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Infonex Press Release						6/6/97
For Immediate Release
Contact:	Mark Hedges
		(619) 667-7969 (ph)
		(619) 667-7966 (fx)
		hedges@infonex.com
INFONEX OFFERS PROTECTION ON THE WEB
Infonex announces high speed accounts on the web Anonymizer. The Anonymizer
(www.anonymizer.com) protects your identity from the prying eyes of the web
sites you visit. The rate for these accounts is $15 for three months of
anonymous web surfing. Anonymizer accounts are the latest in a string of
privacy and anonymity services provided by Infonex, the world's leader in
anonymity technology. Previously the Anonymizer was offered only as a
free service. Infonex will continue to offer the Anonymizer for free, but
the accounts provide a greatly enhanced set of services at much higher
speed. "The extreme demand for the Anonymizer has overloaded the resources
we could give to it as a free service," said Lance Cottrell, President of
Infonex. "The accounts allow us to significantly upgrade the service, and
to provide much faster connections." Anonymous USENET news and anonymous
file transfer through The Anonymizer, previously blocked to reduce the
drain on resources, are now available again with an Anonymizer account.
Web sites routinely track visitors to record their whereabouts in the
digital world. "The Anonymizer is the only service of its kind. It protects
your personal information and viewing habits from sites collecting detailed
dossiers on every visitor," states Cottrell. Infonex provides complete
turnkey solutions for anonymity to businesses and to the public. Infonex
protects you from the sites you view, and service providers who license
The Anonymizer protect their customers. In addition to anonymous web
browing Infonex provides anonymous email, Usenet news, telnet, dialup, and
web hosting.
Infonex provides everything for legal free speech on the Internet. "Some
have claimed that there is no need for anonymity if one has nothing to
hide. The truth is we all have good reason to hide some information. Few of
us would like to see our medical information published, but that is what
happens if you ask advice for a medical condition on the Internet. The same
is true for financial, sexual, or substance abuse questions. Speaking up
about past troubles, participating in recovery groups, or simply stating
politically unpopular views could come back to haunt you the next time you
apply for a job," said Cottrell. "Almost everything you do or say on the
Internet can, and usually is, recorded forever and can be searched by your
name years later. Anonymity is your only protection." The Supreme Court has
upheld the right to anonymity in McIntyre v. Ohio Campaign Commission
(1995) and Talley v. California (1960).
Infonex provides a range of anonymity services in addition to The
Anonymizer. Infonex hosts anonymous web pages on such diverse topics as
the reformation of religious movements, to politics of every sort. The
company's anonymous remailers are used to protect the anti-government
speech of democratic activists in Signapore, and whistle blowers against
unsafe airline components in the United States.
The Anonymizer works like a proxy server for web traffic. It rewrites every
page viewed through the Anonymizer so that every link or button on the page
also directs traffic through The Anonymizer. Magic cookies, controversial
bits of data which can be used to track an individual through their
computer, disappear within The Anonymizer's identity screens. Java and
JavaScript are disabled because they allow access to sensitive information
in the viewer's web browser. The Anonymizer leaves behind only its own
identity when it goes to a web site to retrieve the page for the anonymous
web surfer.
Infonex supports free speech, but does not tolerate illegal or abusive use
of the Internet. Cottrell states, "Our terms of service are quite strict
with regard to user conduct; abusers of The Anonymizer can expect no
anonymity. We support the absolute right to speak on any topic, and to hold
any opinion, but not to engage in damaging conduct. Abuse policies are
blind to the content of communications. The Anonymizer's terms of service
prohibit conduct illegal in the United States as well as abuse or harmful
behavior like bulk e-mailings, or automated access intended to damage or
slow systems on the Internet. A court order is required for information on
activity not intended to damage systems or ruin environments on the
Internet and for information on violators of U.S. laws. "We guard against
abuse, but the amount of abuse through this service is very low," says Mr.
Cottrell. "The vast majority of Anonymizer users are constructive and
productive."
Direct your browser to www.anonymizer.com to use The Anonymizer, and take a
slow test drive for free. To review Infonex services see www.infonex.com.
Infonex is in La Mesa, California, just east of San Diego. Our office hours
are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time. Call 619-667-7969 and ask Mark Hedges
to coordinate interviews with Lance Cottrell.