Turkcell Superonline: Difference between revisions
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==Consumer-impact summary== | ==Consumer-impact summary== | ||
User freedom faces substantial restrictions as Turkey implements | User freedom faces substantial restrictions as Turkey implements internet policies that affect all ISPs including Superonline, with the government's [https://www.btk.gov.tr Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK)] collecting user data regularly including location data, browsing history, and messaging communications.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/turkey/freedom-net/2023 |title=Turkey: Freedom on the Net 2023 |website=Freedom House |publisher=Freedom House |date=10 October 2023 |access-date=3 June 2025}}</ref> According to Freedom House's assessment, Turkey's internet status is classified as "Not Free" with extensive government control over digital communications affecting service providers like Superonline.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/turkey |title=Turkey Overview |website=Freedom House |publisher=Freedom House |date=31 March 2025 |access-date=3 June 2025}}</ref> | ||
[[File:BTK.png|thumb|221x221px|Logo of the BTK]] | [[File:BTK.png|thumb|221x221px|Logo of the BTK]] | ||
User privacy concerns are exacerbated by Superonline's extensive data collection practices, processing personally identifiable information, contact data, subscription details, network traffic, location data, payment information, and usage patterns | User privacy concerns are exacerbated by Superonline's extensive data collection practices, processing personally identifiable information, contact data, subscription details, network traffic, location data, payment information, and usage patterns.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/turkey/freedom-world/2023 |title=Turkey: Freedom in the World 2023 |website=Freedom House |publisher=Freedom House |date=4 November 2023 |access-date=3 June 2025}}</ref> | ||
Superonline operates as the largest alternative ISP with approximately 15% of the broadband market share in 2021, positioning itself as the leading challenger to dominant player Türk Telekom which holds 65.3% market share.<ref>[https://www.btk.gov.tr/uploads/pages/pazar-verileri/ceyrek-raporu-2021-4-ceyrek-22-03-21-kurum-disi.pdf BTK Market Share Statistics 2021 Q4]</ref> | |||
==Incidents== | ==Incidents== | ||
===Blue Coat Incident (2013)=== | === Fair Usage Terms Incident (2012-2019) === | ||
Turkcell Superonline started to implement the so-called "Fair Usage Terms" in February 2012. Accordingly, in the data plans called "UNLIMITED", users were assigned a data download quota of 50GB in a one-month period. Users who exceed this quota will have their connection speed reduced to 1 Mbps. There was also a 10GB quota for uploading data. Even if a user does not exceed the 50GB data download quota, if they exceed the 10GB data sending quota, their connection speed was reduced to 10% of the data plans bandwidth. This practice of Superonline has received a huge reaction from users. However, Consumer Problems Arbitration Committees found Superonline's practice to be illegal and ruled in favor of the complaining consumers. This practice was terminated by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority on December 31, 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wikipedia - Turkcell Superonline |url=https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkcell_Superonline#Adil_Kullan%C4%B1m_Ko%C5%9Fullar%C4%B1}}</ref> Superonline also has an ongoing practice of reducing the connection speed to 1 Mbps and charging a re-activation fee for users who are late in paying their bills.<ref>[https://seekingthesweetnessofiman.wordpress.com/2021/04/02/cancelling-your-turkcell-superonline-subscription/ Cancelling Your Turkcell Superonline Subscription]</ref> | |||
=== Blue Coat Incident (2013) === | |||
[[File:Blue Coat Systems.png|thumb|322x322px|Logo of Blue Coat Systems]] | [[File:Blue Coat Systems.png|thumb|322x322px|Logo of Blue Coat Systems]] | ||
There are allegations and discussions that Superonline uses Blue Coat products for censorship. Products manufactured by Blue Coat Systems are known as "dual-use" technologies that can be used to defend corporate networks, as well as by governments to censor the internet and monitor public internet traffic. These devices can see some encrypted traffic, block websites or record website traffic.<ref>[https://citizenlab.ca/2013/01/planet-blue-coat-mapping-global-censorship-and-surveillance-tools/ Planet Blue Coat: Mapping Global Censorship and Surveillance Tools]</ref> | There are allegations and discussions that Superonline uses Blue Coat products for censorship. Products manufactured by Blue Coat Systems are known as "dual-use" technologies that can be used to defend corporate networks, as well as by governments to censor the internet and monitor public internet traffic. These devices can see some encrypted traffic, block websites or record website traffic.<ref>[https://citizenlab.ca/2013/01/planet-blue-coat-mapping-global-censorship-and-surveillance-tools/ Planet Blue Coat: Mapping Global Censorship and Surveillance Tools]</ref> | ||
In 2011, a hacktivist group called Telecomix claimed that Syria was using Blue Coat Systems products to censor the internet and these allegations were investigated by the US government. Citizen Lab's research has also provided evidence of Blue Coat devices being used for censorship and surveillance in countries like Turkey and Syria.<ref>[https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/10/blue-coat-acknowledges-syrian-government-use-its-products Blue Coat: Concern for Criminal Penalties, Not Human Rights]</ref> | In 2011, a hacktivist group called Telecomix claimed that Syria was using Blue Coat Systems products to censor the internet and these allegations were investigated by the US government. Citizen Lab's research has also provided evidence of Blue Coat devices being used for censorship and surveillance in countries like Turkey and Syria.<ref>[https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/10/blue-coat-acknowledges-syrian-government-use-its-products Blue Coat: Concern for Criminal Penalties, Not Human Rights]</ref> | ||
