Seizure of Internet by repressive government must be prevented

A global seizure of Internet by repressive governments must be prevented, writes John Kampfner for The Financial Times. According to his point of view the democracy should secure the most important freedom.



The author of the note refers to a recent study by the U.S. NGO Freedom House, according to which freedom of speech around the world is going through a serious crisis during last ten years.

The Freedom House list included such countries as Mali, Russia, China, Venezuela, Ukraine, South Africa, Ecuador and Thailand. “The economic crisis instead of leading to greater transparency, brought the rich and powerful people to a censorship ", - said Kampfner and stated Greece as an example, where journalist was arrested for publishing information about the higher ranks, hiding from taxes.

Concerning the observer’s words, censorship can be introduced for different aims – for example to force those who do not agree to keep silent or to stop investigations of corruption. Authorities consider Internet as the most dangerous tool. “The more technology gives us a possibility to speak –the more governments are afraid”, - said Kampfner. “"Democracies play a key role in the prevention of global Internet seizure by such authorities", - he added.



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A famous blogger a supporter of the a stop Internet censorship was found hanged

At Sunday night, on January 13 the Associated Press agency reported that the famous American programmer and a public figure Aeron Schwarz, who stand for the information freedom in the global Network committed a suicide in his own apartment in Brooklyn, NY – reports Ria Novosti.

According to a court medical expert, 26 years old man was found hanged on Friday. The reason that was make him to do such is unknown.

When Aeron Schwarz was 14 he became a coauthor of the RSS. At the age of 20 he was a cofounder of a popular Internet-portal Raddit. He was the active bloger and wrote a number of good and widely discussed articles. He achieved fame as lieder of Demand Progress activists who propagandized Internet freedom and the censorship cancel.

In 2011 a prosecution against Schwarz began in Boston on suspicion of theft of several million editions of science journals from the computer archive of the Massachusetts University of Technologies. He didn’t’t admit his guilty. A trial was going to start in February 2013.
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Russian Internet does not afraid of censorship

The economic of Russian Internet raise the grows rate and its influence as a media channel becomes stronger. RAEC sets a price for a value of the Russian Internet as a several bln dollars and prognoses its increase by 30% in 2012.

2012 discovered a new phenomenon in Russia - the state, for the first time was interested in the Internet sphere. And the first measures concerning this were prohibitive. So, due to this a law about child security from the Information, that provide the creation of the blacklist of sites and blocking illegal content in the Runet.

The first question was about the overall results of the Internet of the current year and also about the “child security from the information” law. In whole, experts pointed out the unavailability of the infrastructure to execute a law and the ambiguities in the questions concerning a content marking and blacklist.

According to experts points of view the main value of this law is that parents began to pay more attention on what their children do in the Internet, said Yuri Sinodov, the chief editor of Roem.ru. He also explained that this question is far from real problem of business. And this is very good that this law isn’t used as a mechanism to pressure business.

It is essential that a part of Internet users are worried about the “law of the Internet”, which deputies are going to make by the next year and of course users afraid of the Internet censorship. So, how tough will be the Internet control?

Generally, the representatives of this sphere do not deny the possibility of a “soft Chinese variant” of the Internet censorship. But also they consider this way as an unlikely but although a possible one .

Oleg Seidak, the head of the FINAM Global fond noticed that “Russian Internet is characterized by more technically educated and mentally active users groups. And right this groups are the main users of the information that can be prohibited by the state regulation.

I think that active and mass State actions towards the limitation of the access In the Internet can lead to a great increase of the users awareness of the ways to avoid this limitations that will have a wholly opposite effect that was not expected.

The state can close this technical possibilities only by using the Chinese variant, that means not only blocking access to the certain information or resources but also a blocking of a part of ways that allow to avoid such blocking. However this method is too cruel and this can cause the “arm race” between Internet users and a state, that none of the countries can win without destroying the Internet at all”, concerning the current situation.

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The wefightcensorship.org - the portal that is created to contain censored materials

“Reporters without borders” created a special web-site where it is possible to publish materials that are not allowed for publication because of the censor. DW representatives found out how this resource is arranged.

The aim of the wefightcensorship.org Internet-portal, that is created by the initiative of the non-government organization, is to fight with censorship. This project is financed by the EU, Paris authorities and voluntary. This site contains journalists and bloggers materials that were not permitted for the publication due to the censorship in the authoritarian regime’s countries.



“We think that it is necessary to create an Internet-portal contains censored materials”, - said Matthias Spielkamp, the director of “Reporters without borders” organization in the interview with DW. However according to Spielkamp, authors of the site are not going to make it as a data base or a platform for a “leak” of official documents like Wikileaks portal for example.

