Should networks here in the US be able to censor certain sites? Yes I can understand some - such as child porn ones or ones that out and out break the law but what about sites that don't. Well this past weekend AT&T did just that they blocked a site called 4chan. OK I'm a AT&T customer so I had to go looking to see if I was blocked but nope I could go on the site. It seems it was blocked but it was lifted late last night.
4chan is a simple image-based bulletin board where anyone can post comments and share images. 4chan's
collaborative-community format is copied from one of the most popular forums in Japan, Futaba Channel. Different
boards are dedicated to different topics, from Japanese anime, manga, and culture to videogames, music, and
photography. Users do not need to register a username before participating in the community. Feel free to click
on a board that interests you, and jump right in—anyone can contribute!
"It's unclear why AT&T would block 4chan, or even if it was a deliberate action, but assuming the Internet service provider was blocking the site, it's not hard to understand why. In addition to being credited with many Internet memes including the RickRoll and LOLcats, other more dubious actions have been associated with the Website including the recent Operation Sh**ter that manipulated Twitter's trending topics; the YouTube porn prank; the Time 100 poll "hack" and the harassment of the Church of Scientology by the group called Anonymous."
OK so I get it they play pranks and such. Does that mean that a ISP (Internet Service Provider) should be allowed to block it? Here was the statement that was released by AT&T
AT&T Statement Regarding img.4chan.org
Dallas, Texas, July 27, 2009
Beginning Friday, an AT&T customer was impacted by a denial-of-service attack stemming from IP addresses connected to img.4chan.org. To prevent this attack from disrupting service for the impacted AT&T customer, and to prevent the attack from spreading to impact our other customers, AT&T temporarily blocked access to the IP addresses in question for our customers. This action was in no way related to the content at img.4chan.org; our focus was on protecting our customers from malicious traffic.
Overnight Sunday, after we determined the denial-of-service threat no longer existed, AT&T removed the block on the IP addresses in question. We will continue to monitor for denial-of-service activity and any malicious traffic to protect our customers.
Well as you can imagine that didn't sit well with the 4chan folks who plotted some pranks towards AT&T. As of now PCWorld is reporting that there is a "Truce". However all you have to do is look at 4chan's twitter to see the war is not over with AT&T - here are some tweets:
@ RT What should happen to AT&T? BTW, there is 1 correct answer... Do what's right, and get free blackberry. http://tinyurl.com/l4tekd
AT&T Seemingly ends blockade of #4CHAN, but the wound is deep. We'll be sending out info later in the day, this is so not over.
"AT&T has declared war on the Internet" - Walter Cronkite after God asked what the latest news was. @4chan4ever
4chan is appearing in more and more articles online with mixed information. AT&T has yet to contact 4chan about the issue. #4chan4ever
So it makes me wonder do you really want to go pissing off a prankster site? I mean I'm a paying AT&T customer am I now at risk if they should go attacking AT&T. No I don't think I'm personally at risk computer wise but I really don't want to go loosing my internet for a time period because of a stupid prank. Not only that but I'm a paying AT&T customer so who gave them the right to go blocking legal sites from me? I mean why the censorship? Think I will get a discount for denial of services?
SO what do you think? Should ISP be allowed to censor legal sites?
I agree. I may call to complain. I'm a AT &T person so how dare they....ok yeah until today I had never been on the site but still - I pay for my service so its my choice not theirs.
Out of my mind
There are no limits to freedom of speech in a free society, period. AT&T should have to pay for this but I dont see how...Maybe the fact that almost everyone who hears about this won't like it will be a bad enough hit for them