Without Borders urges Internet users and bloggers to support its
recommendations on freedom of expression
Sign the petition on :
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=16119
On 6 January, Reporters Without Borders issued six concrete proposals
aimed at ensuring that Internet-sector companies respect free
expression when operating in repressive countries. The organisation
calls on bloggers and Internet user to sign an online petition in
support of this initiative.
These recommendations will be addressed to the US government and US
legislators because all the companies named in this document are based
in the United States. Nonetheless, they concern all democratic
countries and have therefore will be sent to European Union officials
and to the Secretary General of the OECD as well.
Reporters Without Borders’ proposals
– E-mail services:
e-mail servers within a repressive country*. So, if the authorities of
a repressive country want personal information about the user of a US
company’s e-mail service, they would have to request it under a
procedure supervised by US judicial authorities .
– Search engines:
Search engines would not be allowed to incorporate automatic filters
that censor "protected" words. The list of "protected"
keywords such as "democracy" or "human rights" should be
appended to the law or code of conduct.<!–
D(["mb","
\n
\n- Content hosts (websites, blogs, discussion forums etc)
\nUS companies would not be allowed to locate their host servers within\nrepressive countries. If the authorities of a repressive country\ndesire the closure of a publication hosted by a US company, they would\nhave to request it under a procedure supervised by the US judicial\nauthorities. Like search engines, content hosts would not be allowed\nto incorporate automatic filters that censor "protected"\nkey-words.
\n
\n- Internet censorship technologies
\nReporters Without Borders proposes two options:
\n
\nOption a: US companies would no longer be permitted to sell Internet\ncensorship software to repressive states.
\n
\nOption b: They would still be able to market this type of software but\nit will have to incorporate a list of "protected" keywords that\nare rendered technically impossible to censor.
\n
\n- Internet surveillance technology and equipment
\nUS companies would have to obtain the express permission of the\nDepartment of Commerce in order to sell to a repressive country any\ntechnology or equipment which can be used to intercept electronic\ncommunications or which is specifically designed to assist the\nauthorities in monitoring Internet users.
\n
\n- Training
\nUS companies would have to obtain the express permission of the\nDepartment of Commerce before providing any programme of training in\nInternet surveillance and censorship techniques in a repressive\ncountry.
\n
\n* A list of countries that repress freedom of expression would be\ndrawn up on the basis of documents provided by the US State Department\nand would be appended to the code of conduct or law that is adopted.\nThis list would be regularly updated.
\n
\nNote: The purpose of these recommendations is to protect freedom of\nexpression. They in no way aim to restrict the necessary cooperation\nbetween governments in their efforts to combat terrorism, paedophilia\nand cyber-crime.”,1]
);
//–>
– Content hosts (websites, blogs, discussion forums etc)
US companies would not be allowed to locate their host servers within
repressive countries. If the authorities of a repressive country
desire the closure of a publication hosted by a US company, they would
have to request it under a procedure supervised by the US judicial
authorities. Like search engines, content hosts would not be allowed
to incorporate automatic filters that censor "protected"
key-words.
– Internet censorship technologies
Reporters Without Borders proposes two options:
Option a: US companies would no longer be permitted to sell Internet
censorship software to repressive states.
Option b: They would still be able to market this type of software but
it will have to incorporate a list of "protected" keywords that
are rendered technically impossible to censor.
– Internet surveillance technology and equipment
US companies would have to obtain the express permission of the
Department of Commerce in order to sell to a repressive country any
technology or equipment which can be used to intercept electronic
communications or which is specifically designed to assist the
authorities in monitoring Internet users.
– Training
US companies would have to obtain the express permission of the
Department of Commerce before providing any programme of training in
Internet surveillance and censorship techniques in a repressive
country.
* A list of countries that repress freedom of expression would be
drawn up on the basis of documents provided by the US State Department
and would be appended to the code of conduct or law that is adopted.
This list would be regularly updated.
Note: The purpose of these recommendations is to protect freedom of
expression. They in no way aim to restrict the necessary cooperation
between governments in their efforts to combat terrorism, paedophilia
and cyber-crime.<!–
D(["mb","
\n
\nSign the petition on :
\nhttp://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article\u003d16119
\n
\nMore information about this initiative :
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\nSignez la pétition sur :
\n
\n
\nReporters sans frontières a publié, le 6 janvier, six\npropositions concrètes pour garantir que les entreprises du\nsecteur d\’Internet respectent la liberté d\’expression lorsqu\’elles\nopèrent dans des pays répressifs. L\’organisation appelle les\nbloggers et les internautes à signer une pétition en ligne pour\napporter leur soutien à cette initiative.
\n
\nCes recommandations et la liste des pétitionnaires seront\nadressées au gouvernement et aux élus américains, car toutes\nles entreprises mises en cause dans ce document sont basées aux\nEtats-unis. Elles concernent toutefois l\’ensemble des pays\ndémocratiques et seront ainsi transmises également au secrétaire\ngénéral de l\’OCDE et aux responsables de l\’Union européenne.
\n
\nLes propositions de Reporters sans frontières
\n
\n– Les services d\’e-mail :
\nLes entreprises américaines ne seraient pas autorisées à\nhéberger des serveurs d\’e-mail sur le territoire d\’un pays\nrépressif*. Ainsi, si les autorités d\’un pays répressif\nsouhaitent obtenir des informations personnelles concernant\nl\’utilisateur d\’un service de mail commercialisé par une entreprise\naméricaine, elles devraient le faire dans le cadre d\’une procédure\nsupervisée par la justice américaine.”,1]
);
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Sign the petition on :
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=16119
More information about this initiative :
Yan Sham-Shackleton Online 