How Comcast Censors Political Content

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

American online activist David Swanson alleges that Comcast and Symantec have blocked emails drawing attention to the so-called Downing Street memo, which activists have seized on as proof that the last Iraq war was planned in advance.

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Most Comcast internet customers seem to have horror stories, but in my humble opinion this one is a doozie and may even suggest threats to freedom of speech more significant than the jailing of a court stenographer.

I'm working on a campaign headquartered at www.afterdowningstreet.org that seeks to draw attention to the Downing Street Minutes and to lobby Congress to open an investigation into whether the President has committed impeachable offenses. According to a recent Zogby poll, 42 percent of Americans favor impeachment proceedings if the President lied about the reasons for war, and according to a recent ABC News / Washington Post poll, 52 percent think he did. But this story is nowhere to be found in the corporate media. So, our website attracts a lot of traffic.

In addition, July 23rd is the three-year anniversary of the meeting on Downing Street that produced the now infamous minutes, and we are organizing events all over the country on that day. Or, we're trying to. But we noticed about a week ago that everyone working on this campaign was having strange Email problems. Some people would get Emails and some wouldn't, or they'd receive some but not others. Conference calls were worse than usual (I can't stand the things anyway) because half the people wouldn’t get the info and know where to call in. Organizing by internet is super easy, but when you have to follow up every Email with a phone call to see if someone got it, it becomes super frustrating. Volunteers have been complaining all over the country – especially now that we've figured out what the problem was and they know what to complain about.

We didn't know it, but for the past week, anyone using Comcast has been unable to receive any Email with "http://afterdowningstreet.org" in the body of the Email. That has included every Email from me, since that was in my signature at the bottom of every Email I sent. And it included any Email linking people to any information about the upcoming events.

From the flood this evening of Emails saying "Oh, so that's why I haven't heard anything from you guys lately," it seems clear that we would have significantly more events organized by now for the 23rd if not for this block by Comcast.

http://bsalert.com/news/853/Comcast_Caught_Filtering_Political_E-Mails.html

I do believe that Truthout has been experiencing blackholing of their emails through certain ISPs recently, as well.

[defendandprotect]

1. Sounds like a lot of dirty tricks by Comcast . . . they've taken C-span 2 off our regular line up...

They changed all channels in my NJ area about two days from the 2004 elections . . .

And, unfortunately, we had to have a Comcast.net e-mail address which we don't use . ..
If you go into the mail box it is always loaded with porn --

Comcast is making HUGE profits from pornography ---

[liberaldemocrat7]

6. I use Verizon and I get David Swanson's and truthout emails.

Honestly, neither of these people have made a dent in ending the war or getting impeachment.

[againes654]

2. My sister uses Comcast

I emailed her a copy of this post in part to inform her, but also to see if the email goes through.

[tech3149]

3. Are you listening to KC? n/t

[cascadiance]

4. Comcast is also trying to move MSNBC to its second tier of cable offerings...

... so that in effect news networks like CNN.com and Fox.com get favored treatment and more mainstream audiences by forcing many customers to pay extra for a higher tier to get it (and the likes of Keith Obermann, etc.)

http://blog.coloradodems.org/2007/06/05/concerns-over-comcast-tv/

[babylonsister]

5. Jeeze, another freedom down the tubes. Rec'd. nt

[Ghost in the Machine]

7. They should use a link cloaker. Here's a good one for them to use if they want

http://www.maskmylink.com

I own the domain and the site. It is completely free & anonymous to use. No email address required, no sign-up or membership required. Just paste your link in the field and hit "mask my link".

I DO NOT collect email addresses for any reason and you will never receive an email from me or the site.

http://www.maskmylink.com

[Pawel K]

8. AOL blocks many messages from me about business

is AOL trying to censor me too or maybe there is a much simpler explaination for this, that their anti-spam programs suck balls? You see, with these big email providers they will automatically pick up a web url that has been sent out to thousands of people on their servers. When they see this they think it is spam, so they delete it. Thank you after downing street for all your hard work since these memos came out, but there is nothing exculsive here about you or your sites, don't flatter yourselves.

