WTF - Kiddy Porn in the Blockchain for life?

[glitch003]

Here you go:

https://gist.github.com/lueo/1862634

So, yes, you can embed all kinds of bible verses, prayers, and other crap in the blockchain - that much is true.  So all of you saying "can't be done" don't know what the heck you are talking about.

I don't see any porn, do you?

I found four links, all junk.

Aluminum Falcon?

[oakpacific]

This is a really profound issue. E.g., I am not sure what the implications will be for Chinese Bitcoin users If someone includes a link to "the reality of Tiananmen incident" somewhere in the blockchain.

EDIT: On second thought, I think this is essentially a network neutrality problem.

[Elwar]

This is a really profound issue. E.g., I am not sure what the implications will be for Chinese Bitcoin users If someone includes a link to "the reality of Tiananmen incident" somewhere in the blockchain.

Bitcoin is already illegal in China.

And what is the big deal about Tiananmen?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dWvCCxOUsM8

[oakpacific]

This is a really profound issue. E.g., I am not sure what the implications will be for Chinese Bitcoin users If someone includes a link to "the reality of Tiananmen incident" somewhere in the blockchain.

Bitcoin is already illegal in China.

And what is the big deal about Tiananmen?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dWvCCxOUsM8

Most of the times, "illegal" and "China"can only coexist in a sentence if you are trying to be sarcastic, do you think we really didn't break the "Chinese law" on a daily basis?

The big deal about Tiananmen is: if you openly talk about the bonus army thing in the U.S, most likely nobody will give a damn. If you openly talk about the Tiananmen Massacre in China, mostly like you will be in for some big problems.

[Mike Hearn]

I believe what was inserted was links to Tor sites, actually, not actual images.

Most jurisdictions with due process have a principle called mens rea:

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mens_rea

It means to be found guilty of something you actually had to want to do it. This comes up in CP cases sometimes where, eg, someone was found to have CP in their browser cache and they said they have no idea why it was there, and they didn't intend it to be there. Courts go both ways on grey-area cases like that, but for something like the block chain where there's an obvious explanation why it's on your computer and special tools are needed to extract any data, it's hard to imagine a judge finding mens rea in such case.

Regardless, if it bothers you, you can use an SPV client like MultiBit or the Android app which only download chain headers, or a client like Electrum where the chain is managed by a server.

Outputs which are pure data can never be spent and in theory, once bitcoind starts pruning then new versions of the software can just delete the tx outs and the data will eventually go away.

[amincd]

My take:

There is nothing on the transaction log except transactions.

The only way CP, or any other non-transaction information, can be produced using data from the transaction log is to take transaction information at a point in the transaction log, and use a particular code on it to convert it to CP.

If someone informs you that a particular transaction has information that, with a particular code, can be decoded to produce CP, and informs you of which code it is that will convert it to CP, then they are disseminating CP. Without the code and the information on where in the transaction log the encoded information exists, someone cannot produce CP.

In other words, without the additional information, which is the code and the location of the transaction which the code will convert to CP, the transaction log is just transactions. It's the dissemination of the additional information that is the sharing of CP, not the transferring of transaction data.

[QuestionAuthority]

I believe what was inserted was links to Tor sites, actually, not actual images.

Most jurisdictions with due process have a principle called mens rea:

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mens_rea

It means to be found guilty of something you actually had to want to do it. This comes up in CP cases sometimes where, eg, someone was found to have CP in their browser cache and they said they have no idea why it was there, and they didn't intend it to be there. Courts go both ways on grey-area cases like that, but for something like the block chain where there's an obvious explanation why it's on your computer and special tools are needed to extract any data, it's hard to imagine a judge finding mens rea in such case.

Regardless, if it bothers you, you can use an SPV client like MultiBit or the Android app which only download chain headers, or a client like Electrum where the chain is managed by a server.

Outputs which are pure data can never be spent and in theory, once bitcoind starts pruning then new versions of the software can just delete the tx outs and the data will eventually go away.

