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<div>Read below to see another instance of how some countries are more
equal than others owing to the manner in which the global Internet
architecture and its power nodes are structured today..... It should
hardly be surprising that most 'other' countries are rather concerned
about this asymmetry and concentration of global IG power. <br>
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<a
href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/10/3110066.htm?section=justin">http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/10/3110066.htm?section=justin</a></div>
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<div>US pursuit of WikiLeaks triggers diplomatic spat</div>
<div>By Jennifer Macey</div>
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<div>Updated Mon Jan 10, 2011 10:43pm AEDT</div>
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<div> The
US has subpoenaed Twitter to release information from five accounts in
its investigation of WikiLeaks (AFP: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)</div>
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<div>AUDIO: Iceland furious over US subpoena of Twitter accounts (PM)</div>
<div>RELATED STORY: US orders Twitter to disclose WikiLeaks records</div>
<div>The
Icelandic government has summoned the US ambassador to explain why the
US is seeking personal information from the Twitter account of an
Icelandic MP.</div>
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<div>The US has subpoenaed Twitter to release
information from five accounts - including those of the MP and a Dutch
computer programmer - in its investigation of whistleblowing website
WikiLeaks.</div>
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<div>Legal experts say because Twitter is registered in the US, the
company may be obliged to hand over the information.</div>
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<div>The American ambassador to Reykjavik, Luis Arreaga, has been
summoned for a meeting at Iceland's foreign ministry.</div>
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<div>He has been asked to explain why US officials want the Twitter
account details of an Icelandic MP.</div>
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<div>Iceland's interior minister, Ogmundur Jonasson, says the request
is not being taken lightly.</div>
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<div>"It is very serious that a foreign state, the
United States, demands such personal information of an Icelandic
person, an elected official," he said.</div>
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<div>"This is even more serious when put into perspective and concerns
freedom of speech and people's freedom in general."</div>
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<div>Icelandic MP Birgitta Jonsdottir is one of five Twitter accounts
that have been subpoenaed by the US Justice Department.</div>
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<div>Although she is a former WikiLeaks collaborator, she denies she
has anything to hide.</div>
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<div>"Not at all, that's not what this is all about. This is about a
certain principle," she said.</div>
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<div>"Here we have a government that is demanding a privately-owned
company to give up personal data.</div>
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<div>"I have not done anything that can be considered
criminal. It's not against the law to leak information, it's not
against the law to be a source, it's not against the law to publish
this information.</div>
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<div>"The information in question is about crimes committed by the
United States government."</div>
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<div>Along with Ms Jonsdottir, the US Justice Department sought
information from four other Twitter accounts.</div>
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<div>The WikiLeaks account, Dutch computer programmer
Rop Gonggrijp, American programmer Jacob Appelbaum, and the account of
Private First Class Bradley Manning, the US army intelligence analyst
accused of leaking the classified cables,</div>
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<div>Dr Ben Saul, the director of the Sydney Centre for
International Law at Sydney University, says US officials can issue a
subpoena against non-US citizens if the company holding that
information is registered in the US.</div>
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<div>"It certainly does seem that the US is exploring all avenues
available to it through its domestic law," he said.</div>
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<div>"Obviously
the US itself has no law enforcement power in Europe or in Australia,
so what they're obviously trying to do is to obtain the information by
going after records held by companies which operate in the US, which
are subject to US law.</div>
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<div>"Citizenship doesn't really matter here. The relevant question is,
is there illegal conduct happening?</div>
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<div>"The
real question is how will other countries react, you know, will other
governments try to do things to shut down this kind of investigation?"</div>
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<div>The order issued by the US District Court of
Virginia on December 14 gave Twitter three days to release the
information, including user names, addresses, connection records,
telephone numbers and bank details.</div>
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