Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Popular：

Virtualization DNS security formal verification reachability analysis compiler errors macro conflict web extension development framework Bitmap Graphics API inconsistencies All Tags

UK's Online Safety Act: A Global Censorship Clash?

2025-08-25

The UK's Online Safety Act, intended to protect children, is facing intense backlash for its censorship of legitimate news and criticism. The Act requires adult identity verification for website access and imposes hefty fines on large sites, leading some to block UK users entirely. The government labels critics as aiding online predators, attempting to delete critical posts. This has prompted US government intervention, citing free speech violations and damage to the US-UK alliance. The UK regulator Ofcom is targeting 4chan, potentially escalating the conflict and sparking political confrontation.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech International Conflict

Axel Springer's Copyright Battle Against Ad Blockers: Is Website Code Software?

2025-08-19

German publisher Axel Springer has been battling ad blocker Adblock Plus for years. Initially using competition law, they lost. They then pivoted to copyright law, arguing Adblock Plus' modification of their website code constitutes infringement. The German Federal Court of Justice overturned a previous ruling, siding with Axel Springer, stating website code is copyrightable software, and its modification may be infringement. This case has drawn significant attention; its outcome could profoundly impact the software industry, internet ecosystem, and even the future of online news' pay models and access to information.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech ad blockers

Korean Educational Sharing Platform Yubin Archive Shut Down After Operator's Arrest

2025-08-16

Yubin Archive, a Telegram-based platform in South Korea aiming to eliminate educational inequality, provided access to educational materials like textbooks, workbooks, and video lectures. Boasting over 330,000 members, its popularity quickly led to the arrest of its operator for copyright infringement. While Yubin Archive claimed to help underprivileged students, investigations revealed a paid "minority channel," raising questions about its motives. The Ministry of Culture and Sports vowed to continue cracking down on copyright infringement to protect creators' rights.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech

Belgian Court Orders Block of Internet Archive's Open Library

2025-08-01

A sweeping order from the Brussels Commercial Court in Belgium targets the Internet Archive's Open Library, along with other sites accused of copyright infringement. Publishers and authors initiated the request, alleging Open Library's unauthorized distribution of books. The order mandates ISPs to block access, while also compelling search engines like Google and Microsoft to remove results and payment platforms to suspend services. This action sparks controversy, as Open Library is a non-profit aiming to archive all published books and offer online borrowing. Critics argue the order's broad scope threatens access to public domain content.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech open library

Senate Introduces Bill to Block Foreign Pirate Sites: Block BEARD

2025-08-01

The US Senate has introduced the "Block BEARD" bill, aiming to combat foreign piracy websites. The bill allows rightsholders to petition courts for blocking orders against US service providers accessing designated "foreign digital piracy sites." Strict criteria are set for obtaining such orders, including demonstrable harm to the rightsholder, reasonable notification attempts to the site operator, and confirmation the operator isn't US-based. The bill, similar to the House's FADPA, notably omits specific mention of DNS resolvers. Support has emerged from the music and film industries, while service providers' responses remain awaited.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech website blocking

VP.net: A 'Zero Trust' VPN Leveraging Intel SGX

2025-07-01

VP.net is a novel VPN service promising 'cryptographically verifiable privacy' through Intel SGX technology. Unlike traditional VPNs relying on user trust, VP.net uses SGX enclaves to create secure, isolated environments, preventing even the provider from tracking user activity. While not foolproof, its 'zero trust' approach, open-source code, and remote attestation mechanism offer a fresh perspective on VPN security and privacy.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech

Napster Faces $3.4M Copyright Lawsuit Over Sonos Radio

2025-06-18

Napster, once synonymous with music piracy, is facing a new copyright challenge. SoundExchange is suing Napster and Sonos for over $3.4 million in unpaid royalties related to the Sonos Radio service, which used Napster's music catalog until 2023. The lawsuit highlights Napster's complex journey from a P2P file-sharing pioneer to a legal streaming service, showcasing its tumultuous evolution in the digital music landscape and its ongoing struggle with copyright issues.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech

Manga Piracy Soars While Music and Film Downloads Plummet: 2024 Global Piracy Report

2025-06-11

Global pirate site visits dropped to 216 billion in 2024, but the landscape is shifting. Manga piracy boomed, increasing by 4.3%, fueled by insatiable global demand, while music and film piracy tanked. The US remains the top source of pirate site traffic, accounting for over 12% of global visits. Despite readily available legal alternatives, online piracy persists, highlighting unmet demand and shortcomings in legal content access.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech digital copyright

