Privacy International has made available the report on a twelve-month study involving over fifty experts and advocates from across the world, made possible by a grant from the Open Society Institute. The study, in PDF format is available at: Silenced: An International Report on Censorship and Control of the Internet. (Read More ... )
From the executive summary: "This study has found that censorship of the Internet is commonplace in most regions of the world. It is clear that in most countries over the past two years there has been an acceleration of efforts to either close down or inhibit the Internet. In some countries, for example in China and Burma, the level of control is such that the Internet has relatively little value as a medium for organised free speech, and its use could well create additional dangers at a personal level for activists. The September 11, 2001 attacks have given numerous governments the opportunity to promulgate restrictive policies that their citizens had previously opposed. There has been an acceleration of legal authority for additional snooping of all kinds, particularly involving the Internet, from increased email monitoring to the retention of Web logs and communications data. Simultaneously, governments have become more secretive about their own activities, reducing information that was previously available and refusing to adhere to policies on freedom of information."
Concerns over such monitoring and hazards are one motivation for the rising interest in "darknets," mentioned in a recent note "Darknets Offer Privacy" in Unintended Consequences.
Thanks to OnlineJournalism.com for the heads up on this study.
Posted by dougsimpson at September 23, 2003 08:54 AM | TrackBack