Tag Archives: hosting

World Day Against Cyber Censorship

Today we celebrate World Day Against Cyber Censorship, a major online event that focuses on raising awareness of the various ways governments around the world restrict and censor free expression on the Internet. First recognized on 12 March 2008 at the request of Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International, this day serves as an important opportunity for reflection and action against online censorship. At FlokiNET, we join in the celebration of World Day Against Cyber Censorship and reaffirm our commitment to fostering an Internet space that values freedom of expression.

According to freedomhouse.org, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., best known for its policy advocacy on issues of democracy, political freedom, and human rights, the following key findings were noted in the past year: 

Global internet freedom on the decline

For the 13th year in a row, global internet freedom declined, with Iran facing increased digital repression, including internet shutdowns and the blocking of apps such as WhatsApp and Instagram, aimed at suppressing anti-government protests. Myanmar almost overtook China as the world’s worst internet freedom environment, a title China held for nine years. In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte used an anti-terrorism law to suppress critical news sites, signalling a worrying deterioration.

Multiple attacks on freedom of expression

Around the world, attacks on free expression surged, with 55 out of 70 countries experiencing legal repercussions for online expression. More alarmingly, 41 countries reported physical attacks or killings linked to online expression. The severity peaked in Myanmar and Iran, where death sentences were handed down for crimes related to online expression. Belarus and Nicaragua saw harsh repression, with dictators Alexander Lukashenko and Daniel Ortega resorting to harsh prison sentences to stifle online speech.

AI and disinformation

AI poses a significant threat to online spaces, with 47 governments doubling down on the use of commentators to manipulate discussions. In at least 16 countries, AI-generated text, audio and images have been used to shape narratives, smear opponents and influence public discourse.

AI and online censorship

AI is enabling governments, particularly authoritarian regimes, to increase online censorship through technologies such as chat bots. In 21 countries, legal frameworks require digital platforms to use machine learning to suppress disfavored speech. Despite these advances, 41 governments continue to block websites protected by freedom of expression standards.

Protecting internet freedom 

Protecting internet freedom is crucial in the face of increasing AI-driven digital repression. While private companies are contributing to self-regulation, concerns about human rights remain. Democratic policymakers must work with global civil society experts to establish human rights-based standards for AI development and deployment.

What can you do? 

In the fight against cyber censorship, consider taking the following steps:

Support, educate yourself and others, and advocate for internet freedom: Get involved in advocacy efforts, support organizations that promote Internet freedom, and stay informed about issues related to online censorship.
You can stay informed by following organizations such as the National Coalition Against Censorship, Reporters Without Borders, Amnesty International, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Freedom House, Freedom of the Press Foundation.

Use encrypted communication tools: Use encrypted messaging services and email platforms to secure your communications and protect sensitive information, such as Signal, Element and Proton Mail. 

Support decentralized platforms: Explore and promote decentralized social media platforms and communication tools that are less susceptible to centralized control and censorship. Some platforms we recommend are Mastodon and Matrix for anti-censorship communication.

Stay informed about online safety: Keep up to date with the latest developments in online security, use strong passwords and regularly update your software to mitigate potential cyber threats. Get the latest news and updates on cyber security from sources like KrebsOnSecurity, Schneier on Security and Ars Technica.

Access censored content (if blocked in your region): Use tools such as Tor for anonymous browsing and VPN as a secure tunnel for your internet traffic to access censored content, giving you a safe and private way to browse the internet without restrictions.

Have any questions or suggestions? Let us know at info@flokinet.is or on our social media channels.

Censorship in Ecuador

After we received a request from the Australian Police in May this year (see more here), in which they wanted to censor one of our customers for leaking important data about the abuse happening in the Island of Nauru, we received another request from law enforcement in Ecuador.

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

This time, Ecuadorian law enforcement is focused on shutting down the hacktivist group Guacamaya which leaked 400000 e-mails uncovering the cyber vulnerability of the military corps.

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.

Why The Netherlands?

Why did we open a data center in the Netherlands?

We made this decision in order to have a footprint in Western Europe for low latency and high bandwidth options. Additionally, the freedom of speech and press laws are great, something that comes to our advantage in protecting the values that we believe in.

What does the Netherlands have to offer in terms of hosting advantages?    

Excellent connections within Europe, low bandwidth prices, DDoS protection and withal all products are wind energy powered, having a low carbon footprint.

Where is the following location of a FlokiNET data center?

We are perpetually probing, for now, various locations. The next one will be most likely outside Europe. As soon as we have details, we will publish them and let the world know our next move.

What products does FlokiNET offer in the Netherlands?

We already offer all products that are available in other locations like shared hosting, VPS, dedicated servers and colocation. You can check out our products here and see which one fits best to your hosting needs.

Have any questions or suggestions for us? Contact us at info@flokinet.is.

Web Hosting 101 – Shared Hosting

Next on the list of our weekly Web Hosting 101 series is shared hosting.

What is shared hosting?

Shared hosting is a type of web hosting in which a single physical server, a cluster or a cloud hosts multiple websites. The fact that many users access the resources of a server, helps to keep the service at a low cost. 

A shared hosting server can host hundreds of user accounts.

Who uses shared hosting?

Shared hosting can be mainly used by blog or small business owners with light or medium traffic on their websites.

This type of hosting is suitable for those mentioned as it does not require advanced configurations or high bandwidth.

Advantages of shared hosting

  • Because the resources are shared by users, shared hosting is a very cost-effective option.
  • It is a great option for less experienced people in the web hosting industry.
  • Easy to keep maintenance.
  • It is managed professionally. 
  • FlokiNET offers CloudLinux, a feature that will offer server stability, density, and security by isolating each tenant and giving them allocated server resources. To find out more about CloudLinux, stay tuned for tomorrow’s post.

Disadvantages of shared hosting

  • Sharing resources with other users, which may cause in rare occasions unbalanced performance.
  • It is less flexible with applications compared to VPS or dedicated servers.
  • If you suspect your website will receive a considerable amount of traffic, shared hosting might not be a good option for you.

Have you decided yet if shared hosting is a good option for you? Got any questions? Contact us at info@flokinet.is.