<html><head><style type='text/css'>p { margin: 0; }</style></head><body><div style='font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000'>Dear all,<br><br>As you might know, the Brazilian political landscape is chaotic. The Congress and the federal government are putting into risk our framework for Internet governance. Marco Civil is under attack and deregulation is under way in Telecom sector.<br><br>The <a href="https://direitosnarede.org.br/">Coalition Direitos na Rede</a> wrote a manifesto in Guadalajara about the Brazilian scenario and we are asking activists and organizations to support us, if they agree with what we're claiming. Many bad things are happening and we need people from all over the world reacting against this.<br><br>Please, can you read it and send the link of the Manifesto to your network of activists in digital rights?<br><br><a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://direitosnarede.org.br/c/guadalajara-manifesto/">https://direitosnarede.org.br/c/guadalajara-manifesto/</a><br><br>Today, at 2h40pm, <a href="https://igf2016.sched.com/event/90xt/lightning-session-internet-civil-societys-tools-to-monitor-the-parliament">we will host a lightning session at the IGF to present the Coalition</a>. Come see us and we will explain the content of the manifesto, asking for support of the international community. We really need this kind of support to pressure the law-makers and the government!<br><br>The deadline to sign the manifesto is Friday at 2pm and you can do so by answering this email or by talking to any member of the Coalition! <br><br>Best,<br><br>Rafael Zanatta<br><i>Coalizão Direitos na Rede<br><br>***<br><br></i><h1 id="the-guadalajara-manifesto-for-internet-rights-and-governance-in-brazil">The Guadalajara Manifesto For Internet Rights and Governance in Brazil</h1>
<p>We, as representatives of civil society organizations from all over
the world present at the 11th Internet Governance Forum in Guadalajara,
Mexico, come together to declare our concern about the policy changes
related to access, governance and use of the Internet that are taking
place in Brazil this year.</p><p><br></p>
<p>Since 2012, Brazil has been a key participant in the IGF, pushing for
more participation and the protection of human rights in the digital
environment. It is regrettable that, in the IGF 2016, Brazilian
government participation is rather restricted. The country that has been
an example is now at risk of weakening its most valuable institutions
dedicated to Internet Governance: the Brazilian Internet Steering
Committee (CGI.br) and Marco Civil da Internet.</p><p><br></p>
<p>The Brazilian Civil Rights Framework for the Internet - “Marco Civil
da Internet” (MCI), a Law enacted in 2014, was a result of a long and
democratic participatory process that had as its goal the creation of
fundamental rights for the use of the Internet. The Law focused on the
democratization of Internet access, universalization, net neutrality,
freedom of expression, protection of personal data and privacy. It was
based on the Decalogue Principles enacted by CGI.br in 2009, in a
context of multistakeholder governance.</p><p><br></p>
<p>Due to the recent political changes in the country, the Internet as
we know it is now at risk. The current government has started in a
questionable power transition and has been refractory to democratic
debate, supporting a conservative body of Congress representatives that
since long is working against the protection of fundamental rights on
the internet. Now, the Congress is about to pass a law that will
represent a serious backlash in telecommunications policies that imply
the loss of sovereignty over telecommunications networks, compromising
the purpose set by MCI of universal access and digital inclusion.</p><p><br></p>
<p>In addition, the Federal Government has announced that it will not
develop policies for broadband Internet access and that “the market
should promote expansion on its own”. Such new development paradigm goes
against the current legal and regulatory framework in the country,
which recognizes the key role of the State in achieving universalization
and democratization of access and knowledge.</p><p><br></p>
<p>In this context, the government, together with National
Telecommunications Agency, has been permissive regarding commercial
discriminatory practices, such as allowing for new plans with data caps
to be offered, as well as anticompetitive deals between large ISPs and
large online platforms.</p><p><br></p>
<p>Since 2015, over two hundred bills proposing changes to the MCI have
been presented. Many of them weaken fundamental principles and rights
such as net neutrality, non-liability for Internet providers, personal
data protection, privacy and freedom of expression. Behind these
proposed amendments to the law, we have the heavy lobbying by
conservative and authoritarian political forces as well as industries
with private interests that go against the public ones.</p><p><br></p>
<p>Now, in 2016, we have witnessed political actions by the Executive
branch that threaten multistakeholder governance, more specifically the
Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI). Government representatives
have openly declared that they intend to review the strength of the
civil society representativeness and participation in the committee.</p><p><br></p>
<p>We have also seen judicial decisions that determine the takedown of
applications such as WhatsApp, when the company is unable to provide
data and content about investigated persons by the police or
investigation authorities due to the use of cryptography. Several
lawsuits related to such takedowns are now pending before the Brazilian
Supreme Court.</p><p><br></p>
<p>We are aware that the award-winning Brazilian coalition called
“Direitos na Rede” is fighting all these policy, legal and regulatory
and legalchanges that threaten civil rights hardly acquired over the
course of several years. We recognize the need to make these backlashes
globally known and declare our support to the coalition.</p><p><br></p>
<p>We also urge the Brazilian Government to take immediate measures
against these limitations of Internet rights and principles and
continues to foster a vibrant Internet ecosystem, where digital
inclusion, human rights and democratic governance are priorities.</p><p><br></p>
<p>Guadalajara, December 5th 2016.</p></div></body></html>