Infrastructure shutdowns - Revision history

Eleutherious: Course no longer cited as a source: views attributed to Logos, plain facts stated plainly

2026-11-04T23:55:16Z

Course no longer cited as a source: views attributed to Logos, plain facts stated plainly

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:55, 4 November 2026
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	'''Infrastructure shutdowns''' are cases in which a government or a company cuts off a service that people and organisations depend on, such as internet access, payments, bank deposits or app distribution. ~~The Logos activist course ''Building a Parallel Society'' cites four~~ cases~~. They are~~ Egypt's internet shutdown of January 2011, the payment companies' blockade of WikiLeaks from December 2010, the Cyprus bail-in of 2013 and Apple's brief removal of Telegram from its App Store in August 2026.		'''Infrastructure shutdowns''' are cases in which a government or a company cuts off a service that people and organisations depend on, such as internet access, payments, bank deposits or app distribution. Well-known cases include Egypt's internet shutdown of January 2011, the payment companies' blockade of WikiLeaks from December 2010, the Cyprus bail-in of 2013 and Apple's brief removal of Telegram from its App Store in August 2026.

	== The basics ==		== The basics ==
	Each of the four cases involves a different kind of service. In Egypt the internet providers withdrew their networks from the internet. In the WikiLeaks case payment companies closed accounts or suspended payments under their own policies. In Cyprus the banks closed and large deposits were converted into shares or held back. In the Telegram case an app store delisted an app.		Each of the four cases involves a different kind of service. In Egypt the internet providers withdrew their networks from the internet. In the WikiLeaks case payment companies closed accounts or suspended payments under their own policies. In Cyprus the banks closed and large deposits were converted into shares or held back. In the Telegram case an app store delisted an app.

	~~The course treats a~~ shutdown as a different lever from [[Compelled disclosure]], in which the operator is ordered to hand over data. In a shutdown the operator, or the state, switches the service off.		A shutdown is a different lever from [[Compelled disclosure]], in which the operator is ordered to hand over data. In a shutdown the operator, or the state, switches the service off.

	== How it applies to Logos ==		== How it applies to Logos ==
	~~The~~ Logos ~~activist course ''Building a Parallel Society'' (2026)~~ uses these cases to argue that "A parallel society on borrowed infrastructure is a tenant". Money, records and conversations, it says, sit with banks, servers and platforms owned by others, and "Nobody has to seize any of it. They only have to switch it off." On this view a parallel institution built on infrastructure owned by others can be evicted once it starts to work.		[[Logos]] uses these cases to argue that "A parallel society on borrowed infrastructure is a tenant". Money, records and conversations, it says, sit with banks, servers and platforms owned by others, and "Nobody has to seize any of it. They only have to switch it off." On this view a parallel institution built on infrastructure owned by others can be evicted once it starts to work.

	LAN, the Logos movement's zine, makes a similar argument from history. Its first issue says the parallel societies that came before ran on infrastructure their opponents controlled, so presses were seized, meeting rooms bugged and organisers cut off from their money. Its second issue opens its section on parallel infrastructure with the claim that every parallel institution must run on sovereign infrastructure, which nobody can corrupt, switch off or seize.		LAN, the Logos movement's zine, makes a similar argument from history. Its first issue says the parallel societies that came before ran on infrastructure their opponents controlled, so presses were seized, meeting rooms bugged and organisers cut off from their money. Its second issue opens its section on parallel infrastructure with the claim that every parallel institution must run on sovereign infrastructure, which nobody can corrupt, switch off or seize.

	~~The course~~ presents the [[Logos]] stack, made up of [[Logos Blockchain]], [[Logos Storage]] and [[Logos Messaging]], as the alternative. In its account the stack runs as networks of independent machines all over the world, so there is no company to order and no switch to pull. Logos describes [[Basecamp]] as a local-first launcher for peer-to-peer apps built on Logos, one that keeps keys, data and activity on the user's own machine.		It presents the [[Logos]] stack, made up of [[Logos Blockchain]], [[Logos Storage]] and [[Logos Messaging]], as the alternative. In its account the stack runs as networks of independent machines all over the world, so there is no company to order and no switch to pull. Logos describes [[Basecamp]] as a local-first launcher for peer-to-peer apps built on Logos, one that keeps keys, data and activity on the user's own machine.