On the wefightcensorship.org site anyone who wishes can download and send the material to administrators anonymously. For this aim you need a special account. According to Matthias Spielkamp, it is only about the information, that wasn’t published in Media due to the absence of the freedom of speech in some countries.

Online articles and videos have the information about its origin and the reason of its censored. If an article is written not in English or in French than it have to be translated into one of this languages.  According to Spielkamp, the edition do not publish all the materials. “The editor check whether information is a truth or not”, - explains Spielkamp.

The first published article on this site belongs to Omar Brouksy from Morocco. He is not allowed to work officially as a journalist in his country. The government deprived him of the accreditation in the beginning of October 2012 because of the critical material about the royal family role during the elections. Also this site contains a video about the explosion on the ammunition depot in Turkmenia,  about which the Turkmen media hardly reported.

By this means, according to Matthias Spielkamp words, the site team is trying to secure publication’s authors. All photographs and videos allocated on the wefightcensorship.org site can be easily copied. Besides, users can find the link in the network.


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Censorship on the Internet - a new global trend?

"Today, Internet freedom is in danger as never before", - said Vinton Cerf who is one of the founders of the World Wide Web ( WWW). Forcing American science to sound the alarm? Of course, numbers.

In 2002, the governments of only four states were subjected to regular Internet censorship, today there are more than 40 states. Often the bad newa are coming from Asia. In August in India, a new wave of religious conflicts began, that is why the government decided to block web pages and social network profiles of people whom the authorities suspected in rumor’s spreading.

Even in Ethiopia, where internet access has only 1% of the population, who actively used internet filter and remote monitoring of the user's connection. This year, according to the international organization called "Reporters without Borders" in the world 29 bloggers were killed, more than 127 have been imprisoned because of their positions in the Internet.

Slow censorship introducing
The stare favorite censorship excuse is - "for national security reasons."
"The world has nearly a couple of Internet providers and states that do not filter the contents of the Web. Just when those countries are democracies, they discuss about what content must be censored, "- says Jermyn Brooks, the Chairman of the Global Network Initiative (GNI).
The most striking example is the controversial film "Innocent of Muslims", which caused a wave of protests in the Islamic world. What to do? Prohibit it from running to prevent the violence and people death? For example in Russia this film was announced by the Prosecutor General's Office and the court of first instance as extremist and then was blocked.
Even a country like Sweden, where 90% of households have web access, cannot ignore the censorship issues. For example, the government decided to do obvious thing - block sites with child pornography, a blacklist of prohibited Internet sites. But the choice of pages was illogical, said critics. "But it does not mean that the Swedish state system is as bad as in some non-democratic countries" - the Minister for Foreign Affairs Frank Belfrage justifies the actions of the Swedish authorities. According to him, the Swedes support democracy, while authoritarian and dictatorial regimes are anti-democrats.

Another problem - the fact that not all Western companies involved in the development of technologies to spy on users in the network, and filtering of Internet content, adhere high ethical standards when it comes to a bargain, even with questionable clients. "Western governments practically do not have control over such technology sailing and do not choose to whom they can sell, and to whom - not", - complains Eric King,the member of Human Rights Group Privacy International.
However, the good news is that none of the censorship control systems is strong enough yet. In China, about 10% of users know how to avoid the public lock system "Golden Shield" (security provider), by using proxies and anonymizers networks - is software that enable anonymous network connection that protected from eavesdropping.

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In the 40 countries of the world are subjected to Internet censorship

In 2002, the government only four states were subjected to regular Internet censorship.Today, these countries - over forty. Certain restrictions on the web today introduced practically all states

"Today, freedom of the Internet is in danger as never before", - one of the founders of the World Wide Web Vinton Cerf. Forcing American science to sound the alarm? Of course, numbers.

In 2002, the government only four states were subjected to regular Internet censorship, today there are more than 40 states. Particularly common in recent disturbing news coming from Asia. So, when in August in India began a new wave of religious conflicts, the government decided to just block web pages and social network profiles of those people whom the authorities suspected of spreading rumors. In recent months, the court had to be brought bloggers in Vietnam, and South Korea accounts regime opponents were simply block writes BFM.ru .

Even in Ethiopia, where internet access is only 1% of the population is already actively used internet filter and remote monitoring of the user's connection. Just this year, according to the international organization "Reporters without Borders" in the world killed 29 bloggers, 127 more people have been imprisoned for their positions in the Internet.

