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

[Julien Rabier]

Hello everybody,

Just want to add some precisions :

- Not all web based advertisements are blocked. Blocking is done with a
  blacklist of IP addresses.
- It is done on the CPE level, not in the core network of Free.

This story is quite shaking the french interwebs and i was like Bernard at
first and the more I think about it, the more my position is confused.

My current state of mind is :
- Is it an acceptable net neutrality violation if it's done on an opt-out
  basis ? Yes.
- Is it acceptable in the current, opt-in, case ? No.

One funny thing is that the ad-company of lemonde.fr (biggest online
journal in France) owned by X. Niel who also owns Free, is still accessible.
It's not in Free's blacklist.

There is a fight between Free and Google about Youtube for some months now.
So, is it a google trolling move ? 

At least, it's a good way to show how ad-dependent the commercial web is
currently is.

Julien

Le 03 janv. à 17:41, Bernard Tyers - ei8fdb a écrit :
> 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