Google locked my Internet browsing. A Freedom of speech issue?

A 403 can be caused by a lot of different things, but it all amounts to one thing - at some point you're being denied HTTP Access. This point can be
1. your computer/software (viruses, 'protection' software) and modem/router settings
2. your ISP
3. the service you're trying to reach,
..
and more or less every router inbetween. Usually it's not the routers inbetween though.
If you ran a virus check on your computer and tried a different browser, than it's quite possible it's not #1.. This would be a good time to call your ISP and ask them whether there is a policy regarding the service (ehh, 'are you blocking google?' .. lol). If they can't give you a straight answer, that would be rather fishy.. but also unexpected. If all that doesn't work out, you might consider just contacting google - make sure you put your IP address in the mail, they might be blocking certain IP ranges because it contains botnets (networks of hacked computers, it's teh evil). This way many people get blocked out just because they're "in the wrong network" - but sometimes you can ask for your IP to be ublocked. This would be a tad problematic with a dynamic IP though..

Just to shed a bit more light on the subject - what do you get when you go to the normal google.com... page? Also a 403 ? And other countries, e.g. google.co.uk... ? If another country's frontpage works, does the search work too? How about images.google.com... ? google.com... ? gmail.com... ?
And if you're willing to disclose the first one or two numbers of your IP address, we might be able to tell whether you're in one of the 'wrong' networks.. Although I must say I don't have access to any kind of list.. And don't disclose your full ip!

[edit on 9-5-2009 by scraze]

reply to post by scraze


I'll send the first 2 numbere via U2U.

Yes Images, Maps, New,s Video, Gmail more, ▼Shopping

Groups

Books

Scholar

Finance

Blogs

YouTube

Calendar

Photos

Documents

Reader

Sites

All work just not WEB.


[edit on 9-5-2009 by wonderworld]

Check where your DNS servers are going. There is this thing which is called "SEO ATTACK", and it works on things like google etc.

Have you, or do you end up looking at cached pages on google? There is a security deal where some people have apparently been able to get things into the google cache over a website that adds an iframe to the cache. That iframe then loads up a virus on your PC.

At which point, it changes where you get your DNS information, and rather than getting website addresses from a legit DNS server, it calls some russian DNS server, and so when you call up a website, it directs you to a fake domain instead of the real one.

A 404 or 403 error is supposedly part of it.

I just heard about this recently, I can only image it involves changing the information contained in the iframe after it is cached, and thus google is unable to realize the content in the iframe is viral.

Here are some links with information since your search is down.

blogs.zdnet.com...

blogs.zdnet.com...

googleonlinesecurity.blogspot.com...

From google:

Currently, we know of hundreds of thousands of websites that attempt to infect people's computers with malware. Unfortunately, we also know that there are more malware sites out there. This is where we need your help in filling in the gaps. If you come across a site that is hosting malware, we now have an easy way for you to let us know about it. If you come across a site that is hosting malware, please fill out this short form. Help us keep the internet safe, and report sites that distribute malware.

pandalabs.pandasecurity.com...

Here's one about Ford being targeted.

I honestly just found out about this stuff yesterday, so my apologies if I'm messing up what it's about. I just happened upon all this info while looking for something else(I do SEO as part of my job).

Oh, and the only way google is going to block things like mentioned would be blocking their own search results. And the only reason they would do that is if you are using somekind of scraping program which scrapes google looking for website rankings. They don't like people doing that at all, as it eats up their resources because that kind of software makes tons of queries.

Not really something a common user would have to worry about, but I have been blocked a few times when they were working on that software if I went through results too quickly.

Google has absolutely 0 control when it comes to being able to block or show other websites. There is no way Google has locked your internet browsing. It is technically impossible unless you are using the Google toolbar, and you shouldn't be using that anyway IMO.

Oh, and get a decent browser while you are at it.

www.mozilla.com...

There is a reason why most developers recommend it over IE. Cuz IE sucks.




[edit on 9-5-2009 by badmedia]

Just to throw it out there , While hitting a link in a post on ATS , I got a VIRUS

that I had to take to a comp store to get rid of. You may have "caught" something disabling the search on Goggle

yea well u proabably engared them so they dont want you to use theyr search

reply to post by badmedia


That sounds like an attack on google. I havent downloaded any codecs or anything new.

Why can I use all the other links, like images, gmail, news, etc and not WEB?

I looked in msconfig and other running processes, where should I look and would I find anything?

Why would this affect the other home computers. They werent running when the issue came up? It's only blocked out of google web search and nothing else.

Originally posted by Seany


Just to throw it out there , While hitting a link in a post on ATS , I got a VIRUS

that I had to take to a comp store to get rid of. You may have "caught" something disabling the search on Goggle

I'm certainly "hoping" you reported it so we could take care of it before anyone else got hit. Right?

I would think you could try the mozilla browser. I like it much better and between the security available on firefox, my Vista and AVG I am great. No ads, no unnecessary java, nothing but lovely blue on either side of ats threads and not one ad!