Thanks Mike. That's exactly what I said. If it bothers you don't run a full node!

[Gabi]

With the proper code even the USA flag can "contain" illegal contents. So now i suppose usa and every usa citizen is illegal, am i right? 

[tvbcof]

...
Regardless, if it bothers you, you can use an SPV client like MultiBit or the Android app which only download chain headers, or a client like Electrum where the chain is managed by a server.
...

Thanks Mike. That's exactly what I said. If it bothers you don't run a full node!

As a practical matter at this time, it is highly unlikely that an individual is going to be attacked on the basis of this threat.  There is simply not enough bang for the buck since it would be a large and expensive effort due to the dispersed nature of the infrastructure and the incentive for individuals to protect their own interests.  That is, if I have $250,000 worth of BTC there is a big incentive for me to do whatever it takes to realize continued utilization of it.  (Of course in this particular case there is also the obvious absurdity of the attack rational.)

Now, on the other hand, attacking a single service provider is a whole different set of calculations.  Once strike could wipe out an entire swath of the userbase.  It may be slightly more challenging since a provider likely has more resources to fight back legally, but ultimately the state controls the legal system and it would be a simple matter to disrupt the service for a significant period of time even if a legal struggle is ultimately destined to lose.  We saw this it Kim Dotcom's case.

[JeromeS]

Ummm... I don't know if anyone pointed it out yet, but the transactions (at least the ones scintill mentions) were included in blocks #230229 and 230231, more than three weeks ago, about a day before the crash. (coincidence?)

Also, since I'm here, might as well link my own thread on the subject
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=128171.0


edit: quote from my OP there

Price tanks, I make a heap of money by going short beforehand.

[kokojie]

What is the maximum length of text message that can be embedded with a btc transaction?

[amincd]

My take:

There is nothing on the transaction log except transactions.

Again, you are wrong, as several people have pointed out previously in the thread.  Here are some of the text messages from the block chain that is on your computer right now if you are running a full client:

https://gist.github.com/lueo/1862634

None of those are found in the blockchain. They had to be created by converting blockchain data into the text messages using a code.

[bbulker]

My take:

There is nothing on the transaction log except transactions.

Again, you are wrong, as several people have pointed out previously in the thread.  Here are some of the text messages from the block chain that is on your computer right now if you are running a full client:

https://gist.github.com/lueo/1862634

None of those are found in the blockchain. They had to be created by converting blockchain data into the text messages using a code.

Wrong again again. A lot of them can be found with a simple string search on the database file. See:

For those that want to verify and have a Linux/BSD OS:

In .bitcoin/blocks do strings -20 blk00053.dat | less
It's a few pages down.

There is also a file encoded in hex in blk00052.dat (unrelated to the CP links in blk00053.dat) and there is lots of spam in many blk*.dat.

Personally I think this needs to be fixed, I don't feel comfortable having CP links, Bernanke/Sassaman, or Luke-Jr's prayers on my computer.

Is there any safe way to remove these strings from your blockchain files without destroying the integrity?

[Elwar]

if you openly talk about the bonus army thing in the U.S, most likely nobody will give a damn. If you openly talk about the Tiananmen Massacre in China, mostly like you will be in for some big problems.

Maybe because the Chinese people would actually give a damn.

[amincd]

Wrong again again. A lot of them can be found with a simple string search on the database file. See:

For those that want to verify and have a Linux/BSD OS:

In .bitcoin/blocks do strings -20 blk00053.dat | less
It's a few pages down.

A string search is converting the data into strings using a code, and then searching the converted data that it generated. If you think it's in the blockchain as plaintext, then please show me where in the raw blockchain data:

http://blockexplorer.com/rawblock/[block-hash]

There is also a file encoded in hex

Which is exactly my point: the only way someone can re-create the information is if they're informed of where the encoded data is, and what code to use to convert it to human-readable form.

