Censorship in Ecuador

Censorship in Ecuador: A Growing Concern for Internet Freedom

At FlokiNET, we’ve always believed in protecting the rights of individuals to freely express themselves online. However, recent events have highlighted a growing trend of censorship requests from governments around the world, including Ecuador, which raise important questions about the future of internet freedom.

FlokiNET and the Ecuadorian Government: A Case of Censorship

In November 2022, we received a request from Ecuadorian law enforcement to remove a forum hosted on our servers. The forum was accused of publishing information that allegedly were against the interests of Ecuador’s state-owned enterprises. Despite the pressure, FlokiNET refused to comply, standing firm on our commitment to free speech, transparency, and supporting whistleblowers.

This request came after a similar situation we encountered in May 2022, when the Australian Police reached out, seeking to censor one of our customers who had leaked crucial information about the abuses occurring on the Island of Nauru. (You can read more about that incident here.) Just months later, we found ourselves facing another attempt at censorship from Ecuador, further emphasizing the global nature of these concerns.

Ecuador’s Focus on Guacamaya Hacktivists and Cyber Vulnerabilities

This time, Ecuadorian law enforcement has its sights set on the hacktivist group Guacamaya, which recently leaked over 400,000 emails exposing serious cyber vulnerabilities within the military. These emails reveal critical weaknesses in Ecuador’s national security infrastructure, and the government is now taking aggressive steps to shut down the group and its supporters. The request for censorship is part of a larger effort to prevent further exposure of these vulnerabilities and to prevent any further damage to Ecuador’s military and governmental reputation.

At FlokiNET, we understand the complex balance between national security concerns and the rights of individuals to share information, particularly when that information may be vital for the public good.

Spanish original:

“Buenas tardes señores, Flokinet

Les saludamos de Ecuador para reportar que la Ip 185.165.170.80 alojado en su hosting se encuentra publicando información que afecta a la integridad de la Empresa Pública del Estado Ecuatoriano, por lo consiguiente solicito a ustedes como provedores de servicio de internet, tengan a bien dar de baja mencionado foro.

https://enlacehacktivista.org/index.php/Extractivist_Leaks/es#ENAMI_EP

Saludos cordiales,

Dirección de Ciberinteligencia”

English translation:

Good afternoon gentlemen, Flokinet

We greet you from Ecuador to report that the Ip 185.165.170.80 hosted on your hosting is publishing information that affects the integrity of the Public Company of the Ecuadorian State, therefore I request you as internet service providers, please remove the above mentioned forum.

https://enlacehacktivista.org/index.php/Extractivist_Leaks/es#ENAMI_EP

Kind regards,

Directorate of Cyber Intelligence

The Bigger Picture: Internet Freedom in Ecuador

As a reply, we remain committed to our fight for a free press so our answer remains clear: We will not take down whistleblowers’ websites.