[governance] Rights online petition

[Ian Peter]

While realising that the long term answer lies in governance, in the short
term people might like to support the petition suggested below.

And perhaps somewhere in our strategies the idea of advocating terms of
service as a tool for protection of users might be a good inclusion!

Ian Peter


> 
> Dear Friends, 
> 
> Events in Egypt and Tunisia, and Amazon's takedown of Wikileaks, have shown
> that our right to information online is fundamentally at risk. Increasingly,
> internet companies on both sides of the firewall are unilaterally removing the
> online information that they host, and right now, nothing can stop them.
> 
> That includes the websites we get our information from, the videos we watch,
> and the social networking pages that channel news directly to us from around
> the world. This free exchange of information is in danger not just in
> countries like Tunisia and Egypt (where Twitter has just been blocked), but as
> the Wikileaks experience has shown us, in front of the firewall as well.
> 
> Each year thousands of webpages are taken offline, yet few receive legal
> review or appeal, and only a handful, like Wikileaks, receive media attention.
> In the international information arms race, authoritarian governments are
> redoubling efforts to close down open communication channels. Sign this
> petition, urging internet companies like Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, and Google
> to respond with a firm commitment to preserve the free flow of information:
> 
> https://www.accessnow.org/freedom-of-speech-for-all
> 
> Most online content is hosted on corporate-owned servers, which have
> unregulated control over what information we see and read. Following Amazon's
> decision to delete Wikileaks from its servers, internet companies are now
> reviewing which sites they host and tightening their acceptable use policies.
> 
> We may not be able to influence authoritarian states, but there are many ways
> that webhosts (often referred to as internet service providers (ISPs) and
> online service providers (OSPs)) can respect our rights in their Terms of
> Service, but they're not going to change their ways unless there's a global
> public outcry urging them to do so. Take action now by signing this petition:
> 
> https://www.accessnow.org/freedom-of-speech-for-all
> 
> The Tunisian government blocked YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion but protestors
> were still able to use Facebook and Twitter to organize and spread information
> about the grassroots movement for democracy. The Egyptian government has just
> blocked Twitter while thousands of protestors are on the streets demonstrating
> for democracy and reform.
> 
> We can help keep the internet open and support freedom movements around the
> world, but only if we stand together as users and demand our right to
> information. Join us by signing this petition, and we'll deliver it to the
> largest internet companies:
> 
> https://www.accessnow.org/freedom-of-speech-for-all
> 
> In 2010, we fought against the sale of surveillance technologies to repressive
> regimes; called upon the top 100 most trafficked websites to protect our
> security by implementing HTTPS by default; and supported technologies that
> allow activists to securely connect to the internet. Now, let's take the fight
> for digital freedom to the online service providers who singlehandedly control
> what can be said on the internet. Sign here:
> 
> https://www.accessnow.org/freedom-of-speech-for-all
> 
> With hope,
> The Access Team
> 
> 

------ End of Forwarded Message


____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     governance at lists.cpsr.org
To be removed from the list, visit:
     http://www.igcaucus.org/unsubscribing

For all other list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance
To edit your profile and to find the IGC's charter, see:
     http://www.igcaucus.org/

Translate this email: http://translate.google.com/translate_t