	=== Responses built on the stack ===		=== Responses built on the stack ===
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	* LAN, Issue 1, Logos, September 2026		* LAN, Issue 1, Logos, September 2026
	* LAN, Issue 2, Logos, October 2026		* LAN, Issue 2, Logos, October 2026
	* ~~Building a Parallel Society,~~ Logos ~~activist course~~, 2026		* Logos Circles training material, 2026

	{{Page status\|Outline}}		{{Page status\|Outline}}
	[[Category:Ideas]]		[[Category:Ideas]]

Eleutherious: Plainer prose: fewer quotes, glosses folded in, claims attributed

2026-11-04T23:31:36Z

Plainer prose: fewer quotes, glosses folded in, claims attributed

Eleutherious: Second check fixes, plus material from the Circles handbook, Circle reports, LAN and Logos docs, source-checked

2026-11-04T21:10:53Z

Second check fixes, plus material from the Circles handbook, Circle reports, LAN and Logos docs, source-checked

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:10, 4 November 2026
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	'''Infrastructure shutdowns''' are cases in which a government or a company cuts off a service that people and organisations depend on, such as internet access, payments, bank deposits or app distribution. The Logos activist course ''Building a Parallel Society'' cites four cases: Egypt's internet shutdown of January 2011, the payment companies' blockade of WikiLeaks from December 2010, the Cyprus bail-in of 2013 and Apple's brief removal of Telegram from its App Store in August 2026.		'''Infrastructure shutdowns''' are cases in which a government or a company cuts off a service that people and organisations depend on, such as internet access, payments, bank deposits or app distribution. The Logos activist course ''Building a Parallel Society'' cites four cases. They are Egypt's internet shutdown of January 2011, the payment companies' blockade of WikiLeaks from December 2010, the Cyprus bail-in of 2013 and Apple's brief removal of Telegram from its App Store in August 2026.

	== The basics ==		== The basics ==
	The four cases involve four kinds of service. In Egypt the internet providers withdrew their networks from the internet. In the WikiLeaks case payment companies closed accounts or suspended payments under their own policies. In Cyprus the banks were closed and large deposits were converted into shares or held back. In the Telegram case an app store delisted an app~~. In each case the people affected relied on a system run by someone else~~.		The four cases involve four kinds of service. In Egypt the internet providers withdrew their networks from the internet. In the WikiLeaks case payment companies closed accounts or suspended payments under their own policies. In Cyprus the banks were closed and large deposits were converted into shares or held back. In the Telegram case an app store delisted an app.

	A shutdown is a different lever from [[Compelled disclosure]]. There the operator is ordered to hand over data. Here the operator, or the state, switches the service off.		The course treats a shutdown as a different lever from [[Compelled disclosure]]. There the operator is ordered to hand over data. Here the operator, or the state, switches the service off.

	== How it applies to Logos ==		== How it applies to Logos ==
	The Logos activist course ''Building a Parallel Society'' (2026) uses these cases to argue that "A parallel society on borrowed infrastructure is a tenant". It says that money, records and conversations sit with banks, servers and platforms owned by others, and that "Nobody has to seize any of it. They only have to switch it off." It argues that a parallel institution built on infrastructure owned by others can be evicted once it starts to work.		The Logos activist course ''Building a Parallel Society'' (2026) uses these cases to argue that "A parallel society on borrowed infrastructure is a tenant". It says that money, records and conversations sit with banks, servers and platforms owned by others, and that "Nobody has to seize any of it. They only have to switch it off." It argues that a parallel institution built on infrastructure owned by others can be evicted once it starts to work.

	The course presents the [[Logos]] stack as the alternative. It says the stack "runs as networks of independent machines all over the world, so there is no company to order and no switch to pull." Logos describes [[Basecamp]] as "a local-first launcher for peer-to-peer apps built on Logos" and says "Your keys, data, and activity stay on your machine." The stack is made up of [[Logos Blockchain]], [[Logos Storage]] and [[Logos Messaging]].		LAN, the Logos movement's zine, makes a similar argument about history. Its first issue says that "The parallel societies that came before us ran on infrastructure that their opponents controlled: presses were seized, meeting rooms bugged, organisers cut off from their money." Its second issue opens its section on parallel infrastructure with the line "Every parallel institution must run on sovereign infrastructure, which nobody can corrupt, switch off, or seize."

			The course presents the [[Logos]] stack as the alternative. It says the stack "runs as networks of independent machines all over the world, so there is no company to order and no switch to pull." Logos describes [[Basecamp]] as "a local-first launcher for peer-to-peer apps built on Logos" and says "Your keys, data, and activity stay on your machine." The initial stack is made up of [[Logos Blockchain]], [[Logos Storage]] and [[Logos Messaging]].

			=== Responses built on the stack ===
			Logos documentation, LAN, the [[ΛPrize]] and project READMEs describe responses to several of these kinds of shutdown.
			* '''App distribution.''' Basecamp can download its own apps from the Logos Storage network as well as over HTTPS. A "Logos only" setting limits downloads to Logos Storage. An earlier Logos article, on Basecamp in Testnet v0.2, noted limits. Basecamp itself was "a binary off a release page", and on testnet "the first hop is bootstrap infrastructure the project runs." [[Backpack]] applies the same approach to Android, with app repositories kept in Logos Storage.
			* '''Broadcasting.''' LAN Issue 1 places [[Booth]], a Basecamp radio station that announces its streams over Logos Messaging, in the line of pirate radio. It says "There is no platform behind it and no directory server, which means there is nobody to shut down." See [[Issue 1/Radio Basecamp]].
			* '''Publishing.''' The ΛPrize specification behind [[Whistleblower]] starts from the point that "Whistleblowers, journalists, and activists need document publication that survives takedowns." The tool stores a document on Logos Storage, announces it over Logos Messaging and can record it on the Logos Execution Zone (LEZ). LAN Issue 1 reported it finished in July 2026. See [[Issue 1/Batteries Included]].
			* '''Joining.''' Since Testnet v0.3, new participants can earn testnet tokens through computational work, a mechanism Logos calls EmPoWering. Logos says it "removes the link to a centralised on-ramp or platform".

