Vietnam Internet users fear Facebook blackout

[ScottThuy 140]

Its official.. many areas of VN are blocked from using social networking sites....

HANOI, Vietnam -Vietnam's growing legions of Facebook users fear that the country's communist government might be blocking the popular social networking Web site, which has become difficult to access over the past few weeks.

http://www.aolnews.c...facebook/770051

UPDATE | (AP) Vietnam Internet users fear Facebook Blackout:

Link: http://news.aol.com/article/vietnam-internet-users-fear-facebook/770051

On 27, August, 2009, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security sent out an official dispatch to prominent internet providers in Vietnam, ordering them to halt their users’ access to 8 websites, including facebook.com. And starting yesterday, two out of ten providers who received the note, namely FPT and Viettel, have started enacting the correspondence. The reason behind this order is explicitly stated in the dispatch: “For security reasons and to fight against propagative activities that oppose the Party and the government, Department of Professional Technology – Office of Security Administration – Ministry of Public Security suggests that the addressed companies to apply technical methods to block thoroughly these following websites.”

This act of political censorship clearly manifest the government’s recognition of the threat posed by Facebook, specifically its power to communicate and publicize. Although Vietnamese internet users have already found back doors to access Facebook by changing DNS information from browser or using another proxy, nevertheless, the Vietnamese government still achieves its ultimate goal: to arrest the spread of "malicious" information.

I was wondering if the government has considered Facebook’s benefits, such as uniting people, communicating, sharing knowledge or allowing a playground for creativity, etc. And doesn't this act also mean intentionally pulling Vietnam out of the world's moving forward motion? The best line to sum up my point is a quote of George Shaw: "Consequently the first condition of progress is the removal of censorship"

What are your thoughts on this? (particularly at the moral aspect

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-354181

[Kevin and 10]

Its official.. many areas of VN are blocked from using social networking sites....

HANOI, Vietnam -Vietnam's growing legions of Facebook users fear that the country's communist government might be blocking the popular social networking Web site, which has become difficult to access over the past few weeks.

http://www.aolnews.c...facebook/770051

UPDATE | (AP) Vietnam Internet users fear Facebook Blackout:

Link: http://news.aol.com/article/vietnam-internet-users-fear-facebook/770051

On 27, August, 2009, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security sent out an official dispatch to prominent internet providers in Vietnam, ordering them to halt their users’ access to 8 websites, including facebook.com. And starting yesterday, two out of ten providers who received the note, namely FPT and Viettel, have started enacting the correspondence. The reason behind this order is explicitly stated in the dispatch: “For security reasons and to fight against propagative activities that oppose the Party and the government, Department of Professional Technology – Office of Security Administration – Ministry of Public Security suggests that the addressed companies to apply technical methods to block thoroughly these following websites.”

This act of political censorship clearly manifest the government’s recognition of the threat posed by Facebook, specifically its power to communicate and publicize. Although Vietnamese internet users have already found back doors to access Facebook by changing DNS information from browser or using another proxy, nevertheless, the Vietnamese government still achieves its ultimate goal: to arrest the spread of "malicious" information.

I was wondering if the government has considered Facebook’s benefits, such as uniting people, communicating, sharing knowledge or allowing a playground for creativity, etc. And doesn't this act also mean intentionally pulling Vietnam out of the world's moving forward motion? The best line to sum up my point is a quote of George Shaw: "Consequently the first condition of progress is the removal of censorship"

What are your thoughts on this? (particularly at the moral aspect

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-354181

I used a proxy site while I was there.

[ScottThuy 140]

I used a proxy site while I was there.

post a link so Thuy can use it... Thx...

[Kevin and 10]

post a link so Thuy can use it... Thx...

http://www.facebookproxy.net/

http://www.facebookproxy.co.uk/

They are not the the most user friendly, but they work.

[ScottThuy 140]

Thanks so much...

[BinhJerome 14]

Thanks so much...

