Network Solutions has suspended a Web site that a Dutch lawmaker was using to promote a yet-to-be-released film critical of Islam.
The Web hosting service said it is investigating whether content on the site--Fitnathemovie.com--is in violation of the hosting service's acceptable use policy.
The 15-minute movie, called Fitna--an Arabic word that means "test of faith in times of trial"--describes Islam as "the enemy of freedom," according to comments made by Geert Wilders, a Dutch lawmaker and the film's maker. Dutch officials fear the movie could spark violence, as happened after Danish newspapers published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. The movie is set for release at month's end.
Wilders had been using the site to promote the movie, but the site was pulled after the Web-hosting company said it received a "number of complaints" regarding the site.
"In this situation with the dialogue that's happening throughout the world ,we've made the choice to suspend the site as of last night," Susan Wade, spokeswoman for Network Solutions, told the Associated Press on Sunday. "This site is suspended so people can't see the content right now. But the customer still has access to their site. They can make whatever changes are necessary as we complete our investigation."
Wilders plans to show his film despite the setback, Dutch news agency ANP reported.
"If need be, I will personally distribute DVDs in the Dam," ANP quoted him as saying. The Dam is the central square in Amsterdam.
If you visit www.vivoleum.com today you'll find nothing, but last month the site was the home of the Yes Men's latest experiment in political theater and a protest against Exxon Mobil. Apparently Exxon Mobil was not amused, and as The Inquirer reports, the Yes Men soon found themselves without a Web site and their e-mail access severed. Broadview Networks, the group's Web host, refused to restore their e-mail until they had removed all mention of the oil company.
Sadly, the Yes Men's story is not unique, and Jimmy Atkinson of The Dedicated Hosting Guide has recently compiled a list of Web host companies that won't buckle so easily. Atkinson's list notes 11 Web hosts that have made a commitment toward protecting free speech. Among those included are Computer Tyme, whose motto is "No Anti-Bush Site Left Behind," and the German Zensurfrei, which was created following a case of wrongful arrest. The list also includes no-cost solutions like 1st-Amendment.Net.
While each of these providers prohibits using their services for illegal activities such as child pornography and illegal file sharing, they do promise to protect your right to engage in political dissent. One Web host that Atkinson fails to mention is Riseup.net, a small tech collective that has been providing free activist Web services for years. Of course, there are probably dozens of companies and organizations out there with a commitment to protecting free speech, and it's a bit much to expect Jimmy Atkinson to have found them all.
If you know of any other Internet services companies who will uphold freedom of speech, then please leave a comment in order to develop a more comprehensive list.
Some things never die, especially notorious photos on the Internet. Just ask Bill Gates, whose infamous pie-in-the-eye shot was posted by a hacker on a Web site hosting information on Microsoft distribution licenses.
The hacker posted the embarrassing 1988 photo on a sub-page of ieak.microsoft.com, which is designed to allow users to select a distribution license for an Internet Explorer Administration kit, according to a SANs Internet Storm report.
Microsoft is not alone in having its content defaced via a hosting partner's site. Take Kevin Mitnick, for example, whose hosted site was hacked and defaced last year.
SANs offer some sage advice: "While the brand impact of a low-level compromise like this is negligible, it does bring up some hard questions," a SANs researcher noted in his posting. "In this day and age of co-outsourcing, how do you ensure your partners are able to meet your security requirements? Reputation is a good starting point, while supplier audit and compliance with relevant security standards can complete the picture."
Meanwhile, the defaced hosted Microsoft Web site has been taken down.
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