			The Logos documentation also describes an optional freeze authority for programs on the LEZ. A program that includes it can be paused as a whole, or can block "sanctioned or compromised accounts". The page is marked as an early draft.

	== Examples ==		== Examples ==
	=== Egypt, January 2011 ===		=== Egypt, January 2011 ===
	Protests in Egypt began on 25 January 2011. At 22:34 UTC on 27 January~~, just after midnight local time~~, the network monitoring firm Renesys observed "the virtually simultaneous withdrawal of all routes" to Egyptian networks. It counted about 3,500 BGP routes withdrawn ~~and~~ named the four largest providers affected: Link Egypt, Vodafone/Raya, Telecom Egypt and Etisalat Misr. The Committee to Protect Journalists, citing BGPMon data, reported that Egypt went from 2,903 networks connected to the internet over 52 providers to 327 networks over 26.		Protests in Egypt began on 25 January 2011. At 22:34 UTC on 27 January (00:34 on 28 January in Cairo), the network monitoring firm Renesys observed "the virtually simultaneous withdrawal of all routes" to Egyptian networks. It counted about 3,500 BGP routes withdrawn. BGP routes are the announcements that tell the rest of the internet how to reach a network. Renesys named the four largest providers affected: Link Egypt, Vodafone/Raya, Telecom Egypt and Etisalat Misr. The Committee to Protect Journalists, citing BGPMon data, reported that Egypt went from 2,903 networks connected to the internet over 52 providers to 327 networks over 26.

	The OECD described the shutdown as covering "Internet and communications services for five days". It estimated direct costs of "at minimum USD 90 million".		The OECD described the shutdown as covering "Internet and communications services for five days". It estimated direct costs of "at minimum USD 90 million".

	=== WikiLeaks, December 2010 ===		=== WikiLeaks, December 2010 ===
	In December 2010 several payment companies stopped handling donations to WikiLeaks, which had been publishing US diplomatic cables. PayPal cut off its account ~~for violating~~ its acceptable use policy. A PayPal spokesman told Bloomberg that the company "wasn't contacted by any government agency and took the action on its own". MasterCard followed, and on 7 December Visa Europe suspended payments "pending further investigation". On 18 December Bank of America said WikiLeaks "may be engaged in activities that are, among other things, inconsistent with our internal policies for processing payments."		In December 2010 several payment companies stopped handling donations to WikiLeaks, which had been publishing US diplomatic cables. PayPal cut off its account, saying WikiLeaks had violated its acceptable use policy. A PayPal spokesman told Bloomberg that the company "wasn't contacted by any government agency and took the action on its own". MasterCard followed, and on 7 December Visa Europe suspended payments "pending further investigation". On 18 December Bank of America said WikiLeaks "may be engaged in activities that are, among other things, inconsistent with our internal policies for processing payments."

	The US Treasury said in January 2011 that it did not have evidence that WikiLeaks met its criteria for sanctions. In October 2011 Julian Assange said the blockade had "destroyed 95% of WikiLeaks' funding", and WikiLeaks stopped publishing for a time to raise money. In April 2013 the Supreme Court of Iceland ruled that the blockade imposed by Valitor, the local Visa partner, was illegal.		The US Treasury said in January 2011 that it did not have evidence that WikiLeaks met its criteria for sanctions. In October 2011 Julian Assange said the blockade had "destroyed 95% of WikiLeaks' funding", and WikiLeaks stopped publishing for a time to raise money. In April 2013 the Supreme Court of Iceland ruled that the blockade imposed by Valitor, the local Visa partner, was illegal.
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	In early August 2026 Apple briefly removed Telegram from its App Store. Apple said its review had found content breaking its rules against child sexual abuse material. It restored the app after "the developer promptly removed the content and banned the user who posted it". Apple said users who had already downloaded the app were not affected.		In early August 2026 Apple briefly removed Telegram from its App Store. Apple said its review had found content breaking its rules against child sexual abuse material. It restored the app after "the developer promptly removed the content and banned the user who posted it". Apple said users who had already downloaded the app were not affected.

