You know, the
Pirate Party isn't really doing itself any favors by launching a commercial darknet (read: anonymized network), but then again, who are we to judge? It's not as though we're beyond temptation to kick its wheels and tempt fate with slightly dubious intent (hey, it's not our fault the Media Center didn't record 30 Days this week). The reality of the situation, however, is that the RIAA / MPAA's consistently absurd legal firing line is certainly enough to drive many "nefarious" (read: intimidated) users running for cover from legal embroilment -- hence Relakks. The network hits up its users for about $6.50 (€5) a month for service, which basically moves your data over VPN to servers in Sweden in order to cleanse its origin and proxy your traffic through a Swedish IP address. We might call it clever, but it's not much more than an encrypted proxy run by the peeps most likely to ensure your privacy, be you behaving naughty or nice online. While we suggest the latter, something tells us Relakks isn't going to get too uptight about you being the former, either.
[Thanks, Mac & Fredrik]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Emil @ Aug 15th 2006 2:05PM
Why are you talking down so much on RELAXS? I don't know every little detail but i REALLY like the idea of anonymous web-browsing, not beacuse im a criminal, it's beacuse i hate the fact that the government keep that all seeing eye open and records when and to whom we send our emails.
TeleCustom @ Aug 15th 2006 2:17PM
Looks like the old-fashioned Swiss bank account has evolved into the Swedish IP Address.
Loque @ Aug 15th 2006 2:18PM
Till the server gets seized, then well, you're boned.
Cap'n Drew @ Aug 15th 2006 2:30PM
Well as far as this old Captain be seein' things, a data vault be fine for them that don't know that piratin' be more about wenchin' and drinkin', but I'll be leavin' that sort of Neal Stephensoning to those with more time and money on their hooks.
Garrrr.
Alex @ Aug 15th 2006 2:38PM
This is a BAD thing.
It's one more reason for the Swedish courts to readdress the currently lax copyright laws concerning digital media. The last thing those laws need right now is more press.
dov @ Aug 15th 2006 2:53PM
lol..
they selling proxy address?? :D
Alex @ Aug 15th 2006 3:07PM
What do you have to hide, Emil? You do realize it's for your protection, don't you?
Spoonman @ Aug 15th 2006 3:24PM
The servers aren't in the US, so they're not subject to random and baseless search and seizures. Read their legal page:
https://www.relakks.com/faq/legal/
It comes down to this: not matter what, you're going to be safer than if you continue your current surfing patterns.
shirizaki @ Aug 15th 2006 4:02PM
@ Spoonman.
They said that about Pirate Bay, and they seized their servers. Even if you live in America, they can track how much bandwidth you're using from the company's center. Then it's a matter of tracking what you're searching for.
How you ask? One word: terrorist. Then that opens up your line for searching. Not a terrorist? Better safe than sorry. Oh wait, here's a lawsuit since you were doing something illegal anyways.
Obviously there's always going to be a risk. Maybe this is a dummy corporation setup to track people and what they do in secret so they can be reported to authorities.
Scott @ Aug 15th 2006 4:03PM
Relakks.... don't loose faith.
Really? Come on, I think even MS Word has a grammar check capable of spotting that little error.
Poopmaster @ Aug 15th 2006 4:09PM
Even Relakks will give up server information, user information, and the rest if were needed to halt an incipient terrorist attack. If they didn't, they'd have blood on their hands, and who could live with that? So people, get a clue. Your privacy is always negotiable if you're busy plotting jihad. Your actions determine just how private your actions remain.
Ben Hobbs @ Aug 15th 2006 4:28PM
So I'm taking it that this is for child porn and anonymous terrorist funding.
o rly @ Aug 15th 2006 4:40PM
@ Scott : "Relakks.... don't loose faith.
Really? Come on, I think even MS Word has a grammar check capable of spotting that little error."
Too bad your MS Word didn't have a grammar check capable of spotting your little error.
Michael Wilson @ Aug 15th 2006 5:52PM
I'm kind of surprised at the overly negative responses to this article. This seems like more or less of a good thing to me.
