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Ask HN: Where to host your site for anonymity and free speech?

11 points by mrpixel ↗ HN
This is not about sharing illegal files or disgusting porn but it should be such kind of geographical and technical setup. Where is it save to have one's opinions published without being bothered - ever?

Take a .to domain and host it in Russia for example?

18 comments

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Mithrandir
Try using Tor.

https://www.torproject.org/

retroafroman
Tor doesn't host anything. Maybe it would be useful in connecting to or administering a server that is hosted elsewhere, but this is not what the OP is asking for.
deutronium
You can run a webserver and use Tor to provide a 'hidden service' https://www.torproject.org/docs/tor-hidden-service.html.en
retroafroman
Interesting, I didn't know that.
wladimir
I also recently discovered it. It's a very interesting concept and pretty effective in hiding where something is hosted. On the other hand, this only works well for digital-only services. As soon as you have to ship something or even accept money, there is a trail. Although you could use a fully digital currency like bitcoin to get around that...
_delirium
http://www.nearlyfreespeech.net/ is willing to host anything that U.S. law allows them to, and makes more of an effort than most hosting companies to keep anything up that they can, and requiring that proper legal procedures be followed before they'll take things down (policy: https://www.nearlyfreespeech.net/help/abuse). That would cover your "brand X sucks" example most likely, though perhaps not others.
mrpixel
U.S. law doesn't exactly conform with my interpretation of freedom and it doesn't help with the anonymity issue.
_delirium
Well, it's anonymous unless a court serves them with a subpoena demanding they turn over your identity. So it depends on just how anonymous one wishes to be.
mrpixel
.to domains seem to be a good bet. Tongas domain authorities don't provide anyone with information about domain owners.
mrpixel
O.K. I got it googled. The notion I was looking for is "offshore hosting" which could enable some quite popular free speech platform. Costs about US $120/month for a dedicated server. Thanks for your answers!
pwg
You could try i2p ( http://www.i2p2.de/ ). You can host anonymous websites inside i2p, which gives you anonymity and therefore, free speech.
anamax
> Where is it save to have one's opinions published without being bothered - ever?

Why does it have to be one site? In other words, why not engage in publication arbitrage?

> This is not about sharing illegal files

"Illegal files" are a form of restricted speech.

mrpixel
arbitrage? what's that?
anamax
Arbitrage is doing biz where it's most profitable.

In your case, you'll find that some govts are more tolerant of speech A they are of speech B while other govts are the reverse.