	Telegram's chief executive, Pavel Durov, said that "Apple removed Telegram from the App Store before contacting us." He said an attacker had "inserted AI-modified illegal content by editing an old message in an active group chat"~~, and~~ that extortionists "use automated accounts to plant illegal content in public groups" and then report it to Apple. He said Telegram was restored within hours.		Telegram's chief executive, Pavel Durov, said that "Apple removed Telegram from the App Store before contacting us." He said an attacker had "inserted AI-modified illegal content by editing an old message in an active group chat". He also said that extortionists "use automated accounts to plant illegal content in public groups" and then report it to Apple. He said Telegram was restored within hours.

	== See also ==		== See also ==
Line 39:		Line 50:
	* [[Basecamp]]		* [[Basecamp]]
	* [[Exit]]		* [[Exit]]
			* [[Booth]]
			* [[Whistleblower]]
			* [[Backpack]]
	* [[Parallel society]]		* [[Parallel society]]

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	* [https://www.businesstoday.in/technology/news/story/apple-briefly-removes-telegram-from-app-store-ceo-pavel-durov-says-attackers-planted-illegal-content-547263-2026-08-05 Apple briefly removes Telegram from App Store, CEO Pavel Durov says attackers planted illegal content], Business Today, 5 August 2026		* [https://www.businesstoday.in/technology/news/story/apple-briefly-removes-telegram-from-app-store-ceo-pavel-durov-says-attackers-planted-illegal-content-547263-2026-08-05 Apple briefly removes Telegram from App Store, CEO Pavel Durov says attackers planted illegal content], Business Today, 5 August 2026
	* [https://logos.co/basecamp Basecamp], Logos, accessed 4 November 2026		* [https://logos.co/basecamp Basecamp], Logos, accessed 4 November 2026
			* [https://docs.logos.co/basecamp/install-and-load-module-in-basecamp Install and load a module in Basecamp], Logos documentation, accessed 4 November 2026
			* [https://logos.co/media/article/basecamp-v02 Basecamp in Testnet v0.2: The Local-First Launcher for Privacy-Preserving Applications], Logos, 28 July 2026
			* [https://logos.co/media/article/empowering EmPoWering: Joining Logos Blockchain Without an Intermediary], Logos, 20 October 2026
			* [https://docs.logos.co/lez/extensions/freeze-authority Freeze program execution with freeze-authority], Logos documentation, accessed 4 November 2026
			* [https://github.com/logos-co/lambda-prize/blob/master/prizes/LP-0017.md LP-0017: Whistleblower], Logos λPrize, GitHub, accessed 4 November 2026
			* [https://github.com/vpavlin/backpack Backpack README], GitHub, accessed 4 November 2026
			* LAN, Issue 1, Logos, September 2026
			* LAN, Issue 2, Logos, October 2026
	* Building a Parallel Society, Logos activist course, 2026		* Building a Parallel Society, Logos activist course, 2026

	{{Page status\|Outline}}		{{Page status\|Outline}}
	[[Category:Ideas]]		[[Category:Ideas]]

Eleutherious: New article from the Building a Parallel Society course, source-checked

2026-11-04T19:19:04Z

New article from the Building a Parallel Society course, source-checked

New page

'''Infrastructure shutdowns''' are cases in which a government or a company cuts off a service that people and organisations depend on, such as internet access, payments, bank deposits or app distribution. The Logos activist course ''Building a Parallel Society'' cites four cases: Egypt's internet shutdown of January 2011, the payment companies' blockade of WikiLeaks from December 2010, the Cyprus bail-in of 2013 and Apple's brief removal of Telegram from its App Store in August 2026.

== The basics ==
The four cases involve four kinds of service. In Egypt the internet providers withdrew their networks from the internet. In the WikiLeaks case payment companies closed accounts or suspended payments under their own policies. In Cyprus the banks were closed and large deposits were converted into shares or held back. In the Telegram case an app store delisted an app. In each case the people affected relied on a system run by someone else.

A shutdown is a different lever from [[Compelled disclosure]]. There the operator is ordered to hand over data. Here the operator, or the state, switches the service off.

== How it applies to Logos ==
The Logos activist course ''Building a Parallel Society'' (2026) uses these cases to argue that "A parallel society on borrowed infrastructure is a tenant". It says that money, records and conversations sit with banks, servers and platforms owned by others, and that "Nobody has to seize any of it. They only have to switch it off." It argues that a parallel institution built on infrastructure owned by others can be evicted once it starts to work.

The course presents the [[Logos]] stack as the alternative. It says the stack "runs as networks of independent machines all over the world, so there is no company to order and no switch to pull." Logos describes [[Basecamp]] as "a local-first launcher for peer-to-peer apps built on Logos" and says "Your keys, data, and activity stay on your machine." The stack is made up of [[Logos Blockchain]], [[Logos Storage]] and [[Logos Messaging]].

