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HideMyAss.com Doesn't Hide Logs From the FBI
An anonymous reader writes "People use VPN services to hide their identities online, right? And a UK-based service called HideMyAss would seem to fit that bill perfectly. Not so, unfortunately: they have to hand over the logs to the FBI when a UK judge tells them to." Reader wiredmikey points to a story at SecurityWeek, too.
Would the same go for anonymouse.org? I have visited my own website through their proxy, and it remains unlogged in (wordpress) WassUp stats. Hidemyass actually shows up though, along with my browser type and screen res. Also, why do more people not consider that these anonymity services are not honey pots?
Laws are like sausages. It's better not to see them being made. - Otto von Bismarck
They are based in UK, so they so not retaining logs is illegal. If you want proxy without logs find one based in country without data retention laws. Hint: it is nowhere in EU.
Judicially, no. But, unless I'm mistaken (and don't base hiding of ass on my level of informedness, please), Sweden is for example not abiding by that EU law yet, incurring ever growing fines in the process.
My ISP still claims the logs of who had what IP at what point in time are gone in about a week.
Some of my favourite people are from th US; Vonnegut, Chomsky, Bill Hicks.
The problem is that when it comes to promises of security, fraud is very common and never punished. How exactly do you determine what logs the proxy keeps? By asking them? As you see what is promised and what is actually delivered is usually not the same. For another example look at Dropbox - for a while they claimed that only user has encryption keys and it is impossible for their staff to decrypt anything. Then they changed story to 'staff is not allowed to decrypt'. Hell, even if you find a proxy in bumfuckistan which has no data retention laws, it may be a honeypot.
a, not really.. you can easily eliminate potential proxy services by assuming that at minimum they comply with the local data retention laws...
b, possibly, but who do they claim to "cover your ass" from?
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In the UK, not only do they have to keep the logs for 18 months but practically anyone, including the fire service, can look at them. The British law is the craziest in the world in that regard and anyone stupid enough to use a British proxy/VPN must need their head examined. If you use a Swiss or a Swedish proxy they will not even keep logs, so there is nothing for the FBI to ask the court to make them hand over. If you buy a car you look into which car does the job that you want it to do... So if you get a proxy it is up to you to make sure it will do what you want. If you want to watch British TV or whatever without being told that you cannot because you are not in Britain then OK but for privacy??? MORON!!!
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