French Court Orders VPN Providers to Block Pirate Sports Streaming Sites

2025-06-06

A French court ruled that several VPN providers, including NordVPN, CyberGhost, and ExpressVPN, must take measures to prevent users from accessing specific pirate sports streaming websites. Copyright holders like Canal+ sued, alleging these VPNs allowed users to bypass geo-restrictions and watch illegal streams. The court dismissed the VPN providers' objections, finding that Article L. 333-10 of the French Sports Code applies to VPN providers and ordered the blocking of listed website domains within three business days. This marks a new milestone in France's fight against online piracy but also raises concerns about internet censorship and user privacy.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech

LaLiga's Reckless Blockade: The High Cost of Internet Censorship

2025-05-26

LaLiga's aggressive anti-piracy campaign, sanctioned by a court order, has resulted in the mass blocking of Cloudflare IP addresses, impacting millions of innocent websites and potentially jeopardizing access to critical emergency services in Spain. Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince has strongly condemned this “bonkers” strategy, warning of potential fatalities. While LaLiga claims legal compliance, Prince insists Cloudflare has always been willing to cooperate, offering a clear process that LaLiga refuses to use. The controversy, dubbed #laligagate, sparks intense debate over internet censorship and copyright protection, highlighting the significant risks and potentially deadly consequences of large-scale blocking.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech

European Courts Order Pirate Site Blocking, DNS Providers React Differently

2025-05-11

European courts have recently issued orders to DNS resolvers like OpenDNS, Cloudflare, and Google to block pirate websites, leading to varied responses from these tech giants. OpenDNS took drastic action, withdrawing from France and Belgium; Cloudflare used "alternate mechanisms" to comply, notifying users with an HTTP 451 error; Google silently refused DNS queries without explanation. This lack of transparency confuses users and potentially violates court requirements for detailed explanations. Concerns are rising about similar bills in the US, highlighting the importance of transparency in tackling online copyright issues.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech online copyright

OnlyFans Takes Down Widevine Decryption Project via DMCA

2025-04-28

Google's Widevine content protection system, used by major platforms like Netflix and OnlyFans, has long been a target for circumvention. OnlyFans recently filed a DMCA takedown notice with GitHub, resulting in the removal of a Widevine decryption project called CDRM-Project. The project contained code and instructions for bypassing Widevine DRM, allowing users to decrypt and play protected OnlyFans content. Despite GitHub's attempts to contact the developers, the entire project and its forks were removed at OnlyFans' request. This highlights the ongoing tension between DRM systems and digital rights protection, sparking debate about whether DRM excessively restricts legitimate users.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech

Abuse of Copyright Takedown Notices: A Threat to Free Speech

2025-04-27

The Lumen Database reveals a massive wave of abusive copyright takedown notices, used not only against copyright infringement but also to suppress free speech and legitimate reporting. Many notices lack justification, containing false accusations targeting news articles, government information, and business disputes. Some attempt to silence dissent through legal threats, challenging platforms like Google. This raises concerns about internet freedom of speech and access to information, highlighting the dilemma faced by platforms in handling takedown requests.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech

The Ironic Twist: Anti-Piracy Campaign Possibly Used a Pirated Font

2025-04-25

Twenty years ago, the iconic "You Wouldn't Steal a Car" anti-piracy campaign launched. A recent discovery reveals a shocking irony: campaign materials may have used a pirated font, "XBAND Rough," a near-identical clone of Just Van Rossum's 1992 FF Confidential font. The campaign, designed to fight piracy, ironically may have employed pirated materials itself, sparking debate and highlighting the pervasive nature of copyright infringement. The original font creator finds the situation hilarious.

(torrentfreak.com)

Misc font anti-piracy campaign

Spotify's Pirate Secret: From P2P to Streaming Giant

2025-02-28

Spotify's success story has a little-known secret: in its early beta phase, it used unlicensed MP3s from pirate sites like The Pirate Bay! Rasmus Fleischer, a former member of The Pirate Bay, reveals that Spotify's beta was essentially a "pirate service," leveraging unlicensed music from employees' hard drives to launch the platform. This, combined with Spotify's P2P technology and its free, ad-supported model, successfully attracted millions of former pirates. This revelation highlights Spotify's shrewd early strategy and its complex relationship with the piracy wave.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech

French Copyright Holders Push VPNs to Block Pirate Sites, Threatening Exodus

2025-02-25

In France, copyright holders are legally pressuring major VPN providers to assist in blocking pirate websites. While aiming to strengthen existing measures, VPN providers view this as a dangerous precedent, citing potential security risks and overblocking. Some are even considering withdrawing from the French market entirely. This action raises concerns about net neutrality and digital freedom, highlighting the tension between combating piracy and protecting user privacy.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech

