Thread: Proposal Suggests Browsers Should Block Users From BitTorrent Sites

As the United States heads off firmly down the domain seizures route, other countries around the world are also considering how best to deal with the issue of online piracy. Blocking sites via the web’s DNS system has been high on the agenda but doubts exist over its effectiveness. A suggestion coming out of Europe this week would mean that malware filtering in web browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome would do the dirty work.
For years the entertainment industries’ have been attacking services that provide access to illicit content, such as Napster, Kazaa, LimeWire or any one of the now-defunct BitTorrent trackers. These efforts have run in parallel with trying to scare users away from such sites.
In recent times, however, it has become increasingly clear that these strategies aren’t working. Suing Internet users proved both ineffective and counter-productive and sites like The Pirate Bay, isoHunt and Newzbin simply refuse to give in, despite the studios throwing millions of dollars away trying to destroy them.
So, if sites are to remain online and users refuse to stop accessing them, it’s time for a new plan – get in the middle of sites and their users and physically stop them from communicating with each other.
In the UK, while the faltering Digital Economy Act stumbles around in its own mess, discussions behind the scenes are focused on the entertainment companies and ISPs formulating a voluntary code to have domain names conveniently blocked.
UK communications watchdog Ofcom is currently considering whether or not website blocking is actually feasible, but other countries who already have experience of such measures have decided that it probably isn’t. One of those is Denmark, a country already subjected to court-ordered ISP DNS blocks of both The Pirate Bay and Russian MP3 vendor, AllofMP3.com, various foreign gambling sites and illicit pharmaceutical vendors.
This week, an MPs consultation on blocking sites has been underway in Denmark. There was a broad consensus that DNS blocking is easily circumvented and is therefore not a viable solution to the problem. So where is there left to go?
During the consultation, Niels Elgaard Larsen, Chairman of the IT-Political Association, suggested an alternative – enhanced browser malware filtering.
“We know of course that when Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome visits a page with a virus, we get a warning that there is virus on the site. This is not filtered by the network, but by browser vendors who maintain lists of viral sites, which then sit in the browser,” Larsen subsequently told Computerworld.
“One must of course be critical of suppliers’ blacklists, but it is much smarter that users have a list of banned sites in their browsers because the approach both warns users and respects their privacy,” he added.
Who has the authority to place domains on such a list is a whole new can of problematic worms, but the idea has received cross-party support with Liberal IT spokesman Michael Aastrup-Jensen suggesting that the issue should be raised at the EU level. To have the required effect, he added, agreement and support must be sought from, among others, the United States.
Of course, the United States has its own take on the issue. Rather than blocking domain names it has simply been seizing them, but even that hasn’t had the required effect.
It’s not inconceivable, however, if one looks far enough down the road and amalgamates the UK, Danish and US approaches (voluntary blocking, court-ordered DNS blocks, enhanced ‘malware’ type web browser blocks and domain seizures) it could become quite difficult to access many piracy-related domains.
But this statement is only true for the layman and no matter what route is taken, ways around these blocks will be found by the tech-savvy. Indeed, it’s an absolute certainty that new products and services will appear immediately to circumvent all of these measures.
So as they look to their ideal future of an Internet filtered in their favor, the entertainment industries will find their magic numbers when taking the numbers of subscribers who can’t understand or be bothered learning how to get around blocks, and adding up how many of those will head off to authorized media sources instead. Will it be worth all the effort?

Source:http://torrentfreak.com/proposal-sug...-sites-110408/

how is it possible that they can censor the Internet in this country I do not understand how the ACLU would just stand there and allow this I mean it is not the fact that it is a torrent site but the mere fact of censorship should have their feathers ruffled as it can be viewed as a violation of your civil liberties

Automakers should block the ability to run a red light too. I mean, while we're controlling what you can and can't do, why not take it to more extremes? Controlling your health care, what you can do with your internet, why not your automobiles? I mean, maybe if we get really well versed in the idea we can make it so the president can block voters from picking an option on a ballot that he doesn't agree with.

This is desperate and pathetic and I don't see this being implemented ever. But if it did, there would be million ways to get around.

This is actually funny and stupid.

Update1: And this reminds me of comunism ideas. Comunism failed already.

Update2: You can't fight the human nature. People are lazy they want their content fast and easy and cheaply. When they will start to compete instead of ....?

A suggestion coming out of Europe this week would mean that malware filtering in web browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome would do the dirty work.

This is the stupidest idea I've heard for some time. I'd be embarrassed to have even suggested this.

The entire piracy fight is a joke, the more stories in the media the more poeple want to know how to download. The industry would be much better served taking a low key aproach. Perhaps the industry should use the pirates.

Even if IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, and all the other extant browsers were forced to install the torrent blocking software, someone would just write a new browser without it, and there goes their market share.

I agree with Zomb someone will write another browser prog - then screw IE FF and the others