back to article No happy ending for the 93,000 Kazakh domains that got nixed instead of massage parlour's site

Kazakhstan officials blocked 93,000 websites from domestic access in a ham-fisted attempt to blacklist an adult massage parlour. State censors trying to erase the web presence of an erotic massage emporium called Rainbow Spa back in late July did so by ordering the blocking of the site's IP address instead of its domain name …

  1. Blockchain commentard
    Childcatcher

    Non of the internet providers offer a VPN service then?

    1. Pascal Monett Silver badge
      Trollface

      Well it is Khazakstan. They're already happy they have wires.

  2. Chris G

    So they don't have Khazakerly the right method for blocking naughty sites?

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It's in the National Anthem for goodness sake !

    Kazakhstan's prostitutes cleanest in the region. Except of course Turkmenistan’s

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Blocking a resource by IP address is an outdated and barbaric practice

    It seems someone didnt get the massage... err message

  5. anthonyhegedus Silver badge

    I'll cancel my business trip to Kazakhstan then, I don't want to be limited to a four-hand massage,

  6. david 12 Silver badge

    massage.

    I've never had 'erotic massage', but four-hand massage and foot massage are available at my local shopping mall.

  7. Kevin McMurtrie Silver badge

    Tilda and the Barbarians

    How do you block a domain name without blocking its IP address? Anyone can get DNS from anywhere. You can't see the 'Host' HTTP header unless it's an unencrypted request. What's left to use?

    1. Blackjack Silver badge

      Re: Tilda and the Barbarians

      You block the url, similar urls, and blacklist the site from web searchers.

      Heck with the excuse of "Child porn" they could have made Google and any other web searcher remove the site from their search results.

      Instead they went and left lot of websites, save the one they wanted to block since it apparently has at least another website, without a webpage.

      Bocking a site that breaks international laws (aka child porn) is even easier than blocking a site due to copyright infringement, yet they somehow did it wrong.

      1. Kevin McMurtrie Silver badge

        Re: Tilda and the Barbarians

        Block the URL?

        https://username:password@hostname:port/paths?queries#anchor

        The only part visible on the network is the IP address and port. Username, password, hostname, path, and query are in the encrypted HTTPS stream. Anchor isn't sent.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Tilda and the Barbarians

          The UK government go with blocking DNS, so you can't find out what the IP address is in the first place. Anyone who thinks for five seconds can find a way around that, which is why it is a very effective block for most Internet users.

        2. GloomyTrousers
          FAIL

          Re: Tilda and the Barbarians

          Hostname is also sent in the clear, even in HTTPS connections. Look up "SNI".

  8. Anonymous South African Coward Silver badge

    It also appears to offer screenings of fake Medieval fantasy soap Game of Thrones every Monday. ®

    Quick! Send in the lawyers! That'll shut it down for sure.

    Winter is coming.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Niice

    *"My sister, she is 4th best Professional girl in all Kazakstan... I would have given her another point, but she wouldn't do that thing all the best girls do in Paris... so no medal for her!"

    *said in best Borat voice... move damm cow!

  10. Crazy Operations Guy

    Why block the website?

    If they have proof of an organization doing something illegal, then wouldn't it make sense to just send the police to shut the place down? Unless the Internet has changed quite drastically and no one told me, an 'erotic massage' is going to have to take place in a physical location...

    1. Jimmy2Cows Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: Why block the website?

      The state censors probably frequent it. They just don't want anyone else to know about it.

    2. jody-tantra

      Re: Why block the website?

      It would make sense to shut down a business if they found it to be doing something illegal, wouldn't it? Unless the Internet has radically changed during my last visit, 'erotic massages' can most likely only be performed physically.

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