Phatman @ Aug 15th 2006 6:38PM
I have no doubt that if the government really wanted too, they could figure out what an individual is up to online. Swedish proxy or not. The RIAA however does not have the same influence. Plus, why would the RIAA go through all of the effort to prove what person A (using Relakks) is pirating when person B (not using Relakks) is so much easier to sue.
myself @ Aug 15th 2006 10:24PM
if there's risk of a seizure, why don't they adopt a single measure: delete all the info from the servers every day? so even if the servers are seized, they're gonna find only the info about the current day, nothing more than it.
h00ligan @ Aug 16th 2006 1:17AM
it's not like ssl hasn't been broken. it's also not like there aren't a million services that do this already. I guess they are hoping for marketing to win marketshare of the tiny market of people looking for a private proxy.
Alternately - you could go free and install TOR.
Naranek @ Aug 16th 2006 4:38AM
> Even Relakks will give up server information, user
> information, and the rest if were needed to halt an
> incipient terrorist attack. If they didn't, they'd have
> blood on their hands, and who could live with that?
Nope. It's as simple as not keeping any logs. There's no blood involved.
> So people, get a clue. Your privacy is always negotiable
> if you're busy plotting jihad. Your actions determine just
> how private your actions remain.
Oh please. People plotting jihad will use much more secure means than a simple anonymous proxy with a money trail - unless they are stupid and stupid terrorists are hardly a problem.
zoara @ Aug 16th 2006 10:23AM
Arr, Cap'n Drew, be you lookin' forward to thar 19th September? It be talkin' like a pirate day, arhar.
Where's me bloody parrot got to, arrr?
PK @ Aug 16th 2006 12:40PM
I'm confused about how this works? I went to the site but finding the answer to this question is like walking through an IKEA - you have to walk through the entire damn store to find what youre looking for. Shocking that theyre both Sweedish...
Anyway, lets say for the sake of arguement I want to download an mp3 from some site. I switch my settings to Relakks' proxy server, then browse to the site, and start downloading. This just solves the issue of the RIAA monitoring THAT mp3 site and recording who's downloading right, because its a sweedish IP theyre seeing? The issue of the fact that my ISP might be monitoring what content I'm dl-ing is still existent, right?
I'll reserve my comments on the govt's policies for another day, but my motivation to use this site would be to avoid "the man" from being able to read my emails. This site doesnt seem like it solves that issue... Can anyone comment?
-PK
Legogris @ Dec 16th 2006 6:00PM
"The issue of the fact that my ISP might be monitoring what content I'm dl-ing is still existent, right?"
Nope. The thing is, everything goes via their servers. And the traffic between your computer and their server(s) are encrypted. Which means, There's no way that your ISP can monitor your doings (unless, of course, they break the encryption). Simple as that.
Hotdrop @ Aug 16th 2006 2:30PM
This is secure unless they give up info on their end. Its going to be secure in between you and your isp because your sending encryped data to your isp. The only thing your isp can do is a man in the middle attack where they intercept the encryption key the first time you recive it and use it to decode your data. Otherwise once you have a encryption key then you are protected from your ISP and all the RIAA sees is their servers. But the question is how much data do they log and how long do they keep it. Whats to stop a jugde from issuing a wire tap on their serivices and track all traffic going in and out?
jsaltz @ Aug 16th 2006 9:59PM
It is an abomination.
Flowers Thailand @ Aug 21st 2006 10:03AM
It is only a matter of time until these darknets and anonymous proxys are shut down by anti terrorism legislation.
Perhaps they should be?
Johnboy @ Sep 13th 2006 6:11PM
Th Relakks serice SUCKS!. I have been trying to get in touch with their so called customer sevice repeatedly but they do not answer emails and this is the ONLY way to contact them. Download speed is shite, people need to the "reliability" of this company. Since two weeks back I have been unable to even connect to them. Stay away from these people
HS @ Oct 13th 2006 9:07AM
Neomailbox (http://neomailbox.com/) offers a similar offshore secure anonymous proxy for about half the price ($29.95 a year), with server log scrubbing and other features too. They also offer secure and anonymous email service.
Alex @ Mar 2nd 2007 1:39PM
Neo is expensive: "account includes a 200MB per month data transfer quota" $10 per gig.
It's target are surfers not torrent downloaders. What can you do with 200mb/month? Nothing.
Alex @ Mar 1st 2007 12:30PM
Relakks relaxes on customer service.
They suck, and terribly. I purchased their service and have not been able to use it for more then 10-15 minutes without data corruption and then a drop. I traced it back their servers as I get the same problem whether I use WinXP or Linux (using pptp client). I've emailed their support 3x.. last week, and have gotten ZERO response.
Frankly any other company that wants to get in the game at this point will eat them up quick. Nonexistant customer service. Flakey connection.