From what I have read mozilla is far more compatible with Google software. Good luck, jeesh that would be BAD if they started to monitor and restrict our searches. I search for some crazy stuff.

I also like dogpile.com too as a different source of searches.

Originally posted by wonderworld

One more odd thing; I have heard of people being encountered by people with hand held GPS devices at their door. Yesterday it happened to me. Some guy pulled in to my driveway and parked at the end with his GPS device and simply said he was here to verify it was a single family dwelling.

I can explain this part at least. Has nothing to do with your computer. It's the pre-census canvassing that is now happening to verify addresses all over the country. We have a whole thread about it.
Why are they tracking every American household with gps?

We have come up with all sorts of possibilities about why they are collecting everybody's gps data a year before the census. after reading about it you might be reassured or more worried, but at least not about your computer.

Originally posted by wonderworld
reply to post by badmedia

 

That sounds like an attack on google. I havent downloaded any codecs or anything new.

Why can I use all the other links, like images, gmail, news, etc and not WEB?

I looked in msconfig and other running processes, where should I look and would I find anything?

Why would this affect the other home computers. They werent running when the issue came up? It's only blocked out of google web search and nothing else.

As I said, I just came across this information yesterday. So I'm far from an expert on this. What made me think of it was you mentioning the 403 error. Which is what this thing supposedly does if you do some kind of action.

I honestly am not sure exactly how it works etc, but thought it might be worth checking out.

WW,

also something else I was remembering from quite a few years back was, that google goes into a protection mode when/if it gets hammered by multiple query strings from the same IP address... although this is usually a problem in a multi-machine environment where either the machines are all accessing inet services through a proxy...I can't help but wonder if one of your machines on the network is infected and generating a high degree of query strings to google??

Or perhaps somehow someone on the OUTSIDE is using your wireless by chance. If you're using WEP or pre-shared keys, get all your machines MAC addresses and try switching over to MAC filtering on your router to see if this starts to eliminate the problem.



AB1

I tried the link and got the same response. i then clicked the link and back spaced out everything to .com. I next got a forbidden message. I then back spaced out everything to .com again and hit the reload current page on Firefox and got to the Checkupdown page. They are a web site tracker for use up or down of web pages . There must be some glitch in the software at Google doing this because its wide spread!

Zindo

Originally posted by alphabetaone
WW,

also something else I was remembering from quite a few years back was, that google goes into a protection mode when/if it gets hammered by multiple query strings from the same IP address... although this is usually a problem in a multi-machine environment where either the machines are all accessing inet services through a proxy...I can't help but wonder if one of your machines on the network is infected and generating a high degree of query strings to google??

Or perhaps somehow someone on the OUTSIDE is using your wireless by chance. If you're using WEP or pre-shared keys, get all your machines MAC addresses and try switching over to MAC filtering on your router to see if this starts to eliminate the problem.

AB1

Yes, what you mention is where they block people for excessive usage. It's generally done for getting website rankings, but there are other reasons people might scrape google.

But they will only block off Google. And they will give a message that states - we have detected the possibility of external software being used, or something to that effect. So you would know it if that was the case.

reply to post by badmedia


A few years ago, (I cant attest for now), when that was happening google would generate 403 error.

I thought that's what WW was receiving?

Although they may have changed it now.



AB1

your toast buy a mac and go on a safari

reply to post by alphabetaone


I dont think anyone outside can connect to my wireless. It's set to private with a code. I also live in the country, with no neighbors. I doubt the signal would go that far?

Even though Ive switched to MSN search engine it still bothers me that perhaps my privacy has been invaded by typing risky subjects about the government.

My computers have no problems just google web search, yet can access the other google links, such as news and images.

I dont want my imagination to run wild but it is.

reply to post by wonderworld


You're absolutely right, you don't want your imagination to run wild on this one.

The majority of the people that this happens to have no virus or breach in their security.

Do you use customized search for google?


AB1

Originally posted by lt lou360
your toast buy a mac and go on a safari

Better yet, learn to code and code your own linux based OS, including your own software. Only reason Mac appear "safer" is because globally there are so few of them connected to the net when compared to Microsoft/ windows machines so viruses and other attack forms designed to to work against Macs are fewer in numbers.

If over the course of 2 weeks the ratio of Mac to Windows users reveresed, within the following few weeks the numbers of Mac viruses and malware would explode and the people coding virus cleaners would be in high demand (more than they are now).

---

With regards to the thread's topic, I doubt that the Government or National Defence have blocked you in preperation of an immenent bust or raid. Doing so ahead of time would be detrimental to the point of their mission. As doing so would make their target paranoid or aware of the bust and then make them take last minute pre-emptive action (flushing the weed, smashing their Hard Drives, Running off...etc).

If your still having the issue, have you tried using other Browsers like Opera, Firefox and other search engines for example Yahoo, Ask.com or even foreign search engines like de.ask.com... ?

Try the conficker eye chart.

For viruses (always a possibility) run the following apps:

Ad-aware

Crap cleaner

Malware Bytes

ZoneAlarm