Who got kicked off of Cloudflare? Because both the cases I can think of weren't because of governments and were the sorts of schmucks that you really don't want hanging around.
A few companies with enough resources being able to decide who is a "schmuck that you really don't want hanging around" is worse than a government doing it IMO. At least the latter have to pretend to follow process and be accountable to the people
Though I'm not sure how to really solve it. I support ISPs being considered utilities with an obligation to serve any customer unless they can argue a compelling reason why they can't, but DDoS protection is not a technical essential like an internet connection is. Even if it's almost essential for a popular site in 2023
It's not a few companies. It's private people deciding who they want to serve. And yes that can mean that you find it impossible to publish neoNazi rags online.
It was a generic statement about a path to get rid of unwanted public discourse. The problem is that paths that exist get taken. Examples of who that happened to already and your opinion of who deserves what are not the point.
Its totalitarian rot, it doesnt stop, its like a moldy fruit.
Wait so your point is that if Cloudflare (or anybody?) doesn't want to do business with lying Nazis, then, the world is on an inexorable slippery slope to totalitarian fascism? That's obviously false.
That perspective is how being wrong looks here. Its an incredible shortsightedness, you have no basis for that degree of certainty. For starters, if it was so obvious you could explain how.
We are talking about a barrier to enter public discourse enforced through DDOS, not freedom to do business with whom you please. This robs you of the ability to self host. With zero checks and balances. You being certain that the likes of the daily stormer shouldnt exist in the public discourse doesnt absolve you of the responsibility for the delete function you just created. For which you have zero concern. That is how a totalitarian slope looks, totalitarians prick holes into the public discourse with no regards for the safe use of such holes. Unsurprising as there is no safe way to do this. Its building a horrific weapon with no targeting mechanism or safety.
You having made yourself a totalitarian through your flagrant disregard for the consequences of your actions. Your error lies in believing your intention matters more then the outcome. To the degree that safeguards became unnecessary. You could and should know better, reality always wants its toll for such behavior.
edit: Please check the comment a bit down starting with " Naive being the key point." on the use of the term totalitarian. I also mentioned stuff to read on the topic by people a lot more capable then me and and hopefully a lot harder to ignore.
Remember when google was one of the “not evil” companies? When it comes to internet companies we have got burned so many times it’s good to keep a healthy dose of skepticism when it comes to a company that potentially decides if you are able to survive on the internet.
One of my favorite illegal streaming websites that streamed old nickelodion tv shows and the xfiles from the 90s. they had problems with cloudflare and had to deal with a lot of problems from a rival hacker group ddosing
With those shows narratives heavily influencing how we think. With some no longer available after falling through the cracks of DRM (like Malcolm in the Middle in some countries).
Though I'm not sure how to really solve it. I support ISPs being considered utilities with an obligation to serve any customer unless they can argue a compelling reason why they can't, but DDoS protection is not a technical essential like an internet connection is. Even if it's almost essential for a popular site in 2023