Comcast Allegedly Asking Customers to Stop Using Tor

An anonymous reader writes Comcast agents have reportedly contacted customers who use Tor and said their service can get terminated if they don't stop using Tor. According to Deep.Dot.Web, one of those calls included a Comcast customer service agent who allegedly called Tor an “illegal service.” The Comcast agent told the customer that such activity is against usage policies. The Comcast agent then allegedly told the customer: "Users who try to use anonymity, or cover themselves up on the internet, are usually doing things that aren’t so-to-speak legal. We have the right to terminate, fine, or suspend your account at anytime due to you violating the rules. Do you have any other questions? Thank you for contacting Comcast, have a great day." Update: 09/15 18:38 GMT by S : Comcast has responded, saying they have no policy against Tor and don't care if people use it.

Comments

This may be the way to escape from Comcast

[Anonymous Coward]

Call to disconnect does not seem to work.

Re:This may be the way to escape from Comcast

[DigiShaman]

I'm sure they'll come up with some BS term. Something like "Active services suspension" Yeah, that's it!

"Sir, we've placed a hold on your active account. You're still a valuable customer, and will be billed as such, but your connection has been disconnected" We will re-enable the connection when you agree and signed a form stating you will stop using Tor. Good day"

Brilliant. I make for such an evil villain!

Locked doors

[kruach aum]

People with doors that can be locked are often engaged in activities that are not, so-to-speak "legal". As a result we will no longer mortgage houses that have locks.

Re:Locked doors

[freezin fat guy]

Also, people who spy on others are often engaged in activities that are not, so-to-speak "legal".

Re:So-to-speak legal

[hjf]

Oh, you're an idiot. You don't understand. It's not the Government God Damn Business to interfere on what I do!!! Any person should be allowed to engage into any sort of transaction with anyone else! It's a private contract between two entities!
If I want to pay my neighbor for mowing my lawn, why should the government get in the middle?
If I want to buy from comcast, I should have the right to do it if I please! I also have a right to terminate said contract whenever I please, and I can negotiate the price too.
If my neighbor wishes to die but she cannot kill herself, I could kill her provided we both agreed to!! It's our LIBERTARIAN RIGHT! If the cops find her dead, I should NOT be investigated. All I need to do is explain that we both had a VERBAL CONTRACT and that should be enough!
Cops shouldn't exist! Government shouldn't exist! I am a person and I should have the right to do anything I please with anyone, if we both wanted to.
Jesus. I don't understand the "extreme" libertarians like that. What will they do once they find out you can't really have a fair contract against a corporation (or anyone else) if there aren't laws or an arbitration system AKA "the judiciary system"?
Ah yes: The Free Market Will Solve All Those Issues®
(oopsie, no ® there. There's no government to ®)

Re:What about Incognito mode?

[Thanshin]

It isn't an onion routed proxy network like For.

Fhe Onion Roufer?

Re: So-to-speak legal

[NotDrWho]

Introducing Comcast's new ComVPN Service! All your VPN services, delivered directly from Comcast, for only the modest price of $10/month! Because at Comcast, we are always adding new services benefit you, our loyal customer!

Illegal Service?

[PPH]

The TOR protocol was developed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory to protect secure government online communications. So when a Comcast rep contacts you, ask him what business they have intercepting secure communications channels. And then ask him for his name and current location and request that he remain there until FBI agents can respons to his location. Then hang up.

Flaw

[Dr. Evil]

The greatest flaw is that the person at the call center would understand what Tor is.