ANY information can be converted to ANY other information with a code. The person disseminating information on how to convert inoffensive data into CP is the one disseminating CP, not people propagating transaction data.

[bbulker]

Wrong again again. A lot of them can be found with a simple string search on the database file. See:

For those that want to verify and have a Linux/BSD OS:

In .bitcoin/blocks do strings -20 blk00053.dat | less
It's a few pages down.

A string search is converting the data into strings using a code, and then searching the converted data that it generated. If you think it's in the blockchain as plaintext, then please show me where in the raw blockchain data:

http://blockexplorer.com/rawblock/[block-hash]

There is also a file encoded in hex

Which is exactly my point: the only way someone can re-create the information is if they're informed of where the encoded data is, and what code to use to convert it to human-readable form.

ANY information can be converted to ANY other information with a code. The person disseminating information on how to convert inoffensive data into CP is the one disseminating CP, not people propagating transaction data.

No, the string search is not converting anything. It is only converting the database file from raw binary, which if that were your definition, everything you see and do on your PC is converted. Yes, there is a file encoded in hex, this does not mean all the messages are encoded in hex, but the nastly links are in plain text.

[iCEBREAKER]

EDIT: On second thought, I think this is essentially a network neutrality problem.

Ding Ding Ding a winnar is you!

Now let's stop setting our hair on fire and learn about "Common Carriers."

Because ISPs are no longer prohibited from discriminating among different types of content under common carrier law, Internet providers may charge additional fees for certain kinds of services, such as Virtual Private Networks. Some network neutrality supporters advocate reclassifying all ISPs as common carriers in order to prevent content discrimination.

Internet networks are, however, already treated like common carriers in many respects. ISPs are largely immune from liability for third party content. The Good Samaritan provision of the Communications Decency Act established immunity from liability for third party content on grounds of libel or slander.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_carrier#General

/Drama

[amincd]

No, the string search is not converting anything. It is only converting the database file from raw binary, which if that were your definition, everything you see and do on your PC is converted. Yes, there is a file encoded in hex, this does not mean all the messages are encoded in hex, but the nastly links are in plain text.

The string search is converting a collection of printable and unprintable characters into a collection of only human readable printable characters by taking out the unprintable characters.

Also, any thing that can be put in plain text cannot be illegal in most jurisdictions. It's only images and videos that can be illegal, and those require a code to convert the data to create.

[bbulker]

No, the string search is not converting anything. It is only converting the database file from raw binary, which if that were your definition, everything you see and do on your PC is converted. Yes, there is a file encoded in hex, this does not mean all the messages are encoded in hex, but the nastly links are in plain text.

The string search is converting a collection of printable and unprintable characters into a collection of only human readable printable characters by taking out the unprintable characters.

Also, any thing that can be put in plain text cannot be illegal in most jurisdictions. It's only images and videos that can be illegal, and those require a code to convert the data to create.

Filtering the printable strings is only for convenience, you can also find the strings inside the file with a simple hexdump to make the binary readable:

Code:

hexdump -C blk00053.dat | less

All files are stored in binary. If you save a link to an illegal website on your PC it's not illegal since it has to be "converted" from binary?

[jackjack]

No, the string search is not converting anything. It is only converting the database file from raw binary, which if that were your definition, everything you see and do on your PC is converted. Yes, there is a file encoded in hex, this does not mean all the messages are encoded in hex, but the nastly links are in plain text.

The string search is converting a collection of printable and unprintable characters into a collection of only human readable printable characters by taking out the unprintable characters.

Also, any thing that can be put in plain text cannot be illegal in most jurisdictions. It's only images and videos that can be illegal, and those require a code to convert the data to create.

Filtering the printable strings is only for convenience, you can also find the strings inside the file with a simple hexdump to make the binary readable:

Code:

hexdump -C blk00053.dat | less

All files are stored in binary. If you save a link to an illegal website on your PC it's not illegal since it has to be "converted" from binary?

https://gist.github.com/anonymous/8483a5f36283bc827432