back to article Websense yanks censorware from Yemen

Websense has blocked two ISPs in Yemen from receiving updates after it emerged that they were using its filtering technology in a government-mandated censorship scheme. The OpenNet Initiative, a pressure group that identifies and documents Internet filtering and surveillance, found that YemenNet and TeleYemen/Y.Net were using …

COMMENTS

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  1. MadonnaC

    Database system

    If they can use a database system to block downloads, couldn't they just as easily direct it to a poisoned update?

  2. optimist23
    Thumb Up

    Bravo, Websense!

    Websense should be applauded for sticking to their principles in this age of breathless buck-chasing and particularly during an economic downturn.

    Well done, Websense!

  3. Mike Moyle
    Coat

    So-o-o-o...

    "Websense maintains a policy of not selling to 'governments or Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that are engaged in any sort of government-imposed censorship'."

    ...No sales to Australia, in future...?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Big Brother

    Websense doing the right thing by who?

    I like to think in terms of who has the most to gain from stopping censorship in the middle east. I'm guessing after the Iran example, that it's the West.

    So while western governments are looking for better ways to censor the web in their own countries, they know it's to their advantage to stop censorship there.

    I'm surprised states like Yemen rely on US products of this sort, I can't imagine the US relying on a Yemen based company providing products for government projects.

  5. The BigYin
    Thumb Down

    Meanwhile in the UK...

    ...you can go where you like, but Big Brother will watch your every step and rip the ass out of you at his leisure. Or simply deport you to foreign states with dubious judicial regimes so that you can rot in their cells without ever facing court.

    And no, I do not mean McKinnon; I am talking about Andrew Symeou.

  6. This post has been deleted by its author

  7. Throatwobbler Mangrove
    FAIL

    well

    "I'm surprised states like Yemen rely on US products of this sort, I can't imagine the US relying on a Yemen based company providing products for government projects."

    Hmm, good point - the Yemeni ISPs could've easily sourced equivalent or better products from the large Yemeni ICT industry in Silicon Wadi. Oh, wait...

  8. ZenCoder
    Big Brother

    With corporations its always about money.

    Corporations are legal entities whose highest responsibility is to make money for their shareholders.

    Someone sat down and compared what they would lose in sales to Yemen to their best guess of how many sales they would lose if public opinion turned against them.

    The only thing that will make companies act as if they had morals is an informed consumer who is willing to express their approval or disapproval with their pocketbooks.

    I for one and willing to boycott any company that facilitates this kind of censorship.

  9. h4rm0ny
    Paris Hilton

    Um...

    I never thought I'd say something positive about a company that made web-censorship software, but er, well, good for you Websense. I know on the occasions that a customer demands some censorship software on their network (despite my advising them against it), it will be Websense over SmartFilter.

    Paris, because she's probably censored in Yemen so this icon might be all they can get.

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