Category Archives: Transhuman News

Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) May 26, 2013

With its launch of an SSL proxy list this week, idcloak has armed netizens in internet censorship countries with an effective tool for bypassing blocks. The thousand-strong list of proxies from around the world not only enables users to reroute their internet to another country but also to encrypt the internet data they request from there. This encryption allows restricted internet users to unblock US sites like Facebook, Google and Twitter without fear of detection by government censors.

idcloaks specialist on censorship circumvention, Gill-Chris Welles, sees this release as a milestone in the companys efforts to promote web freedom, We fundamentally believe in geographically unrestricted access to the global web, but without a concerted push in that direction, the internet will inevitably be pulled the other way: towards control, personalization and localization. Our SSL proxy list offers a means of how to access blocked sites in a way that is invisible and safe. As a global and free public service, thats very valuable.

idcloaks growing suite of anti-censorship services are mostly geared towards countries where internet access is heavily regulated by the state. Welles, however, insists that such services can play an equally important role in free countries, We think about internet censorship as a problem in other parts of the world where freedom of speech is limited, but its happening here too, albeit in different ways. The monetization of the internet is rapidly making our web experience more regionalized and personalized the adverts, the search results, the recommendations it is all about where you are and who you are and is a form of censorship too. We are breeding our own culture for web censorship under the guise of usefulness. I personally feel we should have the choice and means to resist: to stay global and anonymous if we choose.

idcloak Technologies is a Dallas provider of security and privacy web services. For more information on web circumvention, anonymity or security, visit http://www.idcloak.com.

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SSL Proxy List Launched as Anti-censorship Tool

Asghar Farhadi made it into the Academy Awards record books when he won the best foreign-language honor for A Separation last year, becoming the first Iranian honoree. The 41-year-old this year created more buzz with his Cannes competition entry The Past, which on Sunday won Berenice Bejo the award for best actress at the 66th annual film festival. Farhadi talked to The Hollywood Reporter's international business editor Georg Szalai about censorship in Iran, possible future projects, awards season hopes and Iran's condemnation of Oscar winner Argo.

THR: You became the first Iranian filmmaker to win an Oscar for A Separation last year. How did you feel about that?

Farhadi: It was very pleasant. It was a great experience, because as an Iranian director, I knew that would bring a lot of joy to my people, the Iranian audience, that it would mean a lot to them. Even now, I think that the joy it gave to my people makes it one of the greatest memories of my career and life. Also, the film had the same kind of reaction from the audiences in Iran, the U.S. and all over the world. That also had a very specific meaning for me. That was very comforting.

PHOTOS: Star-Studded Jury Lands in Cannes

THR: Your new film The Past, which was part of the Cannes competition lineup, is already drawing buzz. Any Oscar hopes?

Farhadi: I try to avoid thinking about it. Not that it is not important. I think every human being in the world appreciates being encouraged and acknowledged. But I try not to have any expectations. So, if it happens, it's for the best. And if it doesn't, I am not losing anything.

THR: You made The Past in France and with a well-known star, Berenice Bejo. Can we expect to see you working with other international stars or maybe even doing a Hollywood film in the future?

Farhadi: I always try not to answer this question too clearly, because you are never sure. But I must tell you that there is a project that is a very important project with important stars and important actors that I would like to do, but I don't know yet if it is going to be my next film or the one after. I am still thinking about it and I am still thinking about the story to write and tell. This is the first step of it.

THR: Anything you can tell us about the stories of the next two films you just mentioned you hope to do?

Farhadi: All I can say is that it will be the continuation of the path that has been mine until now. I won't go in any different directions. But if you don't mind, I won't say more, so that the way you find out about it is still interesting.

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Cannes: 'The Past' Director Asghar Farhadi on Censorship in Iran, Future Projects

Not content with a 30-minute delay on broadcasts of foreign television channels, communist Vietnam has introduced a brazen new law which observers say could force media outlets such as the BBC and CNN to pay for their own censorship.

The law, known as Decision 20, requires channels to apply for an editing license with a government-approved local partner who will "prepare" -- subtitle and edit -- their content for a local audience, for an undisclosed fee.

The authoritarian nation already bans private media and all newspapers and television channels are state-run.

It has also long-censored foreign television channels, which are broadcast with a delay of up to 30 minutes to allow sensitive content to be cut.

But critics say the new law goes further by making the channels pay for -- in collusion with the government -- their own censorship.

Decision 20, which came into force last week, briefly saw dozens of foreign channels taken off air, as confusion over licensing requirements left local broadcasters fearing they would be penalised for breaking the law.

As subscribers grumbled at the loss of favourite shows, experts pondered whether the move signalled a new campaign to control information in the authoritarian country or if it was some kind of commercial ploy.

One bemused Hanoi-based diplomat from a country with an affected national broadcaster, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Vietnam's motives were as "clear as mud".

Although the government has previously said news content does not have to be subtitled, foreign channels fear they are the target of the new law.

"The channels are concerned that (the law) appears to force them to contract somebody to censor their content," John Medeiros, Chief Policy Officer at pay-tv industry body CASBAA told AFP.

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TV channels balk at 'paying for censorship' in Vietnam

Two international photographers have withdrawn their works from an exhibition in Sydney in protest over what one has described as censorship.

The photographers' works are being displayed on a screen near the Museum of Contemporary Art as part of the annual Vivid festival.

But several photographers say they have been asked to restrict the use of some images.

They have told the ABC that Vivid organisers said several photos were considered inappropriate and should not be displayed.

Photographer Jodi Beiber is one of them.

Ms Beiber is known for her photo of an Afghan woman with her nose cut off, which featured on the cover of Time magazine.

She says one of her photos of a bare-breasted woman was removed from the exhibition and she has decided to withdraw her feature in protest.

"If I look at all the photographs that are not allowed to be shown, I feel that there's a huge censorship," she said.

"I come from South Africa which is a country that's not perfect.

"But when you have such protection of a society, how are your children going to be when they go out into the real world, if they're not allowed to experience or see or make up their own mind about what happens in the world?"

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Photographers withdraw from Vivid over censorship claims