===Injecting ads into websites (2017)=== | ===Injecting ads into websites (2017)=== | ||
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On February 6, 2023, the company was criticized for internet outages at critical moments during the massive earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. Immediately after the earthquake disaster, the collapse of the internet infrastructure, which was critical for search and rescue operations and coordination, left both citizens and government agencies in a difficult situation. In the aftermath, Superonline was severely criticized for its lack of infrastructure resilience and emergency preparedness. | On February 6, 2023, the company was criticized for internet outages at critical moments during the massive earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. Immediately after the earthquake disaster, the collapse of the internet infrastructure, which was critical for search and rescue operations and coordination, left both citizens and government agencies in a difficult situation. In the aftermath, Superonline was severely criticized for its lack of infrastructure resilience and emergency preparedness. | ||
The incident occurred within the context of Turkey's three-month state of emergency enacted in 11 provinces following the February 2023 earthquakes, which allowed the government to limit or suspend | The incident occurred within the context of Turkey's three-month state of emergency enacted in 11 provinces following the February 2023 earthquakes, which allowed the government to limit or suspend telecommunications access.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/turkey/freedom-net/2023 |title=Turkey: Freedom on the Net 2023 |website=Freedom House |publisher=Freedom House |date=10 October 2023 |access-date=3 June 2025}}</ref> There has also been controversy over the company's compliance with social media bans in Turkey during the earthquake, implemented under emergency powers that allowed authorities to take measures to prevent the circulation of information deemed false.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/turkey/freedom-net/2023 |title=Turkey: Freedom on the Net 2023 |website=Freedom House |publisher=Freedom House |date=10 October 2023 |access-date=3 June 2025}}</ref> The biggest criticism has been the restriction of communication opportunities for people trapped under the remains of the earthquake and putting lives at risk. Internet freedom advocates have criticized Superonline's quick implementation of these bans, especially when access restrictions are imposed on social media platforms which helped locating the individuals who are trapped.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/turkey/freedom-net/2024 |title=Turkey: Freedom on the Net 2024 |website=Freedom House |publisher=Freedom House |date=2024 |access-date=3 June 2025}}</ref> | ||
==Controversies== | ==Controversies== | ||
=== Removing Discounts for Those Who Turn Off Data Collection === | |||
Users who choose to opt out of Turkcell's data collection practices through the Turkcell mobile app will no longer be able to view time-limited offers, which frequently include service discounts. Turkcell offers free mobile data usage for a month to users who consent to data collection after initially rejecting it. If the data collection is rejected once more, the free data usage will be terminated. Because they have already consented, users who consent to data collection first do not receive any rewards. | |||
===PPPoE/WAN Password Restrictions=== | ===PPPoE/WAN Password Restrictions=== | ||
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===Censorship Using Deep Packet Inspection=== | ===Censorship Using Deep Packet Inspection=== | ||
Superonline is one of the most active utilizers of deep packet inspection (DPI) technology among internet service providers in Turkey, operating within a regulatory environment that Freedom House describes as systematically restricting online freedoms.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/turkey/freedom-net/2023 |title=Turkey: Freedom on the Net 2023 |website=Freedom House |publisher=Freedom House |date=10 October 2023 |access-date=3 June 2025}}</ref> With this technology, Superonline applies content-based censorship by analyzing users' internet traffic in detail.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/turkey |title=Turkey Overview |website=Freedom House |publisher=Freedom House |date=31 March 2025 |access-date=3 June 2025}}</ref> | |||
Superonline is one of the most active utilizers of deep packet inspection (DPI) technology among internet service providers in Turkey, operating within a regulatory environment that Freedom House describes as systematically restricting online freedoms.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/turkey/freedom-net/2023 |title=Turkey: Freedom on the Net 2023 |website=Freedom House |publisher=Freedom House |date=10 October 2023 |access-date=3 June 2025}}</ref> With this technology, Superonline applies content-based censorship by analyzing users' internet traffic in detail | |||
Unlike traditional packet inspection, DPI technology also scans the content of data packets and provides the ability to detect and block VPN protocols. According to user reports, Superonline has one of the most strictly censored internet service in Turkey, and in the past has taken measures strict enough to completely block VPN protocols such as WireGuard. It also blocks or throttles popular VPN services and their websites such as Cloudflare Warp, ProtonVPN, Surfshark, Psiphon, NordVPN, IPVanish/SpeedtestVPN and constantly tightens its DPI-based scanning systems. There is also allegations that Superonline using DNS poisoning to block certain websites. They were blocking some third party DNS services in the past. | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||