This happens day in and day out to thousands of people, wether it be on comcast, aol, hotmail (msn), or even our liberal heros at google. These spam filters aren't perfect, shit happens.

[flyarm]

9. aol is doing it too..and yesterday aol shut down their war in iraq message board

around 1230 yesterday the AOL message board about the war of Iraq was shut down..

I run an internet group that posts info on all the internet message boards to inform people..nationwide..and AOL shut their down yesterday..

something is happening folks to stop the flow of info..i woke up today with lots of emails of people asking me what is going on at aol..

i didn't have answers but i saw it for myself yesterday when one of my internet group members asked me what the hell was going on..

these people have been posting info there for almost 7 years..never seen this happen before..

fly

[Greyskye]

10. Comcast not filtering that for me

I just sent myself an email from my work email to my comcast email. This email had www.afterdowningstreet.org in the body of the email.

It hit my Comcast inbox within about 30 seconds.

This is not passing the smell test.

[kickysnana]

12. Try again tomorrow...

Last week. I was trying to forward a yahoo group message with details of who and how the Lyme Movement has been targeted by the Feds and it would not work. I was able to forward other messages from that group (OE) but not that one. My computer would freeze up when I hit send. (Lyme is listed as one of 34 bio-t agents by the feds and all emergency diseases fall under National security so technically they can legally watch us but I think interfering with correspondence is probably illegal if we could prove it.) AVG found a trojan 36 hours later. I haven't had a virus for two years.

The next day I got a yahoo payment for $10 from Penn, Berland and S... in my paypal account for a survey I never did.

They sent a "film crew" cane to do a piece in 2000 and put tracers on my computer which was on in the room we were in and out of. My brother who did computer security for 3M and Republic airlines found them and took them off the next evening.

Brace yourself, things are getting interesting again.

[Greyskye]

14. ummmmm.....

...ok.

I'm still trying to figure out what the nefarious connection is between trying to forward a message and getting $10 in a paypal account.

:tinfoilhat:

[kickysnana]

16. Why would Penn, Shoen and Berland send me paypal money?

I forget people post a lot more than they read here...

Coup D'etat in Venezuela: Made in the USA
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=45&ItemID=11471

Instead of guns and bombs, these U.S. forces were armed with fax machines,
computers, and perhaps most importantly, sophisticated surveys done by the
Washington-based polling firm Penn, Schoen & Berland.(1) Their mission: to
take down Milosovic by strengthening opposition groups.

Hillary Clinton's labor problem
One of her top strategists is CEO of a union-busting P.R. firm. Doesn't
labor deserve more respect?
http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2007/06/16/hillary_and_mark_penn/index_np.html

This week they could certainly feel that way, after voicing their "concern"
over the actions of a huge union-busting public relations company headed by
Sen. Hillary Clinton's top political strategist, Mark Penn -- and getting no
satisfactory response.

Moms Should Eat More Fish, Industry-Backed Group Says (Update1)
(Note the non-profit who mentioned in this article was set up but the above
PR firm)
By Avram Goldstein
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=axA77zz5n5sA&refer=japan
Oct. 4 (Bloomberg) -- A nonprofit group backed by the seafood industry urged
pregnant women and nursing mothers to eat more fish than recommended by U.S.
officials concerned that mercury contamination can hurt babies.

[Greyskye]

17. Update via BradBlog:

http://www.envirosagainstwar.org/know/read.php?itemid=2958

UPDATE 6:26pm PT: After our original report here, followed by a series of phone calls to Symantec's west coast corporate office, Bob Fertik of Democrats.com (a founding member of the ADS coaltion), was able to get confirmation that Symantec had finally unblocked "http://afterdowningstreet.com" from their automated filter!

The official line from Symantec, as Fertik reported it to us, was that the Bright Mail filter is completely automated, and due to the increasing appearance of "http://afterdowningstreet.org" in email, their automated filter kicked in. We were not able to confirm any of that with Symantec as their offices had already closed for the weekend by the time we were able to call. So we also were unable to get any additional information on what actually triggers their filtering system and what, if any, human intervention takes place.

