blockage Archives

TrendTechie

October 4, 2025

«Консультант-Плюс» начал войну на уничтожение с торрент-трекерами

Rostelecom has blocked two torrent trackers, underverse.su and darkos.club, which hosted databases of legal documents from "Consultant-Plus." This action was taken by Roskomnadzor in accordance with the "anti-piracy" law, allowing copyright holders to seek court orders for blocking infringing resources. The law was expanded in 2016 to include all content types, except photographs. Consultant-Plus, established in 1992, has developed a legal database with approximately 90 million regulatory acts. The "Garant" system also achieved a blockade against the torrent tracker pirat.ca in spring 2016. All three torrent trackers have been completely blocked by Roskomnadzor and recorded in the Register of Prohibited Sites. Typically, the law allows for blocking specific URLs, but in this case, the entire range of pages associated with the trackers has been rendered inaccessible. Darkos.club had previously faced a blockade under the domain dark-os.com due to the distribution of business automation software, leading to a "perpetual" blockade by the Moscow City Court after repeated infringements.

AppWizard

September 27, 2025

How to get and purify the Silent Hill f Sacred Sword

In Silent Hill f's New Game Plus mode, players can obtain the Sacred Sword by offering five key items to Jizo statues. The required items are: 1. Faded Bride Doll - Found in a house east of Ebisugaoka, unlocked with the Treasure Hunting Game Key. 2. Rusted Flask - Located in front of Sakuko's family shrine in the northern section of the map. 3. Broken Japanese Geta Sandals - Found near the blocked southern pathway before entering the middle school. 4. Cracked Hibachi Brazier - Accessible at the back of Shu's house. 5. Dad's Old Kitchen Knife - Retrieved from a tree east of Shu's house during the objective to head to the Shimizu residence. After offering all five items, the Sacred Sword can be obtained at the Thousand Year Cedar. To purify the sword, players must complete the Crimson Water Puzzle in the Main Hall of The Dark Shrine during the 'Chase after Fox Mask' objective. The purification occurs behind Shu's house where crimson water fills a stone vessel.

AppWizard

September 5, 2025

Confusion as Nepal bans unregistered social media sites

The Nepalese government announced a shutdown of 26 unregistered social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp, following a Cabinet decision that mandated all social media operators register within a week. The shutdown is based on a directive from the Ministry of Communication and a Supreme Court ruling that required social media platforms to register and comply with local regulations. Many users expressed their frustration on social media, and there was a significant increase in downloads of alternative messaging apps like Viber. The government stated that discussions with social media companies had not led to compliance, prompting the decision to block these platforms. Digital rights advocates criticized the government's approach, suggesting that regulatory frameworks should be pursued through parliamentary legislation instead. Social media accounts for nearly 80 percent of total internet traffic in Nepal, with 13.5 million active Facebook users. The sudden ban has raised concerns among small business owners who rely on these platforms for marketing. Previous platform bans in Nepal have seen reversals, indicating a pattern of temporary shutdowns.

Winsage

March 30, 2025

A Windows 11 update causes issues with some Lenovo laptops

Windows 11 has encountered issues affecting Lenovo ThinkPad laptops, where a recent security update has blocked the installation of a crucial BIOS update. This problem is linked to changes in the Vulnerable Driver Blocklist and modifications to the WinFlash64.exe file. Lenovo ThinkPad owners receive an error message when attempting to update their BIOS through the BIOS Update Utility or Vantage app. Lenovo is rolling out a new BIOS version 1.61 to address the issue and recommends using Windows Update for the BIOS update. Additionally, Microsoft is phasing out Windows 10, with support ending on October 14, 2025, and encouraging users to upgrade to Windows 11. Over 50% of Windows users still operate on Windows 10, despite the rise in Windows 11 users. Microsoft has been notifying Windows 10 users about potential security risks and offering a streamlined upgrade process to Windows 11, which can be done for free, though it may involve some downtime.

AppWizard

February 18, 2025

Elon Musk’s X blocking links to Signal messaging app

Social media platform X has implemented restrictions on links to the Signal messaging application, resulting in error messages when users attempt to share signal.me links through public posts, direct messages, or profile pages. This blockage also affects existing signal.me links. Signal, known for its end-to-end encryption, is commonly used by journalists and whistleblowers. X has previously restricted links to Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, and Substack, despite Signal not being a direct competitor. Users can still share Signal handles on X, and a workaround exists by copy-pasting the link into Signal to bypass the restrictions.

AppWizard

February 18, 2025

X Blocks Signal Messenger Links Shared on Posts, DMs, and More—But Why?

Users are experiencing difficulties sharing links from Signal Messenger on Elon Musk's X platform, as these links appear to be blocked. Reports indicate that attempts to share Signal links result in various error messages, affecting public tweets and direct messages. There has been no official explanation from X regarding this restriction. Journalist Matt Binder noted that links to Signal have seemingly vanished from X, with users reporting similar issues. Error messages encountered range from generic notices to alerts labeling posts as harmful content or spam. While links already posted may carry warnings, they can still be accessed; however, links associated with Signal handles or the main website are currently inaccessible. Elon Musk previously endorsed Signal Messenger as a trustworthy alternative to WhatsApp, but the current blockage suggests a shift in his stance on secure messaging.