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Does Your Company Censor the Content for You?

Posted by Cliff on from the a-stealth-filter dept.

JAZ asks: "A few days ago a friend of mine and I were discussing this story. He was trying to make a joke about some content in the article that might be considered 'inappropriate' (the bit concerning 22,000 files). I didn't get his joke because the interesting bits weren't there. With a little investigation, I determined that my company's proxy server was delivering a modified version. Is this a common practice? Has anyone else noticed something similar?"

"In this case, words were not just filtered out, but the text had been changed so that the document still made sense. I suspect that someone monitoring a log and suddenly saw a document show up a bunch of times with the offending text in it. Then they modified the cached copy (I was viewing it a day after it hit the Slashdot front page) to make the alarm go away.

I have mix feelings about this, on one hand, even though the text in this case was meant as a joke and the content wasn't very offensive, I was using company equipment. But on the other hand, this company is a government regulated entity which isn't above pressuring its employees to vote the way management thinks is best (whether it is or not is a question for history). So I guess I'm scared that the company could push an agenda though 'stealth channels'. I realize that the information I read online can't always be trusted, but there are many people who don't know that. It's probably important to note that, while there is a policy of acceptable computer use, there has never been a notice that they might change the content we see online.

What are the feelings and/or experience of the Slashdot crowd on this?"

14 of 434 comments (clear)

  1. Sad but true by Gzip+Christ · · Score: 5, Funny
    I didn't get his joke because the interesting bits weren't there. With a little investigation, I determined that my company's proxy server was delivering a modified version. Is this a common practice?
    Yes. Ever since we've been under new management, the company proxy server has gotten progressively more restrictive in what it rewrites. It is really starting to smurf me off. The other day I needed to send an email to a customer about how to smurf a smurf and it rewrote every occurrence of smurf! I shudder to think what it might smurf up next.


    ---------
    The real Gzip Christ is user number smurf

  2. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  3. Re:My question is... by twistedcubic · · Score: 3, Funny

    Debian Corn

  4. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  5. Re:I doubt they were filtering... by Zillatron · · Score: 2, Funny
    It's a slightly different breed of technology, but it can be done in real time. I have a co-worker who feels strongly about language and protects herself and her family by using a product I can't help but find fascinatingly entertaining. Curse-Free TV uses closed-captioning to identify and replace (visually while muting the sound if I'm not mistaken) potentially offensive language.

    Think of seeing that R-Rated action movie cut up for network television. You know the edits themselves were entertaining. Admit it. So far my favorite example she has used to explain it is the following paraphrase (I'd quote, but that requires a decent memory): Say someone makes a referance to his posterior. Instead of having to hear someone say "Bob you really busted your butt on this project!" the captions read "Bob you really busted your toe on this project!" It can be done, but sometimes the results stick out.

    --
    Hey!!! the parentheses are good for something
  6. Don't be a Dick! by kwerle · · Score: 2, Funny

    The company my father works for has an MTA that wouldn't let him send mail with the word "Dick" in it. It bounced it back to him explaining that it might be offensive.

    As in
    Dear Dick,
    We enjoyed dinner the other evening...

  7. Re:simple filtering test by 3th3rn3t · · Score: 2, Funny

    HUGE yes i can ERECTION

  8. Happens Where I Work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Same thing happened to me. The company put in a new proxy filter and now I AM VERY HAPPY HERE. So, I went to one of the system administrators and told him THAT HE'S DOING A GREAT JOB. Just the other day a friend sent me WORK RELATED MATERIAL. If this keeps up I'll just have to THANK MY BOSS FOR THE PRIVELEGE OF WORKING FOR THIS FINE COMPANY AND ASK IF I CAN WORK FOR FREE.

  9. At least the company I work at is honest! by abolith · · Score: 3, Funny
    they just throw up a huge "THIS PAGE IS RESTRICTED BY COMPANY POLICY" page complete with little flashing red lights and sirens. that last bit is funny because you can hear them going off every so often as someone in the office tries a "restricted" page and has the sound turned on and up.

    --
    if you want "No More Hiroshimas" then I say "You First. No More Pearl Harbors."
  10. Re:I doubt they were filtering... by Fnkmaster · · Score: 2, Funny
    Won't somebody think of the _deaf_ children?!


    Sorry, I just couldn't help it.

  11. What I've discovered by M3wThr33 · · Score: 2, Funny

    The problem with filters is that they [help business and productivity] because it [encourages] the flow of information. Of course, I've found [it helpful] by [complying]. You should try doing that, too, if filters [help] you.

    [Vote Bush]

  12. No, my company does not censor content. by thirty2bit · · Score: 2, Funny

    No my company does not censor content.
    It is a good company with excellent benefits and competitive pay.
    They support the community and donate generously to local charities and organizations such as [@orglist@].
    @companyname@ is an equal opportunity employer.

    %UNDEFINED: @companyname@
    %UNDEFINED: @orglist@
    %CHECK FILTERBOT_GLOBALS.INI

  13. Re:SCO's real secret documents revealed! by dvzzz · · Score: 2, Funny

    Somehow the link got space characters in it. Try this:
    http://www.pornolize.com/cgi-bin/pornolize2/pornol ize2.cgi?lang=en&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sco.com%2Fco mpany%2Fexecs%2F

  14. It's not the proxy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    It isn't your companies proxy, it's the radiation from your monitor. Just wear a tin-foil hat, like I do, and the problem will go away.