Web Proxy Legal Issues

[chain_reactor]

I recently created a Web Proxy. For those of you who aren't familiar Web Proxies allow you to visit websites hiding your own IP, making you invisible to the website owner being able to trace you back to your IP.

Anyways I was looking through the logs tonight and noticed people are using my web proxy for questionable content.

I am just curious to know if what kind of position that could possibly put me in since I am not really in control of what is happening?

 

[weblord]

those sites could block your ip, put a disclaimer somewhere on your frontpage that the site don't support the sites that your web proxy visits or something like that or near that.

 

[maxeaus]

Anyways I was looking through the logs tonight and noticed people are using my web proxy for questionable content.

Well, what do you expect? Do you think people use webproxies to download the latest Disney movie! :bingo:

 

[weblord]

at some point it could also be if disney banned that specific ip and came to your web proxy for help.

Well, what do you expect? Do you think people use webproxies to download the latest Disney movie! :bingo:

 

[npcomplete]

I recently created a Web Proxy. For those of you who aren't familiar Web Proxies allow you to visit websites hiding your own IP, making you invisible to the website owner being able to trace you back to your IP.

Anyways I was looking through the logs tonight and noticed people are using my web proxy for questionable content.

I am just curious to know if what kind of position that could possibly put me in since I am not really in control of what is happening?

The part in bold has me a bit confused. I have written web proxies myself, and I can usually block anybody I want based on IP or other aspect of identity. For example, if you are having trouble with people using variable IP addresses, then just require accounts and block the account. When you own the source code you have almost complete control of how people use your system.

 

[maxeaus]

Well i may as well add some constructive advice, as i have already posted the criticism. At the very least you should have a disclaimer that illegal activities are not allowed or supported in any way. And yes, if you notice people are doing dubious illegal activities through your site you should lock them out, otherwise you are part of the problem and not the solution.

 

[chain_reactor]

All very good ideas! I will add some disclaimer right away!

I understand what you are saying "npcomplete" since I am a programmer myself, but there are a lot of variables I can not protect my self from. For example how can I filter out illegal content in other languages like Russian or Chinese. Any advice to share in that realm?

 

[npcomplete]

All very good ideas! I will add some disclaimer right away!

I understand what you are saying "npcomplete" since I am a programmer myself, but there are a lot of variables I can not protect my self from. For example how can I filter out illegal content in other languages like Russian or Chinese. Any advice to share in that realm?

Well... I may not be the most politically correct person around here, but here is one solution I have used since 1996 when I started domaining and net stuff:

Some nations just don't play well with others. They do nothing to stop the scams, spam, etc. coming from their country. I won't list the nations here but anybody that has been around awhile can make some pretty good guesses. For my DNS servers there is a firewall where I block ALL traffic from the nations in question. Sure, that only blocks DNS resolution, but that block takes care of about 99% of my problems. For the few that sneak through, I then block those same nations for ALL interactive content on my sites. That usually takes care of the remainder. The few that trickle through can be managed by hand.

Like I said, not the politically correct solution, but "I don't care". Once these nations start managing/policing the way people interact on the net then I will remove my blocks. Some *major* parts of the world have been blocked since 1996. Not my problem. ICANN etc. says "please don't do things like this since it destroys the worldwide nature of the net." Again, not my problem. These nations are already destroying the worldwide nature of the net. They will be welcomed once they learn how to play well with others.