Technology

[–] XLE@piefed.social 37 points 8 months ago (5 children)

The United States already funds the Tor Project, but despite this looking similar at first blush, it's far more centralized and thus easier to surveil anybody who uses it.

Portal team includes former DOGE member Coristine

Aka Edward Coristine, aka "Big Balls", aka the guy who helped compromise your social security number, aka the reason the US put stormtroopers into DC.

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[–] vacuumflower@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 8 months ago (4 children)

In a world with tightly regulated Internet this might start making sense. Tor and its traffic won't make it through AI-assisted censorship systems like China's GFW and Russia's whatever-it's-called-but-they've-started-breaking-everything-here. While a portal managed by foreign superpower's government might be allowed simply because of diplomatic pressure.

Not too different from how radio became regulated all over the world.

It's a shame, but what can you do. We are not demiurges, we are grains of sand flying with the wind and floating with the current. Sometimes we get melted, sometimes split, sometimes wet, cold, hot.

I'm not ashamed of dreaming of a different future and arguing in favor of it many years ago. But I'm also not ashamed to admit I was likely wrong.

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[–] XLE@piefed.social 5 points 8 months ago (3 children)

I'm not sure I follow your logic. If countries are getting more authoritarian and nationalistic, and China is already blocking Tor, why would they feel compelled to not block something that even more blatantly a nationalistic American project?

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[–] vacuumflower@lemmy.sdf.org 1 point 8 months ago (2 children)

Because it's all trade and balance, so it's probable that such a window into the world (which will have its own censorship) might be allowed. Probably throttled. Probably allowed and throttled depending on some kind of social rating and individual permissions.

Unlike Tor, it's not escaping censorship, it's one portal (it's in the name) somehow allowing access to a few select "free speech" (quotes mandatory no matter how you feel about actual free speech) directions.

USSR had tourist permissions and allowed directions, and friendly socialist countries for which it was easier to get such a permission, and unfriendly capitalist countries for which it was pretty rare and involved state security following you, and so on.

This might be similar.

If you don't see how something can be divided into levels of access for different citizens, then that's just lack of imagination. They will think of a way.

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[–] XLE@piefed.social 1 point 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 child)

I'm aware of authoritarian regimes that block internet based on the class of people that are accessing it, thanks. China already does this.

But I don't see how you're drawing the conclusion that this portal is going to be the vessel for doing that. Seems too 1984esque even for Trump, and like it would require actual competence.

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[–] vacuumflower@lemmy.sdf.org 1 point 8 months ago

Seems too 1984esque even for Trump, and like it would require actual competence.

Not that much competence. Mostly power to keep applying it.

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[–] FauxLiving@lemmy.world 10 points 8 months ago (1 child)

A Trump controlled VPN service, seems safe.

[–] ZiemekZ@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

This video is sponsored by TrumpVPN

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[–] Brewchin@lemmy.world 18 points 8 months ago

If they'd decided to use truth.gov as the domain, that would have been the cherry on top. 😄

A ludicrous "plan".

[–] tino@lemmy.world 18 points 8 months ago (1 child)

so Europe just needs to ban that single domain? That's easy :)

[–] kokesh@lemmy.world 1 point 8 months ago

Done.

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[–] kokesh@lemmy.world 7 points 8 months ago

Adding this shit to my Adguard Home blacklist.

[–] Passerby6497@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

Cool, gotta get that Nazi propaganda into the countries smart enough to ban that shit, wouldn't want people to think there was any sense left in the white house.

7 comments in c/politics@sh.itjust.works view that post

[–] SacralPlexus@lemmy.world 17 points 8 months ago

added that use activity in the site will not be tracked.

Press X to doubt.

[–] ShellMonkey@piefed.socdojo.com 10 points 8 months ago*

Because as the various industries constantly trying to block streaming/torrent sites have taught us the Internet is static, people aren't resourceful, and data can be controlled with ease.

Plus advertising a specific domain is surely not going to have that blocked straight away. Cute idea by incompetent people.

[–] fibojoly@sh.itjust.works 6 points 8 months ago

They gonna give us access to pornhub on a freedom.gov site?! Because that would be hilarious!

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works [S] 5 points 8 months ago (1 child)

Please tell me there is way to block this.

[–] Australis13@fedia.io 3 points 8 months ago

Whilst there are methods to get around region-blocking and various restrictions, I seriously doubt that the people behind "freedom.gov" will have the technical expertise to actually do this in a meaningful way... I expect the rest of the world won't take long to block it.

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[–] ODuffer@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago (1 child)

The sort of freedom where the gestapo kick down your door?

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 1 point 8 months ago

And the freedom to view Nazi sites and say things that promote Nazism.

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3 comments in c/technology@lemmy.ml view that post

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml [S] 4 points 8 months ago

A perfect example of why sovereignty is impossible when you can't control your information space.

[–] kn33@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

added that user activity on the site will not be tracked.

[–] ms_lane@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

I guess an interesting side effect is US sites that block EU/UK/Aus will be visible too.

Finally, I can see homedepot.com

3 comments in c/technology@piefed.social view that post

[–] lurch@sh.itjust.works 2 points 8 months ago

can it also uncensor the epstein files 🤭

[–] lemmysmash@beehaw.org 1 point 8 months ago

Can they first make an online portal to bypass the shitty loginwalls imposed by their own companies please?

[–] lurch@sh.itjust.works 1 point 8 months ago

so they made a nazi propaganda unlocker. this is so weird. those guys are so weird.

2 comments in c/technology@lemmy.today view that post

[–] SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.world 7 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 child)

What's to keep that site from being blocked? What's different from any other free VPN? Who really believes there won't be tracking, or that it will allow access to anything the control freaks in Washington consider "left wing?"