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sites blocked by swisscom

Mgivogue
Level 1
1 of 22

Pain in the ass - Swisscom just confirmed that they are blocking www.calendrier-piste.fr which i use to plan my summer racing...they cannot even confirm why they are blocking it.

 

My questions:

does anyone have a list of sites that swisscom block?

how can we get the site unblocked if it is a legit and legal site?

ACCEPTED SOLUTION 1

Accepted Solutions
suisse
Level 8
7 of 22

great. Could you then please close the thread and mark it as solved?

Thx

21 Comments 21
Mgivogue
Level 1
2 of 22
another question - is it even legal to block internet traffic as long as the site does not break any local laws???

I know China blocks sites on a regular basis...but Switzerland?
atamar
Level 1
3 of 22
Just tested (I certainly hope there's no silent blocking), and I am reaching the site.
suisse
Level 8
4 of 22

the site mentioned is not blocked, it's working.

 

AFAIK Swisscom won't block sites

gasoo
Level 3
5 of 22
According to your first post.
Who confirmed to you that Swisscom is blocking this site?
It is reachable from my account without any problem.

A public list of sites which are blocked does not exist.
However, if a site is blocked by Swisscom you would normally get a site which explains why the site is blocked.

To your second post.
Sites are blocked for the following reasons.
- Phishing / Malware
- Court decision (See http://www.inside-it.ch/articles/15215)
- Child pornography (See https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zensur_im_Internet#Schweiz)

The links are all german but google does translate 🙂

Mgivogue
Level 1
6 of 22

site is back up now - it was blocked for "spamming".

suisse
Level 8
7 of 22

great. Could you then please close the thread and mark it as solved?

Thx

daisy5
Level 1
8 of 22

I can't seem to surf/shop the website www.rei.com - it is a sporting goods store in the USA.  I can access this site through other internet providers in Switzerland.  

 

To be more specific, I can access the site itself, but when I try to search for specific items, I get a blanked-out page where the items should be.

 

Any advice on this?  Is Swisscom blocking American retail sites?  I am able to get others with no problem such as www.llbean.com.

 

Thanks

POGO 1104
Super User
9 of 22

daisy5 wrote:

I can't seem to surf/shop the website www.rei.com - it is a sporting goods store in the USA.  I can access this site through other internet providers in Switzerland.  

 

To be more specific, I can access the site itself, but when I try to search for specific items, I get a blanked-out page where the items should be


no problem for me to use rei.com. Also search is possible. I'm using FIrefox browser

 

delete all temporary files at your actual browser or try another one.

 

good luck, POGO 1104

keep on rockin'
keep on rockin'
atamar
Level 1
10 of 22

> To be more specific, I can access the site itself, but when I try to search for specific items, I get a blanked-out page where the items should be.

 

> Any advice on this?  Is Swisscom blocking American retail sites?  I am able to get others with no problem such as www.llbean.com.

 

 

 

I'd be very surprised if Swisscom is actively blocking any such site. Sounds a bit like what I encountered a few months ago. A site I used was not available through home connection, but worked over VPN. Their content was offered through a major CDN, and they had recently had to rearrange servers to cope with a huge DoS attack.

 

In the end, the source of the problem was the ADSL router's DNS: in my LAN I had assigned it as the DNS server, and for whatever reason it (or whatever it was mirroring) was not being refreshed with the changed CDN server addresses. (This is easy to test by switching to e.g. 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 for DNS.) Updating the router firmware or maybe simply rebooting, can't remember, resolved the router's outdated data. (My router uptime is usually months, didn't occur to check that first.)

 

 

 

daisy5
Level 1
11 of 22

Thanks atamar (contributor), that sounds like what is happening (although what you are describing is slightly beyond my technical ken).  I believe it is something to do with the router, since the problem affects all devices in the home and multiple browsers.  I found a short-term fix, which was to delete all browsing data each time I load the web page.  This is very repetitive and tiresome and doesn't fix the overall problem.

 

The question becomes how to "fix" the router.  Is there an easy way to update the firmware, as you suggested?  I have tried rebooting the router, to no avail.

 

Many thanks!

daisy5
Level 1
12 of 22

Thanks for your response.  The problem exists on all devices and repeats when I launch other browsers.  I believe it is some sort of glitch with the wifi router.  Thanks!