== Examples ==
=== Egypt, January 2011 ===
Protests in Egypt began on 25 January 2011. At 22:34 UTC on 27 January, just after midnight local time, the network monitoring firm Renesys observed "the virtually simultaneous withdrawal of all routes" to Egyptian networks. It counted about 3,500 BGP routes withdrawn and named the four largest providers affected: Link Egypt, Vodafone/Raya, Telecom Egypt and Etisalat Misr. The Committee to Protect Journalists, citing BGPMon data, reported that Egypt went from 2,903 networks connected to the internet over 52 providers to 327 networks over 26.

The OECD described the shutdown as covering "Internet and communications services for five days". It estimated direct costs of "at minimum USD 90 million".

=== WikiLeaks, December 2010 ===
In December 2010 several payment companies stopped handling donations to WikiLeaks, which had been publishing US diplomatic cables. PayPal cut off its account for violating its acceptable use policy. A PayPal spokesman told Bloomberg that the company "wasn't contacted by any government agency and took the action on its own". MasterCard followed, and on 7 December Visa Europe suspended payments "pending further investigation". On 18 December Bank of America said WikiLeaks "may be engaged in activities that are, among other things, inconsistent with our internal policies for processing payments."

The US Treasury said in January 2011 that it did not have evidence that WikiLeaks met its criteria for sanctions. In October 2011 Julian Assange said the blockade had "destroyed 95% of WikiLeaks' funding", and WikiLeaks stopped publishing for a time to raise money. In April 2013 the Supreme Court of Iceland ruled that the blockade imposed by Valitor, the local Visa partner, was illegal.

=== Cyprus, March 2013 ===
In March 2013 Cyprus closed its banks during a financial crisis. They reopened on 28 March after what Radio New Zealand called "an unprecedented 12-day lockdown", with daily withdrawals limited to €300 and most transfers abroad prohibited.

The rescue was agreed with the Eurogroup, with financial assistance of up to €10 billion. Deposits under €100,000 were fully protected. At the two largest banks, deposits above that limit were frozen and bailed in. Laiki was resolved, and its uninsured deposits were moved into a legacy unit. A Yale case study reports that Laiki's uninsured depositors "ultimately received 6 cents on the euro." At the Bank of Cyprus, 47.5% of uninsured deposits over €100,000 were converted into shares. The government announced this figure on 29 July 2013.

=== Telegram, August 2026 ===
In early August 2026 Apple briefly removed Telegram from its App Store. Apple said its review had found content breaking its rules against child sexual abuse material. It restored the app after "the developer promptly removed the content and banned the user who posted it". Apple said users who had already downloaded the app were not affected.

Telegram's chief executive, Pavel Durov, said that "Apple removed Telegram from the App Store before contacting us." He said an attacker had "inserted AI-modified illegal content by editing an old message in an active group chat", and that extortionists "use automated accounts to plant illegal content in public groups" and then report it to Apple. He said Telegram was restored within hours.

== See also ==
* [[Compelled disclosure]]
* [[Logos Messaging]]
* [[Logos Storage]]
* [[Logos Blockchain]]
* [[Basecamp]]
* [[Exit]]
* [[Parallel society]]

== Takes on this idea ==
None yet. See [[Takes]].

== Sources ==
* [https://attrition.org/pipermail/infowarrior/2011-January/006563.html Egypt Leaves the Internet (James Cowie, Renesys, reposted)], Infowarrior mailing list, 27 January 2011
* [https://cpj.org/2011/01/watching-egypt-disappear-from-the-internet/amp/ Watching Egypt disappear from the Internet], Committee to Protect Journalists, 28 January 2011
* [https://www.oecd.org/countries/egypt/theeconomicimpactofshuttingdowninternetandmobilephoneservicesinegypt.htm The economic impact of shutting down Internet and mobile phone services in Egypt], OECD, 4 February 2011
* [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-12-04/paypal-restricts-wikileaks-account-as-website-comes-under-global-scrutity PayPal Cuts WikiLeaks' Access to Funds Amid Global Scrutiny], Bloomberg, 4 December 2010
* [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2010/12/7/visa-europe-cuts-wikileaks-payments Visa Europe cuts WikiLeaks payments], Al Jazeera, 7 December 2010
* [https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/economy/2010/12/18/bank-of-america-cuts-off-wikileaks Bank of America cuts off WikiLeaks], Al Jazeera, 18 December 2010
* [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-treasury-we-cant-blacklist-wikileaks U.S. Treasury: We Can't Blacklist WikiLeaks], CBS News, 14 January 2011
* [https://money.cnn.com/2011/10/24/news/international/wikileaks_funding.cnnw/ Assange says financial blockade destroyed 95% of WikiLeaks funding (untitled report)], CNN Money, 24 October 2011
* [https://www.theregister.com/2013/04/24/iceland_supreme_court_wikileaks_ruling Court orders Visa partner to allow donations to WikiLeaks], The Register, 24 April 2013
* [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/131518/cyprus-banks-reopen-amid-security Cyprus banks reopen amid security], Radio New Zealand, 28 March 2013
* [https://www.esm.europa.eu/sites/default/files/faq_cyprus_18092013_archived.pdf FAQ on Cyprus (archived)], European Stability Mechanism, September 2013
* [https://newbagehot.yale.edu/node/442 Cyprus: National Bank Holiday, 2013], Yale Program on Financial Stability
* [https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2013/0729/465281-cyprus-deposits Bank of Cyprus depositors to lose 47.5% of savings], RTÉ, 29 July 2013
* [https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/tech/apple-removes-telegram-app-store-sexual-abuse-content Apple briefly removes Telegram from App Store over child sexual abuse content], Khaleej Times (Reuters), 4 August 2026
* [https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/technology/2026/08/04/telegram-pavel-durov-apple-app-store/ Telegram's Durov says 'extortionists' pushed Apple to remove messaging platform from App Store], The National, 4 August 2026
* [https://www.businesstoday.in/technology/news/story/apple-briefly-removes-telegram-from-app-store-ceo-pavel-durov-says-attackers-planted-illegal-content-547263-2026-08-05 Apple briefly removes Telegram from App Store, CEO Pavel Durov says attackers planted illegal content], Business Today, 5 August 2026
* [https://logos.co/basecamp Basecamp], Logos, accessed 4 November 2026
* Building a Parallel Society, Logos activist course, 2026