Court Orders Altice to Disclose Data of 100 Alleged Music Pirates

2025-02-20

Altice, the parent company of internet provider Optimum, has been ordered by a court to disclose personal details of 100 alleged music pirates. This comes as part of an ongoing copyright infringement lawsuit filed by a group of record labels. The labels allege Altice failed to adequately address repeat infringers on its network. In return, Altice will gain access to anti-piracy information, including a letter the RIAA previously sent to BitTorrent Inc., regarding copyright infringement. The case highlights the legal battles faced by ISPs in combating online piracy.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech online piracy

US Anti-Piracy Symposium Pushes for Site Blocking

2025-01-29

A recent USPTO anti-piracy symposium highlighted the need for site blocking in the US. Experts discussed the evolution of piracy into a sophisticated, multi-level industry offering "piracy as a service." The brazen behavior of some pirates, openly advertising and even trademarking their services, further emphasizes the urgency. While site blocking is effective in over 50 countries, the US lags behind, partly due to the 2012 SOPA failure. The symposium advocated for a dynamic US site-blocking system, learning from international examples to avoid overblocking and swiftly target new pirate domains.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech anti-piracy piracy industry

Meta Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Use of Pirated Torrent Data for AI Training

2025-01-20

Authors are suing Meta for allegedly using their copyrighted works without permission to train its AI models. The lawsuit claims Meta used BitTorrent to download and share millions of pirated books from the shadow library LibGen. While Meta admitted to using unofficial sources, it argued fair use. However, plaintiffs are seeking Meta's BitTorrent client logs and seeding data to prove willful infringement. A judge allowed further investigation into the 'seeding' aspect, potentially impacting Meta's fair use defense and significantly altering the case's trajectory.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech AI copyright

Telegram Takes Down Z-Library and Anna's Archive Channels

2025-01-15

Telegram shut down the popular shadow libraries Z-Library and Anna's Archive's channels due to copyright infringement. Both channels, boasting massive subscriber counts, were careful to avoid posting direct infringing links, yet were still terminated. Telegram hasn't disclosed the specific reason, but speculation points to copyright complaints or an Indian court order. Z-Library has launched a new Telegram channel.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech shadow libraries

Suprnova Founder: From Torrent Empire to YouTube Megachannel

2024-12-24

Twenty years ago, the torrenting world was rocked by the sudden shutdown of Suprnova.org. Its founder, Andrej Preston (aka Sloncek), recently spoke to TorrentFreak, recounting his journey from a 15-year-old building a torrenting empire to shutting it down amidst copyright concerns, and ultimately transitioning to YouTube, where he built "The Infographics Show," boasting over 14 million subscribers. He admits his younger self was naive regarding copyright and business, but he's proud of Suprnova's scale and the person it shaped him into. This experience instilled valuable project management and content creation skills, leading to his YouTube success. He also offers insightful perspectives on copyright, online entertainment, and the future impact of AI-generated content.

(torrentfreak.com)

Misc Torrent

Court Orders Cloudflare to Block Pirate Streaming Services

2024-12-24

A Milan court has ordered Cloudflare to block pirate streaming services offering Serie A football matches across all its services, including CDN, DNS, WARP, and proxy. The court ruled Cloudflare's services facilitate access to illegal streams, undermining Italy's 'Piracy Shield' legislation. The order also mandates broad data disclosure, requiring Cloudflare to identify customers using its services for piracy. This landmark ruling highlights the responsibility of third-party intermediaries in combating digital piracy and represents a significant step forward in anti-piracy efforts.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech Serie A

Canada's First Pirate Site Blocking Order Expires

2024-12-16

Canada's first pirate site blocking order, targeting the IPTV service GoldTV, quietly expired this week. Rightsholders Bell and Rogers chose not to seek an extension, despite many targeted domains remaining online. The decision likely reflects cost considerations and shifting priorities. Initially approved in 2018 and upheld against appeals in 2021, the order had a significant impact on piracy. However, the rightsholders have now shifted focus to broader, more dynamic blocking efforts targeting live sports streams and other platforms.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech piracy site blocking

French Anti-Piracy Battle Escalates: DNS Provider Quad9 Blocks Pirate Sites Globally

2024-12-12

In an escalating fight against online sports piracy, French media giant Canal+ secured court orders forcing DNS providers Quad9 and Vercara to block access to pirate streaming sites in France. Quad9, deeming this an absurd application of copyright law, plans to appeal but has globally blocked the domains for now. This action sparks a global debate about copyright and net neutrality, with Quad9 seeking public support for its appeal to maintain an open internet.

(torrentfreak.com)

Tech copyright net neutrality DNS blocking