Slowly introduce censorship all

My favorite excuse State giving censorship - "for reasons of national security." In this case, the web content filtering in one degree or another, practically all of the country. "In the world there, maybe a couple of Internet providers and states that do not filter the contents of the Web. Just when those involved are democracies, they are detailed discussions about what content and on what to censor," - said Jermyn Brooks , Chairman, Global Network Initiative (GNI).

The most striking example - the controversial film "innocent Muslims", which caused a wave of protests in the Islamic world. What to do - prohibit it from running to escape the violence and loss of life? In Russia, for example, that have done so, first Prosecutor General's Office, and then the court of first instance found extremist film and decided to block.

Even a country like Sweden, where 90% of households have access to the web, can not ignore the issues of censorship.For example, the government decided to do obvious thing - block sites with child pornography, a blacklist of prohibited Internet sites. But the choice of pages are not transparent and was illogical, critics say. "But that does not mean that the Swedish system is as bad as in some non-democratic country," - justifies the actions of the Swedish authorities Deputy Foreign Minister Frank Belfrage. According to him, the Swedes defend democracy, while authoritarian and dictatorial regimes - anti-democrats.

West helps East ...

Another problem - the fact that not all Western companies involved in the development of technologies to spy on users in the network, and filtering of Internet content, adhere to high ethical standards when it comes to a bargain, even with questionable clients. "Western governments have practically no control over sale of such technology and do not indicate to whom they can sell, and to whom - not", - complains Eric King, of human rights group Privacy International, investigation, in which countries go the Western system of computer surveillance.

However, the good news we can assume that none of the systems of control and censorship is not yet strong enough. In China, about 10% of users have learned to bypass the public system lock "Golden Shield" ("China's great firewall"), using proxies and anonymizers networks - that is, software that enable anonymous network connection is protected from eavesdropping.

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The Censorship age

Dear readers, in this article another innovation will be discussed. Some of the materials like "Home Newspaper" are marked by special signs "+" denoting the age at which you can not read the aforesaid articles.

These rules dictate a new federal law "On the protection of children from information harmful to their health and development", which comes into force on September 1 of this year. It was signed for the first time on December 29, 2010 almost two years ago. Probably, it was assumed that during this time some techniques will be developed , according to the publisher. But! The law comes into force this week, but there are no methods or at least a recommendations how to use this law.

The formulation of the law is so strange that the category of "6 +" for example, old Russian tales have a description of the physical and mental violence ..." - according to a quote from the Federal Law № 436), under the "12 +" gets a harmless (it seemed of course!) "Gingerbread Man" (that shows the process of loss of life), and almost all the work of Korney Chukovsky would have to be marked with the sign of the most stringent "16 +" …

No doubt, in the sea of ​​information, where everyone dip our children, there are so many ... (I almost said the word, that instantly sends this phrase in the category of "16 +") ... excrement, that the adoption of the law was necessary and justified. The lawyers of our newspapers couldn’t find someone who would be able to describe the algorithm of the application of this law.

And another aspect of the double-meaning of the law: when I was young, as they say today, a teenager, the writings on a movie "Children under 16" even more fired my imagination. And I, by any means was trying to see it. Whether will the introduction of this law will have the opposite effect? Would not it made a child to start searching on the Internet a string of characters "16 +"?

16 +

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Censorship and the procedure?

On September 1, the law that is going "to protect children from information harmful to their health and development," comes into force and along with this TV producers made a lists of "forbidden words."

TV stations began to warn in advance of the company-producers of content on the inadmissibility of the use of their products in a number of words and expressions, stressing that the use of taboo language is unacceptable, and the widespread nowadays.

Along with taboo language there were words like “penis” or "prick", "muhosranske", "hell", "ass", "hemorrhoids", "gay" (and its many aliases, including "blue" ) and others.

In July, the National Association of Broadcasters has asked the State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin to postpone the adoption of the law at least on a year, but it doesn’t have a success. "The law contains a large number of subjective and highly controversial provisions, and the fact that the mechanisms for the implementation of the major provisions of the law are not clearly defined, and the by-laws, to which there are links, not yet adopted, we consider it necessary to postpone the introduction of the law in force for a period not less than one calendar year, "- Sergei Naryshkin said in letter.

In addition, broadcasters pointed out that in the current version the law will forbid children to see, for example, most of the military-patriotic films, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (in the film vagrancy romanticized is shown) and "Just you wait! "(Wolf constantly smokes).

