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An HTTP Status Code For Censorship?

Posted by Soulskill on from the you-can't-get-there-from-here dept.

New submitter Tryfen writes "UK ISPs are being forced to block The Pirate Bay. One is using 'HTTP 403 Forbidden' to tell users that they cannot access the site. From the article: 'However, chief among my concerns is the technical way this censorship is implemented. At the moment, my ISP serves up an HTTP 403 error.' ... As far as I am concerned, this response is factually incorrect. According to the W3C Specifications: "The 4xx class of status code is intended for cases in which the client seems to have erred."' So, should there be a specific HTTP status code to tell a user they are being censored?"

8 of 369 comments (clear)

  1. HTTP 451 by IonOtter · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I nominate HTTP 451 - Site is not permitted in your country.

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    [End Of Line]
    1. Re:HTTP 451 by xeno · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Mod parent up. This is brilliant, probably the best thing I've seen on /. in years. Following Bradbury's theme, how about.....

      HTTP 451: An error in your society has prevented your client from receiving the specified content.

      (And I love the fact that HTTP 450 paves the way for this.)

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      I think not...(*poof*)
  2. Stop. by mikkelm · · Score: 5, Insightful

    None. If a site absolutely must be blocked, then blackhole its IP addresses and fail resolution on the ISP's DNS servers. Middleboxes that inspect layer 4 and above are never OK, and never part of a trustworthy ISP network unless explicitly requested by the end-user.

  3. Re:666 by __aaltlg1547 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Only for religiously proscribes IPs. If it's proscribed for political reason the code is "1984 - Thoughtcrime found on site".

  4. Fahrenheit 451 by warewolfsmith · · Score: 5, Insightful

    HTTP 451, This site has been burnt.

  5. Re:It's all in the point of view! by Luke727 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So what it comes down to is, should HTTP represent the user's POV or the Government's?

    Neither. HTTP deals with clients and servers, not users and governments. Political issues are rightfully outside of its scope.

    As for the error code, 403 (Forbidden) is described as "The server understood the request, but is refusing to fulfill it". Is this not technically accurate?

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    If you find this post offensive, don't read it! THINK ABOUT YOUR BREATHING! I am what I am because of how apes behave.
  6. Re:666 by FriendlyStatistician · · Score: 5, Insightful

    In keeping with the 3-digit status codes we already have and the use of the 4xx series to indicate that the client has apparently made an error, I think status code 451 might be more appropriate.

    RIP, Ray Bradbury.

  7. Re:No problem by bky1701 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Democracy is by definition tyranny of the majority. That's why most countries have constitutions that cannot be violated and why there is no pure democracy.

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    Great Intellect...