I have just received a slightly more positive reply:

"At present, our GeoIP data provider classes Tor nodes as proxies, regardless of whether or not they're an exit node. We understand that there is room for improvement in this model, since non-exit relays do not present traffic on behalf of other users. We have asked our provider to give us a way of differentiating Tor exit nodes from non-exit relays, to allow us to block exit nodes only."

So perhaps they will make a change... certainly reporting the issue seems to raise its importance :-)

atb

Dan

 
 
 5. Re: BBC and UK Lottery blocking ip addresses running relay
      nodes (Chris Whittleston)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Chris Whittleston <csw34@cam.ac.uk>
To: tor-relays@lists.torproject.org
Cc: 
Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 01:40:31 +0100
Subject: Re: [tor-relays] BBC and UK Lottery blocking ip addresses running relay nodes
Yeah ouch - maybe I just got someone a bit more helpful. I'm with Matt though, it seems like they still don't get the difference between using Tor as a client and running a relay, so this isn't the end of the road there. You are going to have to rely on them wanting to actually think about it though.

If all else fails, you could always try to simply report the issue again using the form I linked before, but this time just don't mention Tor at all and see if you get a different customer service person...


I suspect you'll end up having to explain that you're running a relay in the end anyway, but you never know.

Chris

On 17 September 2014 21:48, Matt Puckey <matt@puckey.org> wrote:
Stephen Mollett:
> [...]
> "Thank you for contacting the BBC iPlayer support team.
>
> "I understand you’re experiencing problems accessing BBC iPlayer as
> you’re told that you are outside of the UK.
>
> "Please note that if you run TOR, then I’m afraid as per our development
> team’s confirmation you’ll not be able to access BBC iPlayer. If you
> continue to use TOR then your IP address may be blacklisted against UK
> only services across bbc.co.uk."
>
> I made a point of stating explicitly in my original case filing that I
> run a middle relay and that no traffic exits from my node to the BBC's
> website or to anywhere else, along with a link to my node's stats on
> blutmagie confirming the (non-)exit policy.
> [...]

Hi Stephen,

I'm not sure whether I'm surprised at the BBC or not!

It is a shame if they seem to be doing blanket blocking of Tor relay IP
addresses. I suppose this
(https://blog.torproject.org/blog/call-arms-helping-internet-services-accept-anonymous-users)
has /some/ relevance.

The problem is obviously convincing a organisation like the BBC to treat
individual IP addresses different from other Tor relay IP addresses (and
whether they should be doing that at all). Although it seems Chris
Whittleston obviously managed it! Maybe you simply got 'the wrong person
at the other end'. Personally, I would continue to pursue this with them!

--Matt



_______________________________________________
tor-relays mailing list
tor-relays@lists.torproject.org
https://lists.torproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tor-relays



--
Dr Chris Whittleston 栗主
Department of Chemistry
University of Cambridge
Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW
Email: csw34@cam.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1223 336423

_______________________________________________
tor-relays mailing list
tor-relays@lists.torproject.org
https://lists.torproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tor-relays