TorrentFreak

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BitTorrent aids Terrorists and Pedophiles

In Friday’s edition of BBC’s newsnight, BitTorrent is portrayed as the new evil that helps terrorists and pedophiles to do their “job” without being noticed. In a dramatic 4 minute report the public is led to believe that BitTorrent is a threat to (inter)national security. Unbelievable, see for yourself.

Sure, ISP’s don’t like BitTorrents new gadget, but what has this to do with terrorists and pedophiles. Newsnight makes it seem like encryption makes it impossible to track traffic and that all filesharers are thieves, which is absolute nonsense. In fact, Newsnight didn’t looked into the actual story at all, but they managed the get a comment from a former CIA officer, to “confirm” their story.

The edition of Newsnight in question led to a lot of critique, and today Adam Livingstone Newsnight’s Ubergeek tried to calm things down and made a public apology.

First though, an apology. File sharing is not theft. It has never been theft. Anyone who says it is theft is wrong and has unthinkingly absorbed too many Recording Industry Association of America press releases. We know that script line was wrong. It was a mistake. We’re very, very sorry.

Good to hear some wise words after all

Link to torrent (non terrorists only)

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  • ukaze

    This one of them things that big news peple do they think we can say what we want about a computer issue and the public take it as gospel. You only have to say porn internet and anyone who doesnt know the www says peadophile. The bbc would do good to make a docu about such a massive issue.

  • wigwam

    The full article is here.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/4758636.stm

    You’ll find an explanation there of why bittorrent encryption might actually be the spooks’ worst nightmares. Decide for yourselves.

  • SilentRob

    I’m surprised I didn’t see that coming. When something gets in the way of a government-protected tax-revenue-gaining industry such as the recording industry, and people don’t care, the way to set the public against it is to simply say that it poses a danger to “the children” and “national security”. I’m almost amused.

  • ukaze

    If everyone just listens for a tic the encryption they speak of is nothing to do with hiding ips and changing the data its just altering the transfer so networks that block torrent trafic cant block it. I might be wrong about one thing there but im right about if you do somthing you can still be caught.

  • rofl

    So lame, now there are goig to be 50 something grandparents at family functions telling their grandkids to stay away from that ‘bittorent’ thing because on the BBC it said, peadophiles & terrorists use them for their devious purposes. Now all these morons who believe everything they see on T.V. are going to think Bittorent is something that was forged by the devil himself. :roll:

  • Dave

    I have never heard such crap in my entire life, do they really think people will believe this.

  • syme

    just another step towards facism my friends.

  • Matt

    I agree whole-heartedly. Syme, you’re correct. It’s exactly the same as criticizing “The Patriot Act” means in some way that standing up for your rights and freedoms makes you anti-government, and a terrorist. err.. excuse me Lord Rumsfeld, Enemy Combatant. Physically disgusting. I actually feel sick, and I haven’t even seen the clip yet. All of those neo-cons are suckling the giant veiny Co*k of Satan, filling their little bellies with Demon Seed… Thank you Bill Hicks… you *WERE* right. I’m going to go get a bucket before I watch this little piece of filth. With a margin like %66 of the citizens inside the USA do *NOT* support the leader, the leader is not re-elected, they hijack the country. Your country is being driven like it’s stolen. God bless and watch over, and protect each and every one of you freedom loving Americans. My heart goes out to you all. I’m sorry to say that Canada isn’t much better…

  • dave court

    simple mistake ……mass destruction !! mass production. suprised they havent bombed bit torrent users families yet ?

  • brian

    i love it when people talk about something they have no clue about and try scare people into thinking it is the ultimate evil and when the goverment wants people to listen they say “national security” and everyone looks and listens no matter how stupid that person is, its like showing a ball of tin foil to a cat

  • Sean

    It hardly takes P2P sharing networks to help pedophiles. They apparently have there own websites with credit card facilities and all. This must be correct because there is periodically, people jailed for purchasing material from these sites.

  • Mars

    It’s sad that in the UK we actually pay for this nonsense. Most media spreads fear with inaccurate reports but the BBC are probably one of the most inaccurate. They lost their guts over the kelly incident so should just go!

  • M-Boogie

    Maybe BBC should stop their childrens program in the morning. I’m sure it attracts pedophiles. And the news would be banned too because terrorists see pictures of the Big Ben :-)

    Reality, I love it…

  • http://torrentfreak.com Ernesto

    haha, nice one..

  • ltn

    oh no,ive been caught.my plans for ultimate destruction are trashed.anyone know where i can find a nice 10 year old boy!

  • Imaterrorest

    DAMIT! And i thought i could bomb sumthin by shareing *.mp3′s.

    note to self sell my soul to Ebay.com in a auction starting at $20.00.

  • Daniel

    After watching the clip from newsnight I dont quite take the same line of view as many of the people who have commented here. Brainwashing for me, isnt an issue. I didnt actually no Torrent’s used that much of the internet. So yes in away I can see the problem that may become a result of encryption on this scale. Its not theft technically you may be right and its not like I dont enjoy not having to pay for music and the odd film. But this scale of downloading is becoming cripling on the industry. For example, were not seeing the quality and time spent on games/(certain)films anymore. Theres no doubt now that the internet is taking a turn on society. This report is evidence of that.

  • Josephina

    England sees how powerfull Bush became after the Patriot act and is trying the same crap in the name of “The terrorists”. There was a link in het AD-a Dutch Newspaper to: http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=loose change
    Look at that movie and you know what it is all about. Power and $$$$$$$, not the Torrent’s!

  • Brian

    we are free to fuk ,,an work an pay taxes an die an they will help u wit the latter

  • corleone62

    [quote comment="1148"]This one of them things that big news peple do they think we can say what we want about a computer issue and the public take it as gospel. You only have to say porn internet and anyone who doesnt know the www says peadophile. The bbc would do good to make a docu about such a massive issue.[/quote]

    BBC BBC BBC BBC BBC Wake up PLEASE?

  • jammer

    everything for the government is about MONEY. look at the trillions of dollars they waste on research that has been done over and over and over. no wonder this country is so far in debt. they have research places, that if the public knew about, it would turn their stomachs and scare them to death.
    they took away internet gambling because they could not collect money from it, now they want to stop torrents, why, they cannot collect money from it. if the government cannot control it then they blame it on terrorists and pedophiles. anything to scare the public into not using it with the hope that it will go away. it’s no wonder so many people don’t trust the government any more. Thank you carter and bush.

  • jck

    Link to torrent (non terrorists only)

    xD
    my joke of the day
    thank you

  • BTGuard - BitTorrent Anonymously

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