Anti-Koran Film Site Suspended By Network Solutions

[mawilson 2,133]

Network Solutions on Saturday suspended a Web site registered by controversial

Dutch politician Geert Wilders who said he planned to use the site to host a movie

critical of Islam and the Koran. "Network Solutions has suspended the

fitnathemovie.com Web site while Network Solutions is investigating whether the

site's content is in violation of the Network Solutions Acceptable Use Policy," the

company said in a statement. "We have received a number of complaints

regarding this site that are under investigation." Networks Solutions did not

respond to multiple requests to clarify how it determined that Fitna, a movie that

has not yet been released, has violated its Acceptable Use Policy.

The Networks Solutions Acceptable use policy forbids, in addition to protected

intellectual property, "material that is obscene, defamatory, libelous, unlawful,

harassing, abusive, threatening, harmful, vulgar, constitutes an illegal threat,

violates export control laws, hate propaganda, fraudulent material or fraudulent

activity, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, profane, indecent or otherwise

objectionable material of any kind or nature."

The inclusion of the clause "otherwise objectionable material" appears to give

Network Solutions the right to block sites because of any imaginable objection.

Coming only a short time after Internet domain registrar Dynadot suspended

domain name service for Wikileaks.org in response to a court order, a move that

incensed free speech advocates, Network Solution's decision to block Wilders's

site has prompted similar complaints about heavy-handed censorship.

Karl Auerbach, CTO at InterWorking Labs, Inc. and a former board member of

ICANN, the non-profit group that oversees Internet domain registration, said in

an e-mail to David Farber's Interesting People mailing list that many domain

registrars have similar policies that allow them to take control of Internet domains

according to very subjective criteria.

"What NTIA [National Telecommunications and Information Administration] has

done via its ICANN is to create, via contracts, a de facto law of the Internet in

which registrars can impose their private view of Internet morality and acceptable

use," said Auerbach. "Given that most registrars are for-profit companies, they will

generally take the path that is most likely to avoid conflicts -- which tends to mean

a rather puritanical outlook and a willingness to sacrifice a $10 domain name registrant."

Yet the incident is complicated by the fact that Network Solutions is at once a domain

registrar (a company that manages and allocates IP addresses to domain registries

for sale), a domain registry (a retail seller of domain names) and a Web hosting

company.

Jonathan Zittrain, professor for entrepreneurial legal studies at Harvard Law School

and the chair in Internet governance and regulation at Oxford University, said in an

e-mail to Farber's mailing list that Network Solutions may have simply decided not

to host Wilder's controversial site in its capacity as a Web hosting company. That

would be a less troubling development than a registry interfering with access to a

registrant's Internet domain, he said, because Wilders would be free to move his

site to a different Web hosting company.

Even so, the question remains as to how far Web hosting companies will go to defend

customers who post content that is legal but controversial in the countries where

those companies do business.

link

[Ban Hammer 13,641]

this should be interesting. talk about free publicity, this guy just got a bunch of it.

[wishbone 0]

this should be interesting. talk about free publicity, this guy just got a bunch of it.

But not to the extent that it is foul and too controversial.

[Heracles 417]

Interesting documentary to watch. I wonder what Iran has to say even though they approved a BS state influenced documentary on Jesus.

[Ban Hammer 13,641]

Interesting documentary to watch. I wonder what Iran has to say even though they approved a BS state influenced documentary on Jesus.

wow read the comments on that story link

[Heracles 417]

Maybe the company is worried about protests.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Maybe the company is worried about protests.

Ya think? And maybe a few beheadings.

[Dan J 277]

Maybe the company is worried about protests.

The company would be worried about DoS (Denial of Service) attacks against its servers. Although they probably get them all the time, hosting a film like this could result in a very strong focused attack.

[Heracles 417]

Maybe the company is worried about protests.

Ya think? And maybe a few beheadings.

Maybe I will call my Serbian brothers to come defend the company.

Edited March 25, 2008 by Boo-Yah!