Earlier quoted context omitted.
If all else fails, ask for BJ
They referred me to the BBC
Old FM department or Business Development & Social Management?
Iran's internet blackout may become permanent, with access for elites only
301–310 of 391 posts
Re: Iran's internet blackout may become permanent, with access for elites only
#302Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't think Cuba belongs on that list. They have limited service because they can't afford anything better, and the USA prevents installing additional undersea cables, but only a small number of sites are blocked by Cuba itself, such as a few Spanish language news sites run by Cuban-Americans. Many more sites are unavailable in Cuba because their USA owners refuse access to Cuba, but that's not Cuba's fault.
The companies block access to Cube due to sanctions, which there because of Cuba's communist government, which is their fault.
I am more powerful than you, and I come to you with a request to act against your own interests in order to serve me. You refuse. The harsh consequences for refusing me that I am about to unleash against you are your fault. I am going to starve you for resources for decades, and any bad outcomes for your economy are your fault. You should not have refused me.
Re: Iran's internet blackout may become permanent, with access for elites only
#303Re: Iran's internet blackout may become permanent, with access for elites only
#304Earlier quoted context omitted.
> UK is making you "show your ID card" to jerk off. If you are going to post shit like that, at least get your fucking facts right. Namely that you are three weeks out of date sushine. The idea has been dropped: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3385zrrx73o
Reading comprehension, my friend. The article you linked to is about the dropped plan to require ID for permission to work in the UK. The parent commenter is referring to age verification for accessing adult content using "highly effective age-assurance systems" (such as photo ID cards, biometrics, etc.) under the Online Safety Act 2023, which is still very much in effect.
> under the Online Safety Act 2023, which is still very much in effect.
To which I say, the people of the UK are not stupid and know what a VPN is.
Its not rocket-science to bypass the ID check requirement.
Re: Iran's internet blackout may become permanent, with access for elites only
#305Earlier quoted context omitted.
The global cybersphere will split up, the west and other parties have shown they will use social media networks to organize regime change and take over legitimate protests. Especially now that China is taking an ever increasing share of the global information streams. Given the increased panicked the US had about tiktok. Showing the result of the western sponsored genocide in Gaza. They had to enforce ownership hando…
When it comes to the internet, it seems to me that "the other parties" here carries a lot of weight when it comes to disinfo, polarizing propaganda, etc.
Why, do you think that the US, where all the giant social network companies are based, isn't doing this on a massive scale, much larger than anything Russia or Iran (and probably China for now) could ever hope to do?
Re: Iran's internet blackout may become permanent, with access for elites only
#306… while every other country waits to see how it goes while drafting plans to emulate this
The global cybersphere will split up, the west and other parties have shown they will use social media networks to organize regime change and take over legitimate protests. Especially now that China is taking an ever increasing share of the global information streams. Given the increased panicked the US had about tiktok. Showing the result of the western sponsored genocide in Gaza. They had to enforce ownership hando…
It's interesting you focus on "the west" when we have solid proof about e.g. Russian interference in many an election and protest via social media. From paid propagandist (e.g. Tim Pool) to the Internet Research Agency. The only factual information we have about anything remotely similar from "the west" was that research about Facebook activity in the Central African Republic being roughly 40/40/20 split between Russians, French, and actual locals. And even that isn't comparable because the French online campaign was mostly combatting Russian disinformation propaganda, not trying to bring about a coup or stoking tensions to get to a civil war.
> Showing the result of the western sponsored genocide in Gaza
The genocide in Gaza is not "sponsored" by the "west". US, maybe.
Re: Iran's internet blackout may become permanent, with access for elites only
#307Earlier quoted context omitted.
When it comes to the internet, it seems to me that "the other parties" here carries a lot of weight when it comes to disinfo, polarizing propaganda, etc.
Why, do you think that the US, where all the giant social network companies are based, isn't doing this on a massive scale, much larger than anything Russia or Iran (and probably China for now) could ever hope to do?
Because if it did, we'd know about it. If we can get researches from Russia to expose their country's nefarious dealings, at the threat of death, we could easily get French, or German, or Canadian, or British, or American, or Czech researchers or whistleblowers exposing American propaganda campaigns.
Hell, look at Twitter/X. It got acquired by a mental guy who was screaming about government propaganda and censorship (while doing Nazi salutes). Do you really think that if there was any government mandate to do anything like what the Russians are doing, he wouldn't have exposed it as "SEE, I TOLD YOU BIG GUBIMNT BAD!!" ?
Re: Iran's internet blackout may become permanent, with access for elites only
#308Earlier quoted context omitted.
I mean... EU already blocks eg. some russian sites (some countries more effectively than others)... plus all the chat control pressures every year. Spain is blocking whole blocks of internet during football matches. UK is making you "show your ID card" to jerk off. But every such country likes pointing fingers at others, "hey, our censorship is not bad, they have more of it!". edit: considering the downvotes, HN is n…
An even more apt analogy is France in New Caledonia. Back in 2024, the French territorial government used an anti-terrorism law to enforce DNS blocks in that overseas territory, for the express purpose of suppressing political protests (by New Caledonians angry at the French mainland government). > "Philippe Gomes, the former president of New Caledonia's government, told POLITICO the decision aimed to stop protesters…
> for the express purpose of suppressing political protests (by New Caledonians angry at the French mainland government).
No, to stop the spread of targeted disinformation by foreign actors stoking those protests to turn into riots. (and if you need any proof, check out the protestors with Azeri flags, in New Caledonia. Azerbaijan's tinpot dictator hates France because France supported Armenia, so he's been trying various ways to undermine France because he's that fragile: https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/17/new-ca... )
Re: Iran's internet blackout may become permanent, with access for elites only
#309I think that'd only further cause people to push back. I think this could only backfire.
Imagine if all the conveniences of the internet were taken from you. Not that you'd never had them, but that you'd come to rely on them and then they were gone. Feels like some palpable oppression to me. And it has nothing to do with your political views. Everyone will feel the squeeze and nobody is gonna be dismissive about it.
Re: Iran's internet blackout may become permanent, with access for elites only
#310Earlier quoted context omitted.
North Korea unfortunately has given them a path forward. If you're willing to murder your own citizens en masse, you can get away with about anything.
North Korea has nukes though. Iran doesn't, and probably never will.
Iran has 90 million people and a giant conventional missile arsenal that deter neighbors from allowing military action against it. Invading Iran would be enormously difficult. It will also probably get nukes sooner or later. But it doesn't need nukes to be nearly untouchable.