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Kosher News : Salt censorship

"Women exile " from a public space in Israel has reached new level: it is the first time when a large company, a manufacturer of table salt "Salit" began to remove a schematic image of a woman from the packages of his product, which for decades used to Israeli consumers (see photo below) 

About female images on packages of salt censorship retell Jerusalem resident Brit Harel. The woman was shocked when her husband brought out a salt package from the ordinary not an ultra-orthodox shop , where instead of the usual modest ladies gaping was an empty white space.

There are a lot of cases of censorship female images in Jerusalem, but usually it is a "local initiative" of religious shopkeepers or publishers. The case was considered as extraordinary, because of religious censorship was engaged in a large enterprise, the group of companies related to Sheri Arison, - and censorship affected not random ads but the logo of the product to which consumers have long been accustomed.

Haaretz asked the company "Salit"to get the answer: the image of women eliminated only with those packages of salt, which will receive a special certificate of kashrut during the Pesach time. Bundles of common salt will be sold in its present form to them until BADATS will impose such strict requirements.


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120 years ago, Russia was introduced "punitive censorship"

August 27, 1882, Emperor Alexander III introduced the "Provisional Rules on the Press."

Rules finally secured in Russia "punitive censorship." Under the rules, the publication after the third warning had to represent the next available number in the censorship on the eve of their release. State had maximum control over the press, up to the right to close all editions and deprive them of the editor and publishing right. Development of the first edition of the Rules.The right to close any publication was given not only to the Minister for Internal Affairs but also to the Head of the Synod. Control of the press belongs to the High Commission for the Press - a special body of the four ministers: Education Minister, Minister for Internal Affairs , Minister of Justice and the Head of the Holy Synod.

Strengthening of censorship led to the mass closure of periodicals in Russia.

For the time of the Alexander III reign 72 books was banned (among them were Leo Tolstoy, Leskov works).

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Censorship on the Internet: In Tomsk sites, considered as harmful for children were closed.

The decision to close Internet resources was taken to court.



In Tomsk ISP has an access to 13 sites, that had instructions for suicide, violence and pornography. Information about this appeared on the website of the General Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday, August 21. The decision was taken to court. such providers as Tomsk Branch of OJSC "Rostelecom", Center "TUCSR-Telecom" Company "Tomtel." execute the decision In Tomsk.



Among the Court's material on the blocked sites it can badly affects the "spiritual, moral, mental, and other development of children."

The access to this sites were blocked by filtering IP-addresses.


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Censorship forbade the exhibition with a kiss "Sleeping Beauty"

Artist asks for affect Ukraine international art community.

Ministry of Culture banned the opening of the National Museum of Art exhibition "The Sleeping Beauty." The first day of the exhibition was going to be tomorrow. Author of a controversial exhibition plans, despite the ban, still try to open it. By the idea of ​​the author, a real girl would sleep in the middle of his installation for several hours. Visitors are allowed to kiss the "sleeping beauty", if they have previously signed agreement, the one on whose kiss she wakes up, will be obliged to marry her.

Ukrainian-Canadian artist T.Polatayko outraged by the closure of his creation said that his shows are not provocative. Installation artist plans to draw international attention to the exhibition of art to the public.

Earlier in Kiev an exhibition of contemporary art has been already closed . In particular, the project "Apocalypse and the Renaissance." has been also closed

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In Myanmar, censorship of political and religious issues was abolished

The Ministry of Information of Myanmar is going to cancel media censorship of publishing political and religious information, said on Monday the electronic version of the Thai newspaper "Khom Chat lyk."

"Starting from August 20 to all publications that publish political and religious information are exempt from the need to have a preliminary text approval of their posts and articles from the Department of Press Scrutiny and Department of Information Registration " - the newspaper quoted a statement published in Myanmar on Monday of the Ministry.

The newspaper calls the cancellation of political and religious censorship in Myanmar, "a milestone", reminding to readers that censorship existed in the country for 50 years of the military government.

Back in March of this year, Myanmar's Information Minister Kyaw San announced the release of the censorship of newspapers: 173 week and 124 month magazines, according to the publication, but then the Reformers cover only culture, sports, movies, fashion, literature, science and technology publications.

"We will carry out reforms related to the liberalization of the media and freedom of expression, in three stages. Now we are releasing several hundred publications from censorship, this first phase will last until the adoption of a new media law, which repealed the law on media in 1962," - said then minister to Myanmar news agency Seven Media.

According to him, the third will provide methodological and material assistance for the development of existing and established private media.

Myanmar's parliament may pass a new media law before the end of this year, according to the publication.
Liberal reforms in Myanmar came into force in 2011. During the first year of reform in the country thousands of political prisoners were freed , the activities of financial institutions were liberalized,opposition was legalized . Leader of the opposition party the National League for democracy (NLD) and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyiwas were elected to parliament and led not only opposition faction, but also one of the most important parliamentary committees.

