MS Removes HTTPS From Hotmail For Troubled Nations 147
An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft has removed HTTPS from Hotmail for many US-embargoed or otherwise troubled countries. The current list of countries for which they no longer enable HTTPS is known to include Bahrain, Morocco, Algeria, Syria, Sudan, Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Journalists and others whose lives may be in danger due oppressive net monitoring in those countries may wish to use HTTPS everywhere and are also encouraged to migrate to non-Microsoft email providers, like Yahoo and Google." Update: 03/26 17:08 GMT by T : Reader Steve Gula adds the caveat that "Yahoo! only does HTTPS for authentication unless you're a paying member."
The Point? (Score:5, Interesting)
Giving up my mod points on the thread to ask... Why?
Seems like the only advantage this holds is Microsoft can later claim "You should have used someone elses service to discuss anti-dictatorship topics, as our services are not secure or private" ??
Why? (Score:3, Interesting)
Shame, shame!
Are they freaking insane? (Score:0, Interesting)
IS M$ insane? Most journalists want privacy (its more fun than being killed). I suspect M$ is doing this to allow totalitarian governments to spy on and kill journalists/reporters, or perhaps its just that these governments asked/told them to, and always in favor of making a buck, even if people have to die, M$ caved in half a heartbeat. Or perhaps they just don't want any of that radical/insurgent/freedom stuff sprouting on any of their sites. Oh well, the Twitter and Facebook own a pair, and aren't running like little girls from this. M$ never had any redeeming qualities, never had any societal/social graces, was always a pariah (well earned), its just that every once in a while they get a chance to redeem themselves. This was one of those times. FAILED AGAIN!
Re:Banned in China (Score:4, Interesting)
Yes. But they are not too overzealous when it comes to dealing with tourists (who wants to start international scandal, when the poor bugger is of no threat). Should they be sure that you were using encryption to communicate with dissidents inside China, that would be a totally different story.