[governance] <nettime> riseup server seized

[John Curran]

On Apr 20, 2012, at 5:14 AM, michael gurstein wrote:
> On Behalf Of nettime's_roving_reporter
> 
>   "The FBI is using a sledgehammer approach, shutting down service to
>   hundreds of users due to the actions of one anonymous person," said
>   Devin Theriot-Orr, a spokesperson for Riseup. "This is particularly
>   misguided because there is unlikely to be any information on the server
>   regarding the source of the threatening emails."

An interesting Internet microcosm... The seizure is unlikely to make any 
meaningful difference, and yet it is also difficult for law enforcement 
to simply ignore the disruption caused to a university by dozens of bomb 
threats.

Is anonymous speech an inherent feature of the Internet, and organizations
simply have to accept the risks of receiving such threats along with other
undesirable email such as bullying and spam?  There are certainly cases of
societal benefit from anonymous email, but also large potential for abuse,
and without providing a meaningful framework on how to provide for proper
enforcement of law, it's uncertain why governments would even bother to 
consider any perceived beneficial value from anonymous email.

Complicating the situation enormously is the fact that in many cases the 
anonymity may be necessary specifically to provide a voice to those whom
governments would otherwise gag, even in countries which avow respect for
"freedom of speech".  If this were not the case, one could arrange for a 
legal framework which provided for protected identities for email users who 
do not abuse the privilege, but that obviously doesn't work when there is the
real potential for government authorities to seek the identities contrary 
to the framework...

A very challenging problem, and similar in some aspects to issues found
to Internet governance at large. If a principal-bases solution could be
be found for this one specific problem, it may provide insights into how
to deal with some challenges in the larger tapestry of Internet governance.

FYI,
/John

Disclaimer: My views alone. 100% recycled electrons used in this message.

 


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