Decentralizing the Internet So Big Brother Can't Find You

Decentralizing the Internet So Big Brother Can't Find You

www.nytimes.com

Put free software into the little plug server in the wall, and you would have a Freedom Box that would decentralize information and power, Mr. Moglen said. This month, he created the Freedom Box Foundation to organize the software.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I want to see how fast the DC crime ring moves to shut this down. Unregulated, unmonitored, non-government approved action cannot be tolerated for the good of the power of government. LOL.
i'm actually surprised that the NY Times published this story. Its not like them to release informative information without political approval.

www.nytimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Do you have another link to the article? That link takes you to a login page

This might help a little apodictic:

Freedom Box is the name we give to a personal server running a free software operating system, with free applications designed to create and preserve personal privacy. Freedom Box software is particularly tailored to run in "plug servers," which are compact computers that are no larger than power adapters for electronic appliances. Located in people's homes or offices such inexpensive servers can provide privacy in normal life, and safe communications for people seeking to preserve their freedom in oppressive regimes.

freedomboxfoundation

Sounds interesting. I have been seeing more and more people thinking along these lines, and I'm glad. Soemone else came up with a good thread recently about using ad-hoc to communicate. The idea was solid. I think it was under the survival category.

Great find and great idea! I hope this catches on, I would plug one in to my wall in a heartbeat, keep your naughty facebook away, Mr. Spy Factory!

Network neutrality protection: If your ISP starts limiting or interfering with your access to services in the Net, your Freedom Box can communicate with your friends to detect and route traffic around the limitations. Network censorship is automatically routed around, for your friends in societies with oppressive national firewalls, or for you;

www.freedomboxfoundation.org...

This is very interesting indeed. It does sound like the internet kill switch will have to operate at the ISP level to be effective. With the ISP market consolidating it makes it a lot easier for the government to control. However, if some kind of individual/public ISP system builds up it will mean less control to the government and one less bill. The ISP is the one weak spot for a lot of privacy applications as all your traffic passes through it before dispersing.

It is a tough one, as some regulation helps cut back the frauds, kiddy porn and other net nasties. But when the government is becoming the most corrupt of the lot it does make a lot of sense for the overall welfare of the community. Net Neutrality is a big issue and recently endorsed at the UN. The internet kill switch is another US policy against UN law, but this did not stop Egypt either when it was having its revolt.

reply to post by Klassified


Thanks dude.

I can't imagine that it's much different than running tor?

www.torproject.org...

Perhaps that's what it does... debian running tor.. IF it turned out to be the case then this "freedom box" isn't really useful since the software is free and very effective..

If you're not familiar with Tor.. it makes use of onion routing whereby your connection is encrypted and sent into the tor network where it's bounced around numerous other tor routers ( people like yourself ) before it comes out of an exit node ... it's impossible to back trace the connection to find out where it originated .. the risks are basically..

1. Using an insecure browser might allow _javascript or a third party plugin to identify you ( using the included firefux and tor plugins mitigates this risk to practically nill )

2. Your exit traffic is cleartext unless you use https.. so obviousy if you identify yourself you lose.. logging in somewhere as yourself not using https could let the exit node know who you are ( which could be sitting in a federal building somewhere )

So using Tor sensibly is very very very secure...The people I know of who use it, use it for downloading anonymously or posting anonymously with fake names to various message boards without fear