{{Page status|Outline}}
[[Category:Ideas]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:31, 4 November 2026
Line 2:		Line 2:

	== The basics ==		== The basics ==
	~~The~~ four cases ~~involve four kinds~~ of service. In Egypt the internet providers withdrew their networks from the internet. In the WikiLeaks case payment companies closed accounts or suspended payments under their own policies. In Cyprus the banks ~~were~~ closed and large deposits were converted into shares or held back. In the Telegram case an app store delisted an app.		Each of the four cases involves a different kind of service. In Egypt the internet providers withdrew their networks from the internet. In the WikiLeaks case payment companies closed accounts or suspended payments under their own policies. In Cyprus the banks closed and large deposits were converted into shares or held back. In the Telegram case an app store delisted an app.

	The course treats a shutdown as a different lever from [[Compelled disclosure]]~~. There~~ the operator is ordered to hand over data. ~~Here~~ the operator, or the state, switches the service off.		The course treats a shutdown as a different lever from [[Compelled disclosure]], in which the operator is ordered to hand over data. In a shutdown the operator, or the state, switches the service off.

	== How it applies to Logos ==		== How it applies to Logos ==
	The Logos activist course ''Building a Parallel Society'' (2026) uses these cases to argue that "A parallel society on borrowed infrastructure is a tenant". ~~It says that money~~, records and conversations sit with banks, servers and platforms owned by others, and ~~that~~ "Nobody has to seize any of it. They only have to switch it off." ~~It argues that~~ a parallel institution built on infrastructure owned by others can be evicted once it starts to work.		The Logos activist course ''Building a Parallel Society'' (2026) uses these cases to argue that "A parallel society on borrowed infrastructure is a tenant". Money, records and conversations, it says, sit with banks, servers and platforms owned by others, and "Nobody has to seize any of it. They only have to switch it off." On this view a parallel institution built on infrastructure owned by others can be evicted once it starts to work.

	LAN, the Logos movement's zine, makes a similar argument ~~about~~ history. Its first issue says ~~that "The~~ parallel societies that came before us ran on infrastructure ~~that~~ their opponents controlled: presses were seized, meeting rooms bugged, organisers cut off from their money." Its second issue opens its section on parallel infrastructure with the ~~line "Every~~ parallel institution must run on sovereign infrastructure, which nobody can corrupt, switch off, or seize."		LAN, the Logos movement's zine, makes a similar argument from history. Its first issue says the parallel societies that came before ran on infrastructure their opponents controlled, so presses were seized, meeting rooms bugged and organisers cut off from their money. Its second issue opens its section on parallel infrastructure with the claim that every parallel institution must run on sovereign infrastructure, which nobody can corrupt, switch off or seize.

	The course presents the [[Logos]] stack as the alternative. ~~It says~~ the stack "runs as networks of independent machines all over the world, so there is no company to order and no switch to pull." Logos describes [[Basecamp]] as "a local-first launcher for peer-to-peer apps built on Logos~~" and says "Your~~ keys, data, and activity ~~stay~~ on ~~your~~ machine~~." The initial stack is made up of [[Logos Blockchain]], [[Logos Storage]] and [[Logos Messaging]]~~.		The course presents the [[Logos]] stack, made up of [[Logos Blockchain]], [[Logos Storage]] and [[Logos Messaging]], as the alternative. In its account the stack runs as networks of independent machines all over the world, so there is no company to order and no switch to pull. Logos describes [[Basecamp]] as a local-first launcher for peer-to-peer apps built on Logos, one that keeps keys, data and activity on the user's own machine.

