Your site is being used by students in school systems to bypass Internet Content Filters and gain access to materials that is otherwise prohibited. As a result you have complicity in anything harmful that occurs to them or in any crimes they commit while using your site in this fashion. I strongly suggest you cease and desist in providing this ability. So that was the lovely email in my inbox when I got home today. I've found out which school and the teacher that sent this, he's the head of ICT at some school in Wisconsin, America (I'm from the UK). I rung them straight away but when put through to his line it went to answer phone so I'll be trying again later. Anyway, to the email, how can he say any of that, it's up to him to limit websites. That's like holding Google responsible for all sorts of crimes because they provide a search. I hope that this email is totally wrong, otherwise the thousands of proxies that exist would be held liable the same way which I very much doubt. How would you recommend I respond to him, email or phone and what should I say? I was thinking of just moaning down the phone at him about it's his responsibility to see what people under his care access, this is my own personal site for a few friends.
You don`t have to answer him at all, some times it is better to shut up. We all know the bads and the goods about proxy sites. Its your choice to run a proxy.
Yup add a disclaimer. Why don't they just block your proxy if they are worried? Besides if they were commiting crimes that they really wanted to they could go at home or in the library. Skinny
He's a teacher - lowest of the low. Tell him to stick his head up his arse and mind his own business. Perhaps suggest to him if he was supervising the children properly they wouldn't be able to bypass his poorly implemented content filters. I wouldn't even bother replying to him - he knows nothing about you.
Basic business rules apply here, when in doubt as to if what you are doing is legally ok or not (which it sounds like from your post you are not sure) consult your lawyer. They are in the best position to give you the best advice as to what to do and how to proceed.
I strongly disagree in using money so a lawyer can tell you that you are providing a legitimate business. The proxy business is legal and there should be no doubt about that.
There is no doubt about it. This teacher is obviously a bit of a flamboyant jobsworth. Ignore him entirely. I wouldn't wear out my keyboard making the effort to reply.
Obviously he isnt the best ICT manager if he doesnt know how to block a proxy address. I suggest you buy whois protection, i use it on all of my proxies
Yeah I have that, the email was fwded to me from the GD protection people. I tried phoning twice but went to his answer phone lol. Won't bother again, I'll just add a simple disclaimer and ignore him. Thanks for the advice all. Also, I've never consulted a lawyer about anything I've done on the internet lol...
Write him back and say that you strongly suggest he hires a professional network administrator or learn to do the job himself.
Ask him if it's bothering him why doesn't he block it? If he says he already has, tell him good you'll buy another domain and make a new one Seriously though, he can't do jack. Call his bluff. I would write this back as a reply: Dear (Guy's Name), I am sorry you feel this way about my website. If you could please provide me with the exact details of what laws I am breaking, and provide the sources where you got this information from, we can take it from there. If you fail to find evidence as to laws my website is breaking, then I see no reason as to why I should comply with your demands. Cheerio, (Your Name)
Dude dont worry at all i say "Power to the surfers" ive had all those anoying Content filter's and This is a blocked page.... Just tell him to stick it...
This is ridiculous. There is nothing that the kids could do that you would be responsible for. Just some idiot who is trying to scare you. Maybe you should leave a little dedication to him on your site. Proxies are perfectly legal, especially when the kids are just using it to get to Myspace. I personally think that it is illegal for the schools to limit their ability to surf in their free time.
That's a really good idea! Can you imagine the laugh it would get if he was teaching one day and someone surfed to your proxy with a big message saying "Mr X from XXX High School is an absolute tosser!" A good opportunity!
Basically, the teacher is right. In a very rare case of, for example, pedo-network major investigation, with FBI, Interpol and all the others, lets say someone used the proxy site to surf the bad sites or used it to access members only storage of content. The IP of the proxy will obviously show in seised pedo servers and the investigation might track back, get to your hosting provider and take over the proxy website server. Now that is a point where it becomes ugly for the proxy site owner: FBI investigation, hosting TOS and any other User Agreements infringement and so on. Hosting firm might get in trouble and of course they will point at you by showing your IP and your paypal/credit card you used to buy the hosting. They might claim they suffered financial loses and sue you. The same can occur if someone used a proxy site to get access, for example, to a hacked online bank account and steal 100,000 USD. You will prove your innocence eventually, but for some time you will probably be considered as a partner in crime and thats what that teacher is talking about. The teacher is obviously not a bright one though. Sending emails to all proxy sites owners is pointless.
SERIOUSLY this guy is a fag. Id tell him look man im gonna start more proxies just to piss you off, and you can go and take your head and shovee it up your ass and dont ever email me, if you do ill call the fbi for stalking.
While I don't know a great deal about proxy websites or the legal issues, my first bit of advice would be not to antagonise or provoke the teacher, no matter how much you want to. You're probably not the first person he's sent a mail to, and you probably won't be the last. If you provoke him however, he could become a pain in the butt that you just don't need. Having said that, I agree with much of what Snout has said. The key word in the teacher's e-mail to you is 'complicity'. Obviously the degree of complicity will depend on the nature of the crime in the first place, but it's not inconceivable that a proxy owner would likely get caught up in any investigative cross-fire of a serious crime (with or without a disclaimer, I would suggest). And that, at least, will cost time and perhaps money. At the end of the day, only an internet legal professional can give you the answer you need, so it's up to you to decide if the risk (if any) is worth the time and money to get that advice. Good luck, Phlegm...