[liberationtech] French ISP blocks all web based advertisement, by default.

[Bernard Tyers - ei8fdb]

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Free ISP a French ISP with approx. 5M subs has blocked, by default, all web based advertisements being served to their fixed-line Internet subscribers. [1, 2]

As a consumer, I would be very happy about it. As a "Internet neutrality" (whatever you want to call it) supporter I disagree with what they are doing.

If they want to offer this as a service, then it should be opt-in, as opposed to opt-out (subscribers can turn it off via their Internet router).

While it's not life-threatening Internet censorship, in my opinion it is still censorship. From a network infrastructure POV, it would be a reasonably large job to carry this out successfully, without issues, but nothing a modern ISP with a budget could not build.

On the Twitters there are various reasons being discussed (the ISP is blocking companies, who are not paying them anything, from making money).

Will we see some websites blocking access for Free ISP subs? Will they offer a second-class service?

An interesting, but slightly disturbing development.


[1] http://www.rudebaguette.com/2013/01/03/new-update-to-freebox-censors-internet-ads-by-default-for-5-5m-users/

[2] (Google translated) http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.numerama.com%2Fmagazine%2F24665-blocage-des-pubs-free-pete-un-cable.html&act=url

regards,
Bernard

- --------------------------------------
Bernard / bluboxthief / ei8fdb

IO91XM / www.ei8fdb.org

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