Notice
to Cox High Speed Internet Users
Users of Cox High Speed Internet are now having both their
incoming and outgoing email censored at the sole discretion of Cox
Communications. |
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According
to information found on the Cox High Speed Internet website, Cox Communications
launched a network-based anti-spam solution that will allow them to recognize
and block spam from Cox email users and known spammers using rules-based
methods and also white or black lists.
Even though the Cox High Speed
Internet subscriber agreement already prohibits customers from using the
service to send spam or any other unsolicited mass e-mailings, they also
block users from sending individual legitimate personal and private
(non-spam) emails based on their undisclosed filtering scheme.
Cox
was contacted regarding the filtering of individual email on their outgoing
SMTP servers, but they have refused to admit doing it.
After extensive
tests of their service, it has been demonstrated repeatedly that legitimate
personal email messages are being censored. Most generally the blocked email
contains a legitimate URL that Cox has deemed unsuitable to be sent through
their servers.
Why This Is a
Problem
- It undermines the reliability and confidence
of email service
Cox High Speed Internet users cannot have confidence in
their email service since they will never know what email is being blocked and
what is sent.
When the sent email is blocked, there is no indication to
the user that their email is not being delivered. From all appearances from the
users point of view, it appears the email is sent -- however it never arrives
at its destination.
Since the user is given no notice when their email
is blocked they would assume it is being delivered as expected. A person would
never know their email is not being delivered unless they were to inquire from
the recipient.
- Can create unfair competition
Imagine
also the consequences to businesses in a highly competitive market. With the
slealth filtering of outgoing email by the ISP, it is possible that one
business could arrange to blacklist another business in their same industry,
thus gaining an unfair competitive advantage.
- Damages a businesses reputation
The
economic consequences for small home-based businesses can be disastrous if they
rely on the delivery of important communications to their customers. Since
there is no notice given regarding the blockage of email, a business would
never know their customers are not receiving the messages until a customer were
to complain of the non-responsiveness of the company trying to send
email.
- Denies customers of services they pay
for
When a person subscribes to Cox High Speed Internet services, they
generally expect a reliable service in exchange for their subscriber fees. When
their legitimate personal or business email is denied without their consent or
knowledge, it is in effect a denial of expected services.
Cox blocks all
network traffic from residential customer IP addresses going outbound on port
25 (SMTP) at their routers and requires all email sent from their Cox High
Speed Internet connection to be routed through a Cox SMTP server. The filter of
port 25 impacts those Cox customers who use third-party mail servers including
mail services provided by their personal domain hosting company. Any software
configured to use an SMTP server other than smtp.*.cox.net to deliver email
directly to a recipient's server will not work. Customers using third-party
email services must configure their email clients to use smtp.*.cox.net to send
outbound email, thus denying them the services they are paying for
elsewhere.
- Legitimate users are punished for the action
of spammers
While we agree that spam is a problem that plagues most
email users and we support legal initiatives to curb the flow of spam, we do
not agree with a draconian policy that punishes legitimate email users for the
offenses of illegitimate spammers. Instead of punishing the innocent email
user, ISP's should rather go after the spammers within the parameters of the
law set forth by
state and
federal legislation.
Although Cox's anti-spam
solution does reduce some spam in your email in-box while at the same time
restricting lawful email content, it does nothing to prosecute the creators and
posters of illegal spam content. It does, however, set a dangerous precedent of
censorship of your email without notice to the publishers who might be
affected.
- Invasion of Privacy
Personal and
private emails you send are being monitored by Cox Communications for the
purpose of identifying what they consider offending messages and is being
blocked if it adheres to an undisclosed filtering criteria. Cox not only blocks
emails originating from known spammers, but also blocks emails based on the
"content" in the body of the email - including legitimate communications
between parties. It is stated on Cox Customer Support web page that, "Staff
members and special software are dedicated to searching outgoing and incoming
emails."
Cox claims to respect your privacy and does not read any email
messages that pass through their service, however that has been demonstrated to
be false from the tests we've conducted.
If Cox and other American
communications companies are not cooperating with the government in the
invasion of your privacy, why would they need protection from the more than 40
lawsuits seeking billions in damages for alleged invasion of privacy? President
Bush is demanding that any an intelligence authorization bill include
retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that from 2001 to 2007
helped the government tap calls of Americans without a court order
- Denies Your Right of Free Speech
The
blocking of wholly innocent email communications constitutes a prior restraint
on speech that violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments and the Commerce
Clause of the Constitution. Their ability to censor your email communications
not only can negatively impact your business but is also a threat to your
political and religious speech.
What Can You Do?
Unfortunately since Cox Communications has a
virtual monopoly on high speed cable service in Wichita, switching internet
providers may not be a viable solution for everyone.
However, you should
still let your voice be heard and express to Cox Communications along with
local and state regulators that you will not tolerate the continued
infringement of your consumer and constitutional rights.
Learn More About Protecting Your Constitutional
Liberties
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