Scott, there are other ways than using a proxy site, you can go in and change things on your network adapter, go to open network and sharing, then change adapter settings, then click on internet protocol version 4 (tcip/ipv4) highlight it then click properties, then click on the "use the following dns server addresses, then on the preferered dns server put this in 8.8.8.8 and then below on the alternate put in 8.8.4.4 then hit ok and you can log into face book like normal. Jerome

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Scott, there are other ways than using a proxy site, you can go in and change things on your network adapter, go to open network and sharing, then change adapter settings, then click on internet protocol version 4 (tcip/ipv4) highlight it then click properties, then click on the "use the following dns server addresses, then on the preferered dns server put this in 8.8.8.8 and then below on the alternate put in 8.8.4.4 then hit ok and you can log into face book like normal. Jerome

Presuming the only blocking system they're using is to remove the domain names from their DNS servers, and they aren't blocking access to Google's public DNS server (or any other public DNS server), then that will work. If their methods are more sophisticated, like packet or content filtering, then you're going to need a proxy that they aren't blocking.

Some of the ISP's in China use a very sophisticated system that uses content filtering, among other things. If they detect key words or phrases on a webpage, or links to banned sites, they'll block the page. The only effective way to circumvent this is to use a proxy that supports encryption.

[Ronnie&Hang 12]

Also, try www.lite.facebook.com

I tried the dns method like Jerome said and it worked too..back in Jan-Feb10.

[ScottThuy 140]

Presuming the only blocking system they're using is to remove the domain names from their DNS servers, and they aren't blocking access to Google's public DNS server (or any other public DNS server), then that will work. If their methods are more sophisticated, like packet or content filtering, then you're going to need a proxy that they aren't blocking.

Some of the ISP's in China use a very sophisticated system that uses content filtering, among other things. If they detect key words or phrases on a webpage, or links to banned sites, they'll block the page. The only effective way to circumvent this is to use a proxy that supports encryption.

I will stick with the proxy since there is no telling what extent they have upgraded. They could be sniffing everyting going through the server and one does not want to blatantly go against the govt in the north... at least with the proxy its better hidden when it comes through thier servers.

[BinhJerome 14]

Presuming the only blocking system they're using is to remove the domain names from their DNS servers, and they aren't blocking access to Google's public DNS server (or any other public DNS server), then that will work. If their methods are more sophisticated, like packet or content filtering, then you're going to need a proxy that they aren't blocking.

Some of the ISP's in China use a very sophisticated system that uses content filtering, among other things. If they detect key words or phrases on a webpage, or links to banned sites, they'll block the page. The only effective way to circumvent this is to use a proxy that supports encryption.

When I posted it and still as of this moment my method is working, I would not have posted an untested method. When you use the proxy servers you have issues with pop ups, and content loading slower, and depending on your internet connection the proxy server can and does at times make the page unaccessable where you have to refresh to get to the page you want. Jerome

[luckytxn 2,264]

No one can be surprised that the Government there is performing censorship.

[Teacher Mark 53]

Here's the latest. I stopped posting on FB because it was such a pain.

Vietnam to establish its own social network

January 11th, 2010 - 10:57 UTC

by Andy Sennitt.

This year Vietnam will build its own social network to gradually replace foreign social networks like Yahoo and Google, stated Minister of Information and Communications Le Doan Hop at a meeting in HCM City. In the meeting with agencies under the aegis of the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) in HCM City, the Minister listened to reports on the situation of the information and communication sector.

He cited ten important tasks for 2010, including boosting and developing information technology and IT infrastructure as well as developing a local social network to replace foreign ones. According to Mr Hop, despite many challenges, the sector developed strongly and obtained many achievements in 2009 and “The ministry completed its plans to turn Vietnam into a strong country of information and communications.”

He admitted that decentralization in ministry management for 2009 was incomplete, resulting in ineffective management of publications and the press. MoIC will set up a publication assistance fund, establish some new agencies, drastically decentralize management to curb unnecessary procedures and improve the responsibility and management effectiveness of its agencies.

The Minister said that this year MoIC will restructure television and broadcasting stations and speed up the development of the information and communication sector from now to 2020.

(Source: VietNamNet Bridge)

http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/vietnam-to-establish-its-own-social-network

[vietazn 1]

Small potatos compared to the Patriot Act...

[BinhJerome 14]

Small potatos compared to the Patriot Act...

Maybe so, but once we land over here, we are not in Kansas anymore Toto

Edited March 23, 2010 by jeromebinh

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Small potatos compared to the Patriot Act...

Dunno. I don't know about any clause in the Patriot Act that authorizes the government to censor internet access.

On the other hand, Senate bill S.773 (introduced last year) would have done exactly that. It would give the President the power to declare a "cyber emergency", and take control of internet access in the US. As of today, this bill is still in committee.