Microsoft Censors Pirate Bay Links in Windows Live Messenger

So, what's the most convenient way to IM with end-to-end encryption? I don't like the idea of it being possible for an intermediate to scan through my private messages.

Re: Microsoft Censors Pirate Bay Links in Windows Live Messenger

#5

Post by citricsquid » Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 4:22 PM UTC

I'm a regular WLM user and this has been happening for years, I've seen innocuous links to small websites blocked too. It's rare that links are blocked but I wouldn't be so quick to suggest this is intentional on the part of Microsoft. The frequency at which a new URL is being shared could have triggered some sort of automatic blocking system because it's assumed to be a worm?

> Apparently, the company is actively monitoring people’s communications to prevent them from linking to sites they deem to be a threat.

Everything passes through their servers, it's not P2P and never has been, doesn't everyone know this about WLM? It's how they're able to support offline messaging.

Re: Microsoft Censors Pirate Bay Links in Windows Live Messenger

#6

Post by udp » Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 4:22 PM UTC

jstepien wrote: post #3

I wonder whether they block magnet links as well. In either case, URL shorteners seem to be a sufficient solution.

Maybe switching IM networks is an altogether better solution.

Re: Microsoft Censors Pirate Bay Links in Windows Live Messenger

#7

Post by udp » Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 4:24 PM UTC

citricsquid wrote: post #5

I'm a regular WLM user and this has been happening for years, I've seen innocuous links to small websites blocked too. It's rare that links are blocked but I wouldn't be so quick to suggest this is intentional on the part of Microsoft. The frequency at which a new URL is being shared could have triggered some sort of automatic blocking system because it's assumed to be a worm? > Apparently, the company is actively mo…

There's a difference between having a private conversation pass through your server and scanning it for naughty words.

Re: Microsoft Censors Pirate Bay Links in Windows Live Messenger

#8

Post by 18pfsmt » Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 4:25 PM UTC

udp wrote: post #4

So, what's the most convenient way to IM with end-to-end encryption? I don't like the idea of it being possible for an intermediate to scan through my private messages.

I would suggest using an XMPP-based service, and then using a client like Pidgin with an Off The Record (OTR) plugin.

Re: Microsoft Censors Pirate Bay Links in Windows Live Messenger

#9

Post by Animus7 » Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 4:26 PM UTC

I wonder what the political forces behind this are, because I'd like to think that the engineers that implemented it understood that

a) it will do nothing to stop piracy, and b) it will reduce usage of Live Messenger

Re: Microsoft Censors Pirate Bay Links in Windows Live Messenger

#10

Post by pearkes » Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 4:30 PM UTC

Facebook does this as well. (Or at least, they did until The Pirate Bay changed it's TLD to `.se`)

You could argue that it's for the user's security. Torrent sites do have a lot of sketchy cruft.