	=== Responses built on the stack ===		=== Responses built on the stack ===
	Logos documentation, LAN, the [[ΛPrize]] and project READMEs describe ~~responses~~ to several of these kinds of shutdown.		Logos documentation, LAN, the ΛPrize and project READMEs describe tools meant to answer several of these kinds of shutdown.
	* '''App distribution.''' Basecamp can download its own apps from the Logos Storage network as well as over HTTPS~~. A "~~Logos only" setting limits downloads to Logos Storage. An earlier Logos article, on Basecamp in Testnet v0.2, noted limits. Basecamp itself was "a binary off a release page", and on testnet "the first hop is bootstrap infrastructure the project ~~runs~~." [[Backpack]] ~~applies~~ the same approach to Android, ~~with~~ app repositories ~~kept~~ in Logos Storage.		* '''App distribution.''' Basecamp can download its own apps from the Logos Storage network as well as over HTTPS, and a ''Logos only'' setting limits downloads to Logos Storage. An earlier Logos article, on Basecamp in Testnet v0.2, noted the limits at the time. Basecamp itself was a binary off a release page, and on testnet the first hop was bootstrap infrastructure that the project ran. [[Backpack]] takes the same approach to Android, keeping app repositories in Logos Storage.
	* '''Broadcasting.''' LAN Issue 1 places [[Booth]], a Basecamp radio station that announces its streams over Logos Messaging, in the line of pirate radio. It ~~says "There is~~ no platform ~~behind it~~ and no directory server, ~~which means~~ there is nobody to shut down." See [[Issue 1/Radio Basecamp]].		* '''Broadcasting.''' LAN Issue 1 places [[Booth]], a Basecamp radio station that announces its streams over Logos Messaging, in the line of pirate radio. It argues that with no platform and no directory server behind Booth, there is nobody to shut down. See [[Issue 1/Radio Basecamp]].
	* '''Publishing.''' The ΛPrize specification behind [[Whistleblower]] starts from the ~~point~~ that ~~"Whistleblowers~~, journalists, and activists need document publication that survives takedowns." The tool stores a document on Logos Storage, announces it over Logos Messaging and can record it on the Logos Execution Zone (LEZ). LAN Issue 1 reported it finished in July 2026. See [[Issue 1/Batteries Included]].		* '''Publishing.''' The [[ΛPrize]] specification behind [[Whistleblower]] starts from the premise that whistleblowers, journalists and activists need document publication that survives takedowns. The tool stores a document on Logos Storage, announces it over Logos Messaging and can record it on the Logos Execution Zone (LEZ). LAN Issue 1 reported it finished in July 2026. See [[Issue 1/Batteries Included]].
	* '''Joining.''' Since Testnet v0.3, new participants can earn testnet tokens through computational work, a mechanism Logos calls EmPoWering. Logos says it "removes the link to a centralised on-ramp or platform".		* '''Joining.''' Since Testnet v0.3 new participants can earn testnet tokens through computational work, a mechanism Logos calls EmPoWering. Logos says it removes the link to a centralised on-ramp or platform.

	~~The~~ Logos documentation also describes an optional freeze authority for programs on the LEZ. A program that includes it can be paused as a whole, or can block "sanctioned or compromised accounts~~". The page is marked as an early draft~~.		An early-draft page of the Logos documentation also describes an optional freeze authority for programs on the LEZ. A program that includes it can be paused as a whole, or can block sanctioned or compromised accounts.

	== Examples ==		== Examples ==
	=== Egypt, January 2011 ===		=== Egypt, January 2011 ===
	Protests in Egypt began on 25 January 2011. At 22:34 UTC on 27 January (00:34 on 28 January in Cairo), the network monitoring firm Renesys observed "the virtually simultaneous withdrawal of all routes" to Egyptian networks. It counted about 3,500 ~~BGP routes~~ withdrawn. BGP routes ~~are~~ the announcements that tell the rest of the internet how to reach a network. ~~Renesys named the~~ four largest providers affected: Link Egypt, Vodafone/Raya, Telecom Egypt and Etisalat Misr. The Committee to Protect Journalists, citing BGPMon data, reported that Egypt went from 2,903 networks connected to the internet over 52 providers to 327 networks over 26.		Protests in Egypt began on 25 January 2011. At 22:34 UTC on 27 January (00:34 on 28 January in Cairo), the network monitoring firm Renesys observed the virtually simultaneous withdrawal of all routes to Egyptian networks. It counted about 3,500 withdrawn BGP routes, the announcements that tell the rest of the internet how to reach a network. The four largest providers affected were Link Egypt, Vodafone/Raya, Telecom Egypt and Etisalat Misr. The Committee to Protect Journalists, citing BGPMon data, reported that Egypt went from 2,903 networks connected to the internet over 52 providers to 327 networks over 26.

	The OECD ~~described~~ the shutdown ~~as covering "Internet~~ and communications services for five days~~". It estimated~~ direct costs of "at ~~minimum~~ USD 90 million".		The OECD estimated that the shutdown, which covered internet and communications services for five days, had direct costs of at least USD 90 million.

