The main purpose behind placing this filtering box is to allow the government at any time to completely restrict what it desires. Presently ISP have been instructed to do it but than the chain becomes complicated and long for these internet restrictions to be implemented. Also ISPs do need to consider the business case for such kind of blocking and filtering e.g. in the event of blocking porn in Pakistan we have seen considerable decline in video traffic so we have seen reluctancy of certain ISP in complying to the growing demands of govt to block or deny access to certain content.<br>
Also with the growing use of social media networks for digital activism the government feels threatened from the free and open internet. Example being complete blocking of websites highlighting human rights abuses in Balochistan.<br>
<br>
Cheers!<br>
Arzak<br>
<br>
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-----Original Message----- <br>
From: Shahzad Ahmad <shahzad@bytesforall.pk><br>
Sent: 2/23/2012 2:32:52 PM <br>
To: governance@lists.igcaucus.org <governance@lists.igcaucus.org>, 'Anriette Esterhuysen'
<anriette@apc.org><br>
Subject: RE: [governance] Pakistan: National URL Filtering & Blocking System. <br>
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<div class="PlainText">Thanks Anriette for the kind message. <br>
<br>
We think that this advertisement is just to complete the bidding and<br>
documentary process as it is required now otherwise, competing parties end<br>
up in the court. The system would have already been in place by now... who<br>
knows?<br>
<br>
Right now, we are working on our public statement against the proposed<br>
system. Will post it here and send to you separately.<br>
<br>
Best wishes<br>
Shahzad<br>
<br>
<br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From: governance-request@lists.igcaucus.org<br>
[<a href="mailto:governance-request@lists.igcaucus.org">mailto:governance-request@lists.igcaucus.org</a>] On Behalf Of Anriette<br>
Esterhuysen<br>
Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2012 6:47 PM<br>
To: governance@lists.igcaucus.org<br>
Subject: Re: [governance] Pakistan: National URL Filtering & Blocking<br>
System.<br>
<br>
Thanks for this Shahzad. Very relevant for next week's panel. The<br>
transparency of putting out a public call for bids for filtering and<br>
blocking systems is quite remarkable :)<br>
<br>
It shows confidence, it sends a strong public message, and it will also<br>
encourage competition and innovation in the internet industry to come up<br>
with 'smarter' ways of filtering. All very disturbing.<br>
<br>
Anriette<br>
<br>
<br>
On 23/02/12 06:14, Shahzad Ahmad wrote:<br>
> Folks,<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> Forwarding for your kind information, the little news and the grand <br>
> plans of Government of Pakistan to build Great Firewall.<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> We believe that it coincides well with the UN's Experts Panel on 29th <br>
> Februaryand the panelists may like to raise this?<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> RFP is attached and here is the link:<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <a href="http://ictrdf.org.pk/RFP-%20URL%20Filtering%20&%20Blocking.pdf">http://ictrdf.org.pk/RFP-%20URL%20Filtering%20&%20Blocking.pdf</a><br>
> <<a href="http://ictrdf.org.pk/RFP-%20URL%20Filtering%20&%20Blocking.pdf">http://ictrdf.org.pk/RFP-%20URL%20Filtering%20&%20Blocking.pdf</a>><br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> *An excerpt from the RFP: *<br>
> <br>
> "/Each box should be able to handle a block list of up to *50 million<br>
> URLs* (concurrent unidirectional filtering capacity) with processing <br>
> delay of *not more than 1 milliseconds*."/<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> Bytes for All, Pakistan have been expecting that there will be major <br>
> crackdown on the Internet towards elections. and this probably is the <br>
> start of things to come in the near future. We are going to issue a <br>
> public statement on this and will share the updates.<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> Best wishes and regards<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> Shahzad Ahmad<br>
> <br>
> <a href="http://www.bytesforall.pk">www.bytesforall.pk</a> <<a href="http://www.bytesforall.pk">http://www.bytesforall.pk</a>><br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
<br>
--<br>
------------------------------------------------------<br>
anriette esterhuysen anriette@apc.org<br>
executive director, association for progressive communications <a href="http://www.apc.org">
www.apc.org</a><br>
po box 29755, melville 2109 south africa tel/fax +27 11 726 1692<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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