path: root/README_ethics.md

# Ethical Issues

![](image/itsreallythatbad.jpg)
![](image/telegram/c81238387627b4bfd3dcd60f56d41626.jpg)

"_Don't support this company which is void of ethics_" -- [phyzonloop](https://twitter.com/phyzonloop)

---

Table of contents

- [CloudFlare spams people](README_ethics.md#cloudflare-spams-people)
- [Remove user's review](README_ethics.md#remove-users-review)
- [Doxxing users](README_ethics.md#doxxing-users)
- [Corporate solicitation of charitable contributions](README_ethics.md#corporate-solicitation-of-charitable-contributions)
- [Terminating sites](README_ethics.md#terminating-sites)
- [Browser vendor discrimination](README_ethics.md#browser-vendor-discrimination)
- [Voter suppression](README_ethics.md#voter-suppression)
- [Ignoring user's preference](README_ethics.md#ignoring-user-s-preference)
- [Lying about deleting user's data](README_ethics.md#lying-about-deleting-users-data)
- [Keep your personal information](README_ethics.md#keep-your-personal-information)

---

### CloudFlare spams people

Cloudflare is sending spam emails to non-Cloudflare users.

- Only send emails to subscribers who’ve opted in
- When the user say "stop", then stop sending email

It's that simple. But Cloudflare doesn't care.
Cloudflare said using their service [can stop all spammers or attackers](https://support.cloudflare.com/hc/en-us/articles/200170066-Will-activating-Cloudflare-stop-all-spammers-or-attackers-).
How can we stop _Cloudflare spammers_ without activating Cloudflare?


![](image/cfspam01.jpg)
![](image/cfspam03.jpg)
![](image/cfspam02.jpg)
![](image/cfspambrittany.jpg)
![](image/cfspamtwtr.jpg)

---

### Remove user's review

Cloudflare censor [negative reviews](https://web.archive.org/web/20191116004046/https://www.trustpilot.com/reviews/5aa6ee0ed5a5700a7c8cf853). If you post _anti-Cloudflare_ text on Twitter, you have a chance to get a [reply](https://twitter.com/CloudflareHelp/status/1126051764917145601) from [Cloudflare employee](cloudflare_inc/cloudflare_members.txt) with "_[No, it's not](PEOPLE.md)_" message. If you post a negative review on any review site, they will try to [censor](https://twitter.com/phyzonloop/status/1178836176985366529) [it](https://twitter.com/dxgl_org/status/1178722159432220672).


![](image/cfcenrev_01.jpg)
![](image/cfcenrev_02.jpg)
![](image/cfcenrev_03.jpg)

---

### Doxxing users


Cloudflare has a massive [harassment problem](https://web.archive.org/web/20171024040313/http://www.businessinsider.com/cloudflare-ceo-suggests-people-who-report-online-abuse-use-fake-names-2017-5).
Cloudflare [shares personal information](https://archive.ph/ePdvi) of those [who](https://twitter.com/ZJemptv/status/898299709634248704) [complain](https://twitter.com/TinyPirate/status/554718958176067584) [about](https://twitter.com/remembrancermx/status/1010329041235148802) [hosted](https://twitter.com/Bridaguy/status/915003769280172037) [sites](https://twitter.com/HelloAndrew/status/897260208845500416). They sometimes ask you to provide
your true ID. If you don't want to get harassed, [assaulted](https://twitter.com/NiteShade925/status/1158469203420205056), [swatted](https://boingboing.net/2015/01/19/invasion-boards-set-out-to-rui.html) or [killed](https://twitter.com/RusEmbUSA/status/1187363092793040901), you better stay away from Cloudflared websites.


![](image/cfdox_what.jpg)
![](image/cfdox_swat.jpg)
![](image/cfdox_kill.jpg)
![](image/cfdox_threat.jpg)
![](image/cfdox_dox.jpg)
![](image/cfdox_ex1.jpg)
![](image/cfdox_ex2.jpg)

---

### Corporate solicitation of charitable contributions

CloudFlare is [asking](https://web.archive.org/web/20191112033605/https://opencollective.com/cloudflarecollective#section-about) for charitable contributions. It’s quite appalling that an American corporation would ask for charity alongside non-profit organizations that have good causes. If you like [blocking people or wasting other people's time](PEOPLE.md), you might want to order some pizzas🍕 for Cloudflare employees.