The BRAD BLOG can now confirm, however, that email containing that text is once again flowing to Comcast.net customers! Good work to those of you who contacted both Comcast and Symantec in a hurry today!
Since the problem now seems to be fixed, we have removed the Comcast contact addresses and phone numbers from this item.

We have had scattered reports of the problem occuring on other Internet Service Providers as well, but have been unable to confirm those reports as of yet. Stay tuned to BRAD BLOG where we'll keep you updated with any further notable developments in this matter.

This looks like a case of spam filters gone wild more than anything else. I like a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, but at some point you need to invoke Occam's Razor!


(edit - added EnvirosAgainstWar link)

[Pawel K]

22. Lol. you are kidding me right?

You don't think the government has bigger fish to fry than you? But thanks for the laugh, I needed that.

You have absolutely no clue how this works. If they wanted to trace what you were doing on your computer they wouldnt be able to do it with a bug, these aren't the sixties you know. Everything is done digitally. They could have hacked in to your computer or they could have set up a tracer at your internet service provider, something we all already know they do. There would be no bugs on your computer that you could see, if you weren't kidding you are out of your mind, please see a doctor.

[kickysnana]

23. And you are?

[Pawel K]

25. A network administrator that thinks you need some serious mental evaluation.

I'n not trying to be mean, if you are seriously that paranoid I'm afraid you are going to hurt someone one day because of this paranoia, please seek help.

[kickysnana]

26. Why are you here?

Haven't you read anything on DU? I am not saying I think these people are watching me. I am saying they are, and I have proof. You have no reason to call me a lair but I suspect You would rather call names than face the reality that you could be watched just because you post here. Who do you suppose the data mining from all but Qwest is directed towards?

Now I have gone toe to toe with the CDC/FDA/NIH on the LymeRix vaccine (and with the help of a lot of others won). I have protested, phoned emailed and written letters against everything that has happened since before 2000. I have campaigned for DEMS. I have been here under 3 different avatars because my self-view has changed, I say that because I suspect you are trying to harass a newbie.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x314696

I said my Brother did computer security at the time for 3M and Republic. He spent the next 15 years cleaning up after Arthur Anderson Consulting, google it. He then built his own integrated database Oracle based handler that was used at Daytons Corp and is used at one of their current divisions and also a huge book publisher in this area.

I set up and ran a family business with a Commodore 64, I built and maintained Apple based research data handlers for a department at the University of Minnesota. I built specialized machines for Honeywell, Sperry and IBM. And worked out some design flaws in Network Systems first PC to PC Lan, so I do know what I am talking about.

So unless you have something constructive to say go back and play in the Lounge because the adults are working here.

[Pawel K]

27. You are not listening to me

You said they put tracers on your computer, what do you mean by tracers. What did they look like? What did they connect to? Do you have a picture?

Since you say you know what you are talking about this should be an easy thing for you to answer.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

18. Read the whole story.

There is something you have missed.

[Greyskye]

19. I did.

Then I did some more research. See post #17.

[dodger501]

11. No problem here

I just sent an email from my gmail account to my comcast one with www.afterdowningstreet.org in the body of the email.
It came through.

[kickysnana]

13. Possible they are targeting individial accounts..

or sending something later to interfere with mail.

[Richard Steele]

15. K&R for freedom of speech

[intheflow]

20. I'm just got kicked off this thread trying to K&R it.

I'm at a Holiday Inn in Billings, MT. Fox News on all day behind the front desk. :puke: It might be a coincidence I was kicked off, but it feels like Big Brother or Agent Mike are working for Comcast in Billings these days.
:hide:

[Rex]

21. Comcast loves RW crap, it makes them money like war and

death. Small fish compared to AT&T global control communications.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

24. I SENT THIS URL TO A FRIEND AT AOL AND WHAT HE GOT WAS

Invalid Input Parameter
The information you requested cannot be displayed one or more input parameters has invalid syntax.
If you have any questions, please contact the site administrator.