Re: Myanmar internet - something to think about if you're having a bad day

[Christopher Morrow <morrowc.lists () gmail com>]

On Thu, Apr 29, 2021 at 1:55 PM Bradley Huffaker <bhuffake () caida org> wrote:

> Censorship does not need to be complete to be highly effective.  Almost
> all regulation, drugs/speeding/etc,  is designed to increase the cost to
> the point were “most” individuals are discouraged. While VPNs can be used
> to bypass China’s Great Firewall the added friction is enough to keep most
> happily engaged with easer distractions.
I'm glad someone noted this...
I'd also say that it seems to me that the restrictions are a LOT like
'seatbelt laws' in the US, where most states enforce as a secondary action:
  "Oh you were speeding AND you aren't wearing a seat belt, bonus fine"
  (note: I'm a seatbelt user, just using this as an example)

and that the censorship  COULD be used as a further action for repressing
folk:
  "Oh, you came to our attention for <free speech|having a sign|walking
around at night aimless| selling a single cigarette>, oh and you're using a
VPN to get around #dearleader'srestrictions?? max fine"



> https://fsi.stanford.edu/news/china%E2%80%99s-great-firewall-built-friction-based-censorship-says-margaret-roberts
>
> On Apr 29, 2021, at 9:31 AM, Sabri Berisha <sabri () cluecentral net> wrote:
>
> ----- On Apr 28, 2021, at 11:32 AM, Eric Kuhnke <eric.kuhnke () gmail com>
> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> There's plenty of non technical teenagers in Pakistan with VPN clients on
> their phone or laptop who seem perfectly capable of using a VPN to watch
> Youtube or access Twitter and other social media, during the periods of
> time that the government orders things to be blocked.
>
> Even my third-grader was able to figure out that she needed a VPN when I
> blocked Roblox's IP space (128.116.0.0/17) on my home router.
>
> Other than, as reports said, soldiers snipping cables in datacenters,
> regimes will have a difficult time completely blocking whatever they don't
> like. Even China can't do it.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Sabri