Comcast could cut off customers who use the Tor browser

Last week there were net neutrality protests from a number of big names in the online world. This week there is controversy courtesy of Comcast -- described by DeepDotWeb as "the most hated company in America" -- as the firm apparently declares war on Tor.

The web browser -- one favored by those concerned about their privacy -- has been branded "illegal" by Comcast according to DeepDotWeb and customer reports appearing on the /r/darknetmarkets subreddit (reddit itself having banned subreddits associated with the Fappening). Customers are reporting having been warned that use of Tor is against Comcast's term of use and could result in a termination of service.

Customers have said that Comcast has reached out to them directly and told them to stop using Tor or risk losing their connection. Check out Comcast's Acceptable User Policy, and you'll notice that proxy tools are indeed singled out for attention in the "technical restrictions" section:

"Use or run dedicated, stand-alone equipment or servers from the Premises that provide network content or any other services to anyone outside of your Premises local area network ('Premises LAN'), also commonly referred to as public services or servers. Examples of prohibited equipment and servers include, but are not limited to, email, web hosting, file sharing, and proxy services and servers".

While Comcast customers may be complaining that they are being warned against using Tor, Comcast itself told a different story to Business Insider:

"Customers are free to use their Xfinity Internet service to visit any website or use it however they wish otherwise. Like virtually all ISPs, Comcast has an acceptable use policy or AUP that outlines appropriate and inappropriate uses of the service. Comcast doesn’t monitor users’ browser software or web surfing and has no program addressing the Tor browser. The anecdotal chat room evidence provided is not consistent with our agents’ messages and is not accurate. Per our own internal review, we have found no evidence that these conversations took place".

With two opposing sides of the same story, it can be difficult to know who is telling the truth. But this would be far from the first time internet users have been tarred with the wrong brush. Just last week, TorrentFreak reported about how the BBC was suggesting that ISPs should regard customers who use VPN tools and proxies as "suspicious". The broadcaster is quoted as saying:

"Since the evolution of peer-to-peer software protocols to incorporate decentralized architectures, which has allowed users to download content from numerous host computers, the detection and prosecution of copyright violations has become a complex task. This situation is further amplified by the adoption of virtual private networks (VPNs) and proxy servers by some users, allowing them to circumvent geo-blocking technologies and further evade detection. IIt is reasonable for ISPs to be placed under an obligation to identify user behavior that is 'suspicious' and indicative of a user engaging in conduct that infringes copyright. Such behavior may include the illegitimate use by Internet users of IP obfuscation tools in combination with high download volumes".

How do you feel about ISP interference into web usage? Have you felt the impact of such actions? Would it make you consider switching ISPs?