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Measure internet censorship

221 points · 162 comments · Bluestein

  1. mitxela · · focus · HN ↗
    There's a pretty bad bias problem here because the probe app scans domains that are frequently blocked in dictatorships, but doesn't scan domains that are frequently blocked in "democracies", like Anna's Archive. Then it ends up looking like the dictatorship countries have all the censorship.
    1. averysmallbird · · focus · HN ↗
      Scare quoting democracies is probably telling, but OONI absolutely does test content blocked in Western countries. <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;explorer.ooni.org&#x2F;domain&#x2F;annas-archive.org" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;explorer.ooni.org&#x2F;domain&#x2F;annas-archive.org
      1. vlyan · · focus · HN ↗
        scare quoting &quot;&quot;&quot;&quot;&quot;&quot;&quot;&quot;&quot;democracies&quot;&quot;&quot;&quot;&quot;&quot;&quot;&quot;&quot; is perfectly acceptable when it couldn&#x27;t be more obvious that those so-called democracies do anything but represent the will of their peoples. do you know anyone who&#x27;d voted for having to scan their face to access verboten webseites? to have encryption backdoors in their messengers? to have state-mandated spyware preinstalled on their phones?
        1. ShinyLeftPad · · focus · HN ↗
          &gt; do you know anyone who&#x27;d voted for having to scan their face to access verboten webseites? to have encryption backdoors in their messengers? to have state-mandated spyware preinstalled on their phones?

          I know a few. They&#x27;re called &quot;normal people who don&#x27;t suffer from crippling tech libertarianism&quot; and there&#x27;s more of them than of you.

          1. vlyan · · focus · HN ↗
            you must have plenty of unambiguous evidence then, given how numerous such goodthinking individuals apparently are.

            where do these paragons of civil obedience congregate? how do they express their wishes for less freedom and more surveillance?

            1. ShinyLeftPad · · focus · HN ↗
              They&#x27;re all around you irl. Touch grass and find out.

              And to your sarcastic remarks about those people being dumb, believe it or not not everyone is willing to forgo every possible evil in the name of personal privacy in remote communication. Such privacy was never a thing until very recently anyway.

              (In fact as far as most people are concerned it isn&#x27;t a thing today either, you&#x27;d be surprised how many people assume that their messages and calls are spied on anyway)

              1. vlyan · · focus · HN ↗
                and so you&#x27;ve spent 20 minutes editing this comment to optimize the amount of snark instead of simply showing me one proof of that silent majority&#x27;s existence :)
                1. physicalecon · · focus · HN ↗

                  [dead]

                2. mitxela · · focus · HN ↗
                  Isn&#x27;t the user base of tiktok proof?
                3. ShinyLeftPad · · focus · HN ↗
                  &gt; you&#x27;ve spent 20 minutes editing this comment to optimize the amount of snark

                  why would i waste that much time on writing a reply to you and where do you see snark exactly?

                  &gt; one proof

                  i just talk about it with people irl, yeah that thing i suggest you try;)

                  1. vlyan · · focus · HN ↗
                    oh, but it&#x27;s the exact opposite. the people IRL tend to react to censorship and surveillance with the word пидорасы, while the regime&#x27;s eunuchs on the Internet defend it.

                    maybe having lived under the Soviets makes my people less welcoming to the idea of a commissar deciding what they&#x27;re allowed to see, hear, say, and ultimately think.

                    1. ShinyLeftPad · · focus · HN ↗
                      what does that word mean? Wiktionary says it&#x27;s a vulgar word for &quot;gay person&quot;, huh?

                      consider that not everyone grew up in an oppressive dictatorship.

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