Alert - LJ servers have moved to Russia

[phyncke]

A friend just texted me and I just saw this tweet -

https://twitter.com/sergeybratus/status/812403796911554561

LJ's servers have been moved to Russia which leads me to have lots of security concerns about this platform. I am wondering if any of you feel the same way or have any ideas about what to do about this. I cross post most of my entries to LJ anyway but I still have to log in here to read the flist. I am worried about the security of this platform and LJ seems like a relic. My friend who is more up on these things - urged me to abandon the site because it is a security concern and there is a risk in using the site.

So I wonder if there is another site for fandom things or if people are interested in migrating to dreamwidth which is a similar platform. I already have an account over there.

Anyway. I wanted to see what the feeling is and if you even knew about this. Thoughts, feelings and concerns? I think this is a real issue and may effect my ongoing presence here.

I welcome comments on this topic and really want to know what you think.

Edit -
Here are some additional references and posts to read -
http://mdlbear.dreamwidth.org/1584606.html
http://siderea.livejournal.com/1330197.html

Comments

[nienna-weeper.livejournal.com]

I thought this was old news, but maybe I'm confused.

I have everything at Dreamwidth but I am crossposting and checking LJ because I have friends here that I don't have anywhere else. I doubt that they would all move to DW. If they all did I would probably abandon LJ but I can't see it happening.

What sort of security issue problems do you foresee, boo?

[phyncke.livejournal.com]

oops. that comment was me.

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I understand how it would be a security risk to anyone not running an anti-Russian government type of journal? Pretty sure they don't give a darn about fan fiction or family photographs or basic journalling, which are still mainly what I see.

I don't know about a migration to Dreamwidth - if it was going to happen it would have. Most of us have a presence there purely as a backup site, though if LJ went down now for a few days I'm not sure people would be hanging out there and complaining as we did before. The main fandom site is Tumblr now, which I'm not mad about. Life stuff - well there's FB, I guess. Livejournal's been around a long time and is very battered, but it's still unique. That's what I like about it. Not leaving till they finally break it.

Thanks for sharing all the links though.

*hugs*

[phyncke.livejournal.com]

I guess I am concerned given the actions taken by Obama yesterday and Putin's threat of retaliation. Call me paranoid that our data is on a Russian server right now. This company has government connections and has taken actions against their own citizens - perhaps they would take action against Americans on the platform.

The posts I am seeing - people are backing up their journal and starting to cross post to LJ. I am already doing that. I just think it is good to be aware of what this all means.

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

Seems Putin's not doing the usual retaliatory sending home of an equivalent number of American embassy people after all - no escalation. Like the rest of the world, he's aware he'll be treating with a new administration in a few weeks, so why get into it with Obama? I don't think he's all that interested in having verbal battles with the U.S. anyhow, he has enough on his plate as it is.

Of course I'm reacting to this as a citizen of a country that usually has good, if rather distant, relations with Russia, but I honestly don't see why you'd need to worry about the GRU or whoever taking a look at you unless you worked for something like Homeland Security? We're just not important enough.

And Rhaps has a point, LJ has been Russian-owned for years. I'd guess this move is to give them more control over dissident bloggers -- an ugly thing, yes, but specific and focused.

Relax *hugs*

[phyncke.livejournal.com]

I am pretty well covered as I have a back up of my journal on DW so I am not worried about me. I just wanted my flist to be aware so mission accomplished. :P Chicken Little I am. No one else seems worried so I guess I won't - well I will a little. LOL.

[aglarien]

This is kind of what I'm feeling, Kei. I see DW mainly as a backup. I'm pretty much a non-presence on LJ anymore, except for the prayer list, and my stories are all are Oeam OR AO3. I backed up 4 years ago now to DW, and I doubt I'll do it again at this point. I think you're right - we would have all moved here if it was going to work. I'm not paying for my DW account anymore. I don't think I want to purchase any more time or icon space on LJ with my credit card anymore, however. What time I have I seem to spend more on FB. Any fandom things I post on AO3 and OEAM.