	=== WikiLeaks, December 2010 ===		=== WikiLeaks, December 2010 ===
	In December 2010 several payment companies stopped handling donations to WikiLeaks, which had been publishing US diplomatic cables. PayPal cut off its account, saying WikiLeaks had violated its acceptable use policy. A PayPal spokesman told Bloomberg that the company ~~"wasn't~~ contacted by any government agency and ~~took the action~~ on its own". MasterCard followed, and on 7 December Visa Europe suspended payments "pending further investigation". On 18 December Bank of America said WikiLeaks ~~"may~~ be engaged in activities ~~that are, among other things,~~ inconsistent with ~~our~~ internal policies for processing payments."		In December 2010 several payment companies stopped handling donations to WikiLeaks, which had been publishing US diplomatic cables. PayPal cut off its account, saying WikiLeaks had violated its acceptable use policy. A PayPal spokesman told Bloomberg that the company had not been contacted by any government agency and had acted on its own. MasterCard followed, and on 7 December Visa Europe suspended payments pending further investigation. On 18 December Bank of America said WikiLeaks might be engaged in activities inconsistent with its internal policies for processing payments.

	~~The~~ US Treasury said ~~in January 2011 that~~ it did not have evidence that WikiLeaks met its criteria for sanctions. In October 2011 Julian Assange said the blockade had "destroyed 95% of WikiLeaks' funding", and WikiLeaks stopped publishing for a time to raise money. In April 2013 the Supreme Court of Iceland ruled that the blockade imposed by Valitor, the local Visa partner, was illegal.		In January 2011 the US Treasury said it did not have evidence that WikiLeaks met its criteria for sanctions. In October 2011 Julian Assange said the blockade had destroyed 95% of WikiLeaks' funding, and WikiLeaks stopped publishing for a time to raise money. In April 2013 the Supreme Court of Iceland ruled that the blockade imposed by Valitor, the local Visa partner, was illegal.

	=== Cyprus, March 2013 ===		=== Cyprus, March 2013 ===
	In March 2013 Cyprus closed its banks during a financial crisis. They reopened on 28 March after ~~what~~ Radio New Zealand called ~~"an~~ unprecedented ~~12-day lockdown"~~, with daily withdrawals limited to €300 and most transfers abroad prohibited.		In March 2013 Cyprus closed its banks during a financial crisis. They reopened on 28 March after a 12-day lockdown that Radio New Zealand called unprecedented, with daily withdrawals limited to €300 and most transfers abroad prohibited.

	The rescue was agreed with the Eurogroup, with financial assistance of up to €10 billion. Deposits under €100,000 were fully protected~~. At~~ the two largest banks, deposits above that limit were frozen and bailed in. Laiki was resolved, and its uninsured deposits were moved into a legacy unit. A Yale case study reports that Laiki's uninsured depositors "ultimately received 6 cents on the euro." At the Bank of Cyprus, 47.5% of uninsured deposits over €100,000 were converted into shares~~. The~~ government announced ~~this figure~~ on 29 July 2013.		The rescue was agreed with the Eurogroup, with financial assistance of up to €10 billion. Deposits under €100,000 were fully protected, while at the two largest banks deposits above that limit were frozen and bailed in. Laiki was resolved and its uninsured deposits were moved into a legacy unit. A Yale case study reports that Laiki's uninsured depositors ultimately received 6 cents on the euro. At the Bank of Cyprus, 47.5% of uninsured deposits over €100,000 were converted into shares, a figure the government announced on 29 July 2013.

	=== Telegram, August 2026 ===		=== Telegram, August 2026 ===
	In early August 2026 Apple briefly removed Telegram from its App Store~~. Apple said~~ its review had found content ~~breaking~~ its rules against child sexual abuse material. It restored the app after "the developer promptly removed the content and banned the user who posted it". ~~Apple said users~~ who had already downloaded the app were not affected.		In early August 2026 Apple briefly removed Telegram from its App Store, saying its review had found content that broke its rules against child sexual abuse material. By Apple's account, it restored the app after the developer promptly removed the content and banned the user who posted it. Users who had already downloaded the app, it added, were not affected.

	Telegram's chief executive, Pavel Durov, said ~~that "~~Apple removed Telegram from the App Store before contacting us.~~" He said~~ an attacker had "inserted AI-modified illegal content by editing an old message in an active group chat". He also said ~~that~~ extortionists "use automated accounts to plant illegal content in public groups" and then report it to Apple. ~~He said~~ Telegram was restored within hours.		Telegram's chief executive, Pavel Durov, said Apple removed Telegram from the App Store before contacting the company. In his account an attacker had "inserted AI-modified illegal content by editing an old message in an active group chat". He also said extortionists use automated accounts to plant illegal content in public groups and then report it to Apple. According to Durov, Telegram was restored within hours.

	== See also ==		== See also ==