
User with Muslim name blocked from downloading Sophos AV for Mac - teh_klev
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/08/07/sophos_anti_muslim_name_filter/
======
Taek
It seems odd to me that people would be blacklisted from accessing anti-virus
at all. Imagine if that block extended to other protections like locks on the
front door of your house, or access to infrastructure like hospitals.

It doesn't sit well with me, even if you do believe that they are 'evil
people'. Antivirus strikes me as something that everyone should have access
to. It's not an offensive tool.

~~~
rohamg
The thought process with export controls is that bad actors may be able to
discover vulnerabilities more easily by having unrestricted access to
defensive technologies.

~~~
tankenmate
And of course the first vulnerability these bad actors will use is a false
identity.

------
na85
What kind of AV software requires your personal info when you download it?

What kind of naive person ever fills out one of those forms honestly? Usually
my address is "123 Fuckyou Boulevard" on those things.

------
lisper
Hm, Hassan Ali does not actually seem to be on the denied persons list:

[http://www.bis.doc.gov/dpl/dpl.txt](http://www.bis.doc.gov/dpl/dpl.txt)

~~~
coldcode
It could have been flagged by another country's system. Or there are names not
on that specific list.

~~~
duskwuff
Almost certainly the US Treasury's Specially Designated Nationals list:

[http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/SDN-
List/](http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/SDN-List/)

Sure enough, searching the list for "Hasan Ali" gives seven hits.

~~~
semi-extrinsic
Specially Designated Nationals. Wow. I wonder whether the people who come up
with these terms have read 1984 and it's a form of in-joke, or if they're
actually serious.

~~~
sheensleeves
"More time passed and we got to Korea, 1950. By that time, Madison Avenue had
learned well how to manipulate the language, and the same condition became
_operational exhaustion_. It had been stretched out to eight syllables. It
took longer to say, so the impact was reduced, and the humanity was completely
squeezed out of the term. It was now absolutely sterile: operational
exhaustion. It sounded like something that might happen to your car." \-
George Carlin, When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops (2004)

------
troels
Isn't "Hassan Ali" an incredibly common name?

~~~
616c
Yes, it is.

Source: someone who lives in the region of many a Hassan Ali.

~~~
skeuomorf
Hmm, Egypt by any chance?

~~~
616c
Currently, no. I avoid directly mentioning which countries I circulate
between.

But I did however live in Egypt during my years of studies 5+ years ago. I was
not into IT and programming then, I was an Arabic language major.

~~~
skeuomorf
Oh, I see.

------
skissane
I can download lots of software packages (whether open source, or even
freeware/shareware/trialware) without giving my name, including even antivirus
software (e.g. ClamAV). I am aware of the export control laws Sophos (and
other software companies) have to comply with, but I wonder how those allowing
anonymous software downloads stay in compliance with the same laws.

------
tedunangst
What a bullshit title. Was the ban really based on the "muslimness" of his
name?

~~~
davidgerard
As the article points out, "Hasan Ali" is a _stupendously_ common Muslim name.

Imagine blocking anyone called "John Williams" and then claiming you were
blocking terrorists, not just people with English-sounding names.

It turns out that in practice (and law), companies are held responsible for
grossly discriminatory _effects_ of their actions, without a detailed process
of examining motivations at the time.

~~~
wmt
Terrorists really should start using aliases like "John Williams", "George
Bush", "Donald Trump" etc. to circumvent these name lists, as they already
managed to max out the patdown ineffectiveness with the shoe bomber and the
underwear bomber.

~~~
CamperBob2
They could use the name "Ted Kennedy." That'd show 'em.

Oops, no, our wonderful, benevolent, and omniscient government is one step
ahead of the curve as usual. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/articles/A17073-2004Aug...](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/articles/A17073-2004Aug19.html)

------
0x0
Has anyone else tried using that name to see if it triggers and do they really
call you?

------
davidgerard
I can't wait for the Naked Security writeup on _this_ cockup.