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The network will be a secret censorship

By itself, the Russian policy is a serious distortion of a common sense and essence of the political process. Still less to fear of government interference, when it is held under the auspices of protecting public morals. It is now known that the so-called "black lists of sites" is in a secret. The public can not get to them a free access, which means that there will not be an adequate civilian control over the censor materials.
Implementers of the "On the censorship on the Internet" law , in turn, explain that some public organizations will have the access to the lists .Knowing the Russia specifics, when, under the auspices of NSO hide close to the bureaucratic system fraudsters and extortionists, such explanations can not calm, if we're not interested in creating new jobs for loafers. Risk of doing business in the Russian segment of the web has increased significantly. Alternatively, the I2P network , has not yet developed to create a fully-controlled Internet able to compete. One can only hope that further budget cut of the money thing will not really go down.

The most interesting thing in all of these initiatives is the lack of a public debate. The bill falls on the people’s heads at once, but they can not affect it in any way. As a result, expenditures budget, cost more than accounting services. All this will not bring any apparent profit for the economy. At the same time a goal "moral protection " - is unlikely to be achieved, because if a person is already interested in drugs, suicide and porn, complicating access to the necessary information will hardly abate this interest, on the contrary, will give more incentive for criminal behaviors.

Power in Russia is trying to replace a principle that parents are the main caregiver of any child. The state is unable to restore order in those areas of life in which it has to be restored. Why should we give the right to extend state authority? Let restore order there.

Unfortunately, we do not ask these questions to our bureaucrats. They have forgotten how to communicate with Russian citizens in. They are more interested in cosmic importance projects and in any stupidity.


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Censorship on the Internet. Yes, it is South Korea.

Critic of the government, which on his page on Twitter criticized the president of his country found its my account is locked. Activist who on his Twitter page posted unflattering comments about government has been accused of libel. A judge, who wrote that the president ("His Highness") "putting pressure" on the Internet users, who challenged his authority, was fired, and was seen as retaliation.Such suppression of Internet freedom has been remarkable, but perhaps not surprising in China, with its army of vigilant online censors. However, in this case, an energetic social media censorship took place in South Korea, the country's flourishing democracy and one of the most integrated companies in the Internet environment in the world.

Signal without noise, or as a metaphor for Cryptography

The newly Russian law, which introduces an Internet black list (or roster sites with prohibited content), is the natural questions. Too many signs that declared there is one, and means something substantially different

Before leaving for summer vacation in the parliament decided suddenly to attend to the protection of youth from the corrupting influence of the Internet. And Stakhanovite pace-invented was a new law - amending (the other has not even begun to operate), the federal law "On protection of children from information harmful to their health and development." The essence of the amendments, as everybody knows, is to create a so-called black lists, based on which the whole state will be blocked Internet access to sites with illegal and harmful content.Assigned to that child pornography, promotion of drug use and suicide.

Iranian TV show does not recommend eating chicken

Iranian authorities have recommended that local television stations to refrain from showing films and programs containing scenes of hearty meals with chicken, writes The Daily Telgraph.

According to officials, such scenes could provoke envy and aggression in people who can not afford such a luxury that will increase social hatred in society.

«Index on Censorship» called on the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to stop attacks on journalists and freedom of speech

The government of Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev's believed that music competition "Eurovision", to which the organization spent about $ 750 million, will be an excellent opportunity to retouch the poor state of human rights in the country. However, due to the activities of organizations «Index on Censorship» and the International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan (IPGA), it became known that free speech is not protected in Azerbaijan Aliev. This is stated on the website of the organization «Index on Censorship».

Censorship in Google inevitable

Western governments, including the United States, intensifying their efforts to censor searches on the Internet and videos YouTube, says transparency report (a report on transparency), published by Google.

Again About Censorship in Chinese Internet

Today I came across a rare category of research online space. Much of this kind of work for a very narrow issue and gives little idea of ​​how the whole is arranged or that the Internet community. In today's Tehnosrede will talk about the most important "technology" of the Internet - censorship - in relation to its Chinese segment. The quotes here emphasize the fact that we have in mind the social technology of forming the society (or the contrary, it prevents the changes). 


Article Harvard researchers entitled "How China censors allow criticism of the government, but drowns out the collective action" . Chinese Internet because of the language barrier to a large extent - terra incognita, and it is useful to say a few words about how it differs from Western and Russian (which are generally organized in a similar way).