POGO 1104 wrote:

daisy5 wrote:

I can't seem to surf/shop the website www.rei.com - it is a sporting goods store in the USA.  I can access this site through other internet providers in Switzerland.  

 

To be more specific, I can access the site itself, but when I try to search for specific items, I get a blanked-out page where the items should be


no problem for me to use rei.com. Also search is possible. I'm using FIrefox browser

 

delete all temporary files at your actual browser or try another one.

 

good luck, POGO 1104


 

nickmar
Level 1
13 of 22

Hello,

 

this is completely uncostitutional and irrational.

First of all, Swisscom has neither the right to block a site nor the obligation by any law.

I cannot see that link about the court decision, but this is completely irrational (I made an extra effort not to use the word silly).

The URL http://economics.soc.uoc.gr for example, is University of Economics in Greece and has nothing to do with phishing or anything. I was able to login some time ago and now suddenly Swisscom "protects" me and is inaccessible.

 

Furthermore, there is no option to continue to the site. Logic, common sense, the law and even good manners, would imply that, since Swisscom undertook this task of "protecting" me, I would have at least the chance to choose to continue to the site. No such option exists.

 

Moreover, a blocked URL today could be legitimate tommorrow. Who is deciding where we surf and where not?

Why http://www.keygen.cc/search_keygen.php?keygen=Diablo%202 (keygen site for Diablo!!) is accessible and not the University?!

 

Finally, introducing these rules, a company is becoming the very threat is trying to battle. The solution for phishing is more responsible surfing not blocking the site!

 

Did the police came to you and said, you cannot drive through that street at this time because is dangerous! No ! YOU have to be cautious, not opening the doors of your car to strangers and drive safely. The police is there to protect you IN CASE you need it, not ENFORCE you to (unless if you are breaking the law).

 

SWISSCOM is providing me with ACCESS to internet. As a company, has NO RIGHT AT ALL to block me from either surfing to university or to any other site she thinks is dangerous for me.

 

Finally: what will come next? After protecting me from a site that someone thinks dangerous, will they also protect me from a site less dangerous? How about a site that is 'suspicious'? How about a site that is 'reported' as bad?

 

What then? Will SWISSCOM also tell me which search engine should I use? or have a list of "white" sites?

 

This is unacceptable.

 

gasoo
Level 3
14 of 22

@nickmar  Swisscom was ordered by law to block some sites.

However, that was only once by a judge from Lausanne and affects only some sites which are all the same (Mirrors of the same site)

Here is the link: http://www.inside-it.ch/articles/15215

 

Then there is the kobik child porn blacklist which I think is ok to block.

I know that it is a thin red line between censorship and valid blocking.

The swiss ccc had a look at the process and the blacklist, you can read a report here: https://mailman.stanford.edu/pipermail/liberationtech/2012-March/003446.html

 

Now to the comparison with the police and the car.

Sure, the police do stop you if it is to dangerous to drive on a certain road.

As a example if there is a high risk of avalances.

If you want to drive a car you have to go through a test which makes sure you are able to drive a car and know the rules so you get a driver license.

Furthermore you are responsible if you have a accident or cause damage.

Surfing the internet might also cause some damage to your computer which is fine and nobody cares.

But what if your computer starts acting on it's own and is damaging the infrastructure of others or Swisscom.

Would you pay for the damage? Probably not and there is no law that forces you to.

So Swisscom tries to minimize the damage and keep you and others safe and they are allowed to do that since you signed the contract. They probably did their homework and have the right to do it.

 

And yes, sometimes they make mistakes and block something that they should not.

If that is the case they also remove the website from the blacklist, just write a mail to their abuse address or contact the support and they will verify and remove it if there is no reason for the site to be blocked.

I reported your url and hopefully tomorrow it will be removed (Or not if there is a reason for it to be on the blacklist)

 

If you do not agree with this policy you can always search for a way around the blacklist.

There are a lot of ways around it and you are also free to get your internet from another provider.

No one is forcing you to do or accept anything.

 

 

Edited
nickmar
Level 1
15 of 22

I think you have taken the example bit too far and lost the essence!

 

let me summarise, after thanking you for your opinion, which I think really adds to the purpose of democracy and free speech, the very opposite of whom you are defending !!! (this site could be blocked by some ISP for example..)

