts of the Internet is technically legal in Turkey. President Erdogan is using a law that allows the President to use the Internet’s kill switch however he or she wants during an “emergency situation.”

Amid the ongoing “emergency situation,” there are reports that the Turkish army is moving towards the Iraqi border and also that additional warrants will be served on all HDP parliament members. The night is still ongoing and it is possible that Turkish ISPs will attempt to block or throttle traffic to other social media services, as well.

The post WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube blocked in Turkey following arrest of pro-Kurdish political party HDP leaders appeared first on Privacy News Online by Private Internet Access VPN.

Like many other oppressive regimes, the Turkish government has direct control or influence over the actions of the country’s internet service providers and telecommunication companies. Turkey is regressing. For example, In Jammu and Kashmir in India, the internet killswitch is used on more websites than just Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter. An internet watchdog group in Turkey, Turkey Blocks, believes that a new law in Turkey is being used which allows the military to bypass the Ministry of Communications to use the country’s Internet killswitch in times of national security emergencies. This internet killswitch is now being used with more frequency and with less provocation. Turkey’s government has not, and likely will not, make any official explanation for the block; the block subsided 7 hours after it started.

Twitter users from Turkey use a VPN to bypass internet censorship

Yes, both Facebook and Twitter seem to be blocked in Turkey once more. Anyone know why?
TT @handekuday: Our generation's gas lamp is VPN.

— Ankaralı Jan (@06JAnk) August 25, 2016

Social media websites Twitter, Facebook and Youtube is down in #Turkey. No explanation(s) made on it yet.

— Aylina Kılıç (@AylinaKilic) August 25, 2016

Twitter and Facebook are both blocked in Turkey. Always a good sign.

— Ali Arikan (@aliarikan) August 25, 2016

This is a clear example of open internet censorship and ignoring its occurrence and reoccurrence allows it to become the new norm. Turkey does this kind of internet censorship all the time. During the July 15 coup, the Turkish government shutdown access to the same three websites. Last week, an explosion in Gaziantep also led to Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter being blocked.

Confirmed: Twitter, Facebook & YouTube blocked by throttling in #Turkey at 00:35AM after massive #Gaziantep blast pic.twitter.com/ZLhzcsofpm

— Turkey Blocks (@TurkeyBlocks) August 20, 2016

This week’s episode of unwarranted internet censorship likely stems from a suicide bombing in Cizre, Turkey.

Eventually, Turkey’s Internet killswitch will be broken

An internet killswitch is always a bad idea. Some pundits around the world argue in favor of a government controlled internet killswitch. The world’s governments will always be able to find talking heads that will support their factually wrong view. Just look at the commentary surrounding the “golden key” to breaking strong encryption. Broken has so many meanings.

Meshnet technology is key to solving this problem. Imagine a world where the “main net” or “mainnet” has a regularly archived backup that is served by volunteers running nodes on your local meshnet? The future is coming, and there is no room for Internet censorship.

The post Turkey blocks Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter… again appeared first on Privacy News Online by Private Internet Access VPN.

Erdogan Coup Leads to Internet Censorship

The Turkish government has censored the two most popular social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter, to obscure the flow of first hand accounts of what happens. When a government’s existence is threatened, that’s when the propaganda machines start churning for dear life. Already, there are conflicting reports from many Turkish sources that Erdogan has been arrested, is safe on a plane, is safe on a base, or giving many statements. For live updates on the situation in Turkey, we suggest that you use the Reddit Live thread.

Use a VPN to get past Turkey’s Facebook and Twitter Blocks

The sad fact of the matter is this: It doesn’t matter which side wins, there will likely continue to be violations to the Open Internet rights of Turkish citizens. After all, the United Nations, recently declared that freedom of expression on the Internet is a basic human right. The current lack of access to social media, even for the purpose of sharing updates to the outside world, is the Turkish government’s blatant slap in the face of Internet rights.

The sad fact of the matter is this: It doesn’t matter which side wins, there will likely continue to be violations to the Open Internet rights of Turkish citizens. Hopefully, the calls for a true “rule of law” in Turkey will be heard, manifested, and then the Internet rights of Turkey’s residents will be properly respected. Until then, using a VPN is the only way to ensure your private internet access remains uncensored.

Featured image from /u/TheRootsCrew.

The post Turkey blocks Facebook and Twitter following military coup to unseat Erdogan appeared first on Privacy News Online by Private Internet Access VPN.

You can always use Bitcoin to pay for VPN

While the cryptocurrency Bitcoin has proven to be effective for domestic payments, local fiat currency remains king. The combination of the network effect, the force of a government’s military, and international precedence means that this is unlikely to change in the near future. For international payments, though, things are a little more muddled. The world financial system functions like a hodgepodge jungle of veritable walled gardens. To move from one walled garden to the next requires fees. In turn, PayPal charges these fees to users because of very real regulatory compliance costs. Even if they wanted to pay those fees, the end user in Turkey is now unable to use PayPal to pay for their VPN service – but they will still be able to use Bitcoin. Bitcoin is usable anywhere that the internet reaches. In combination with vpn usage, it is possible to easily defeat internet censorship.

You will be able to use Bitcoin to pay for pretty much anything

According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, Turkey imports the most goods from China, Germany, America, and Russia. All four of those countries are strong bastions of cryptocurrency use. In countries like Germany and America especially, services like PayPal are still preferred by users. However, at the fringes of the world’s interconnected financial system – such as a country of nearly 75 million – cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are incredibly useful at least as a medium of exchange between the fiat currencies of two countries. Exactly when you will be able to buy anything with Bitcoin remains to be seen. Government action such as Turkey’s always accelerate the timeline of Bitcoin adoption, though.

The post Now that PayPal has left Turkey, Turks should use Bitcoin appeared first on Privacy News Online by Private Internet Access VPN.