[governance] cross-border IG issues

[parminder]

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. 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/10/3110066.htm?section=justin

US pursuit of WikiLeaks triggers diplomatic spat
By Jennifer Macey

Updated Mon Jan 10, 2011 10:43pm AEDT

 The US has subpoenaed Twitter to release information from five accounts 
in its investigation of WikiLeaks (AFP: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

AUDIO: Iceland furious over US subpoena of Twitter accounts (PM)
RELATED STORY: US orders Twitter to disclose WikiLeaks records
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.

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.

Legal experts say because Twitter is registered in the US, the company 
may be obliged to hand over the information.

The American ambassador to Reykjavik, Luis Arreaga, has been summoned 
for a meeting at Iceland's foreign ministry.

He has been asked to explain why US officials want the Twitter account 
details of an Icelandic MP.

Iceland's interior minister, Ogmundur Jonasson, says the request is not 
being taken lightly.

"It is very serious that a foreign state, the United States, demands 
such personal information of an Icelandic person, an elected official," 
he said.

"This is even more serious when put into perspective and concerns 
freedom of speech and people's freedom in general."

Icelandic MP Birgitta Jonsdottir is one of five Twitter accounts that 
have been subpoenaed by the US Justice Department.

Although she is a former WikiLeaks collaborator, she denies she has 
anything to hide.

"Not at all, that's not what this is all about. This is about a certain 
principle," she said.

"Here we have a government that is demanding a privately-owned company 
to give up personal data.

"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.

"The information in question is about crimes committed by the United 
States government."

Along with Ms Jonsdottir, the US Justice Department sought information 
from four other Twitter accounts.

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,

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.

"It certainly does seem that the US is exploring all avenues available 
to it through its domestic law," he said.

"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.

"Citizenship doesn't really matter here. The relevant question is, is 
there illegal conduct happening?

"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?"

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.
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