deCloudflare/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)

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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)

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### 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)

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### 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)

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### 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)

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### 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)

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### 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)

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### Browser vendor discrimination

CloudFlare gives preferential treatment to those using Firefox while
giving hostile treatment to users of non-Mozilla-based browsers 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.

| ***browser*** | ***access treatment*** |
| --- | --- |
| Firefox (with non-free javascript enabled; incl. Tor Browser) | access permitted |
| Chromium (with non-free javascript enabled) | access degraded (pushes Google reCAPTCHA) |
| Chromium or Firefox (with non-free javascript disabled) | access denied (pushes *broken* Google reCAPTCHA) |
| lynx | access denied |
| w3m | access denied |
| wget | access denied |

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### 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.

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

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