![](image/cfdonate.jpg)

---

### Terminating sites

What will you do if your site goes down _suddenly_? There are reports that Cloudflare is [deleting](https://twitter.com/stefan_eady/status/1126033791267426304) [user's](https://twitter.com/derivativeburke/status/903755267053117440) [configuration](https://twitter.com/lordscarlet/status/1046785164792205314) [silently](https://twitter.com/BlnaryMlke/status/1194339461984854018). We suggest you find [better provider](what-to-do.md).

![](image/cftmnt.jpg)

---

### Browser vendor discrimination

CloudFlare gives preferential treatment to those using Firefox while giving hostile treatment to users of non-Tor-Browser over Tor.
Tor users of who rightfully refuse to execute non-free javascript also receive hostile treatment.
This access inequality is a network neutrality abuse and an abuse of power.

![](image/browserdiff.jpg)

- Left: `[Tor Browser] Javascript Disabled, Cookie Enabled`
- Right: `[Chrome] Javascript Enabled, Cookie Disabled`

| ***Browser*** | ***Access treatment*** |
| --- | --- |
| Tor Browser (Javascript enabled) | access permitted |
| Firefox (Javascript enabled) | access degraded |
| Chromium (Javascript enabled) | access degraded (pushes Google reCAPTCHA) |
| Chromium or Firefox (Javascript disabled) | access denied (pushes *broken* Google reCAPTCHA) |
| Chromium or Firefox (Cookie disabled) | access denied |
| lynx | access denied |
| w3m | access denied |
| wget | access denied |


"_Why not use Audio button to solve easy challenge?_"

Yes, there is an audio button, but it _always_ [doesn't work over Tor](https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/23840). You will get this message when you click it:

```
Try again later
Your computer or network may be sending automated queries.
To protect our users, we can't process your request right now.
For more details visit our help page
```

---

### Voter suppression

Voters in US states register to vote ultimately through the state secretary's website in the state of their residence.
Republican-controlled state secretary offices engage in voter suppression by proxying the state secretary's website through Cloudflare.
Cloudflare's hostile treatment of Tor users, its MITM position as a centralized global point of surveillance, and its detrimental role overall 
makes prospective voters reluctant to register.  Liberals in particular tend to embrace privacy.  Voter registration forms collect sensitive information about a voter's political leaning, personal physical address, social security number, and date of birth.
Most states only make a subset of that information publicly available, but Cloudflare sees ***all*** that information when someone registers to vote.

Note that paper registration does not circumvent Cloudflare because the secretary of state data entry staff workers will likely use the
Cloudflare website to enter the data.

![](image/cfvotm_01.jpg)
![](image/cfvotm_02.jpg)

---

### Ignoring user's preference

If you opt-out something, you expect that you receive no email about it. Cloudflare ignore user's preference and share data with third-party corporations [without customer's consent](https://twitter.com/thexpaw/status/1108424723233419264).

![](image/cfviopl_tp.jpg)

---

### Lying about deleting user's data

According to this [ex-cloudflare customer's blog](https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/11/can-you-trust-cloudflare-with-your-personal-data/), Cloudflare is lying about deleting accounts. Nowadays, many [companies keep your data](https://justdeleteme.xyz/) after you've closed or removed your account. Most of good companies do mention about it in their privacy policy. Cloudflare? No.

```
2019-08-05 CloudFlare sent me confirmation that they'd removed my account.
2019-10-02 I received an email from CloudFlare "because I am a customer"
```

Cloudflare didn't know about the word "remove". If it is really _removed_, why this ex-customer got an email? He also mentioned that Cloudflare's privacy policy doesn't mention about it.

```
Their new privacy policy doesn't make any mention of retaining data for a year.
```

![](image/cfviopl_notdel.jpg)

How can you trust Cloudflare if [their privacy policy is a LIE](https://twitter.com/daviddlow/status/1197787135526555648)?

---

### Keep your personal information

Deleting Cloudflare account is [hard level](https://justdeleteme.xyz/).

```
Submit a support ticket using the "Account" category,
and request account deletion in the message body.
You must have no domains or credit cards attached to your account prior to requesting deletion.
```

You will [receive this confirmation email](https://twitter.com/originalesushi/status/1199041528414527495).

![](image/cf_deleteandkeep.jpg)

"We have begun to process your deletion request" but "We will continue to store your personal information".

Can you "trust" this?


---

### Next: **[Cloudflare Voices](PEOPLE.md)**

!["Cloudflare is not an option."](image/cfisnotanoption.jpg)