*hugs*

[phyncke]

I updated my back up yesterday and it was very easy to do on DW and I will do that periodically but that is about it. I am already cross-posting from DW and that is what most people are doing as a security measure. So I feel ok. This is just something to know about and be aware of.

[aglarien]

I started a new backup last night since it's so easy to do. I think maybe we in the US are a little more leery about the servers being in Russia than the rest of the world is, given what we know about Russian hackers. The fact is, most of the bad hackers are from other countries. It's just a fact of life today.

[laurahonest.livejournal.com]

I'm not really sure any of us Americans are actually in danger of having our security breached or our blogs deleted. The only blogs that have been deleted were Russian blogs that didn't match up with the government's view.

I have a dw account but I am not sure I even remember my password over there.

[phyncke.livejournal.com]

I guess I am more paranoid than you given the actions that Obama just took and the threat of retaliation by Putin. I am worried about my information being on a Russian server and vulnerable. I am planning on doing some selective deleting on my journal. The climate is openly hostile now.

[laurahonest.livejournal.com]

or maybe it's less that you are more paranoid and more that you are more informed? I just saw the stuff about Obama and Putin this morning and not before I made this comment last night.
Though I am not sure we really need to worry about a war with Russia. Trump is so deep in with Russia that I think Putin is pretty confident he can get what he wants without threat of war. He just has to bide his time until Jan 20th. Which is NOT a confidence inspiring thought.

[phyncke.livejournal.com]

It does not hurt to back up your journal at any rate - safer than sorry.

[laurahonest.livejournal.com]

no it definitely doesn't hurt! I'll have to see if I can remember my dw password.....

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

So suddenly it is a security risk now? LJ has been in hands of the Russians for a couple of years now. A move of hardware is just what it is: a move.. I have no illusions that if the Russian finds my data oh so interesting, then they alreayd got their hands on it. Have fun with it folks! It is just that if folks are worried about security all of a sudden, then they weren't paying attention years ago.

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

I'm not crazy about situations where the American government has access to my data either, it's six of one, half a dozen of the other, but I'm not doing anything to interest to any of the big guys so why worry?

It would be nice if the Russians billed us in roubles though - much better exchange rate for me.

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

It would be nice if the Russians billed us in roubles though - much better exchange rate for me.

For me as well :D But they first need to vastly improve their services before I will spend an euro on LJ again. It has been very shabby for some time now.

[phyncke.livejournal.com]

I don't think you can ignore what has been happening this week and the actions that the US government took vis a vis Russia. The fact that our data is on a Russian server should be a concern. Plain and simple. The climate has suddenly changed. So it is different. I am concerned and other people are too.

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Server migrations, hardware migrations are planned way ahead of time, I think you do see to much in this with the relation of your governments actions regaring Russia's. I seem to recall that back then LJ was more used by the opposition than as a tool by Putin's.

But then again, Russia's game is also a long and ongoing thing for many years. But I suppose that here on the continent we have been very alert and aware of it for a long time. Everything regaring Poland, Estonia and Ukraine has been on my radar for quite some years, it has been very often point I discussed with one of my close friend who lives in Poland. That political climate changed years ago, too bad that people only now go like... huh.

[phyncke.livejournal.com]

I am reading in numerous places that people are backing up their journals and migrating to DW. I already cross post from there and have my journal backed up and will do another back up. I think it pays to be cautious as most sources seem to think that LJ is going to tank. They are deleting dissident journals etc and anything that is not in line with the correct political stance as far as the Russian journals go. They may leave ours alone or they may not. It is uncertain.

[jaiden-s.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure LJ has been run by Russians on Russian servers for several years now. It is what it is. I have no plans to migrate anywhere. My DW accounts are primarily for role play. Blogging is done here. Most blogging sites, including DW, are not nearly as popular as Tumblr or Instagram.

That being said, I have nothing financial or otherwise tied to this LJ, so if it is "hacked" or whatever, I don't really care.

[phyncke.livejournal.com]

Most sources disagree with you - LJ has been on California servers until very recently and this does have implications. You may not care about your blog content so you can let it go. I don't have anything vital on here but have enjoyed the community here and other people might value their content. My journal is backed up to DW at any rate.

Do what you want!