 

First of all I do not use the same road with you as when we are in the car. I paid for access to internet and not to be protected. Period. But again, I give you the benefit of doubt. Let us say that, genuinely, there are some sites that have to be blocked. Say, they have white background and Arial font! Let's not stay on measuring the ethics or standards of why or whom is judging this. The essence is that the control is INVOLUNTEER. I did NOT accepted this control.

 

And your example of what if my PC gets infected and someone else got hurt is beyond logic.

Why, if someone steals your car and crash it on Swisscom building (sic 😉 will then YOU pay the damage?!

If it happens, what a lawyer will look is what is called Mens Rea (latin, for 'bad intention') meaning, did you deliberately wrote that program trying to invade the the other guys computer? did you deliberately try to fake him and steal his id? Then, we look on cui bono (who is benefit by this). if I accidentally fall victim of phishging scam (no mens rea) and then another guy goes and pretends Im me and takes money from you, sorry but its not my fault (or yours) DESPITE the fact that Swisscom tried or did not tried to protect both of us.

Your example has absolutely no reasoning *as the court decision* (sorry fellow colleagues) and the only possible excuse would be a drastic prove that this is done for the public benefit (which in this case, you would need to prove me that the XYZ site is dangerous for EVERYONE that for examplke does not a PhD in Computing - which is hardly the case).

 

I do appreciate your research and thank you for the links.

And at least, even if I (reluctantly) agree with this policy, even if we say that, you know, most of people are indeed in need of that protection (which is hardly the case, but I am with you, lets say they are) then at least Swisscom should have provide the courtesy of letting me choose.

 

Even Windows and IE are letting me download and install non-certified applications! Why not Swisscom?

 

I also agree that this is indeed a thin line (for them but also for me - and yes, I do agree that all those disgusting sites should have been blown away not just be banned). The duty however of a society if to warn and educate better the people (which, I think Swisscom is doing, to some extend, and I do congratulate them for this, indeed I do) but not allow the protection to be enforced. At least not at the freedom of information.

 

Despite the fact that, unfortunately, sometimes the information is trash or worst..

 

I think that the best think that they could do, would be:

 

1. Provide a link of why they do this, as a defend to their behaviour (the court order etc etc)

2. Provide a link where we all can possibly complain when accidentally Swisscom blocks a site that is not to be blocked (we are all humans, they make mistakes too, yes?)

3. Provide a link, even with a captha if you want, to let us continue if we agree that we understand the risks.

 

A cold 'stop' really makes everybody angry!

 

 

Thank you for the dialog and for reading that down!

 

 

 

 

 

gasoo
Level 3
16 of 22

I disagree with you that most people do not need that protection.

Phishing and malware are a serious problem and most users do not have the know how to deal with that.

 

Where I agree with you is your point 1 and 2, they could improve by giving some more information and letting you report blocked sites which should not be blocked right there.

On point 3 I'm not sure.

Most users would probably just continue without even reading the message.

I observed that many times when it comes to SSL warnings, AV warnings and whatever pops up on the screen.

 

As for this site, it should be reachable again.

It seems as the server was hacked an some phishing content was placed on it.

It also seems that the admin of the website was informed but did not respond.

 

I do not like the blocking of any content but I see why they do it and I also think they do a pretty good job (Not many "good" sites are blocked and they remove sites on request).

 

17 of 22

The website www.tradingtechnologies.com is also being blocked. What is the process for getting the site unblocked as it is a legitimate website?

 

I wasn't sure if I should but I also made another post for this here:

http://supportcommunity.swisscom.ch/t5/Swisscom-Services-Products/Website-incorrectly-blocked-for-ph...

gasoo
Level 3
18 of 22

It seems that tradingtechnologies.com is not blocked but unfortunately it redirects to www.tradingtechnologies.com

 

I sent them a mail so probably it will get unblocked tomorrow.

 

 

19 of 22

I attached a photo below of what people are seeing. This was also seen over Swisscom 3G mobile.

 

Phishing Block.png

uappolinario
Level 1
20 of 22

Hi!

 

Swisscom is blocking www.lse.ac.uk/library/home.aspx

 

How can it be possible!?! t is the library of the London School of Economics! It was working perfectly well some days ago and I was accessing everyday. Since two days ago, I've been receiving the message below:

 

http://blockphishing.bluewin.ch/phishing_e.html

 

I tried in two different computers. I need urgent access to this website! I phoned swisscom already but they were not able to find a solution. Please, help me!

 

thanks

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