Threats to the Open Net: July 29, 2011

By: Jane Abell on 29 July 2011
Posted in United States/Canada, Asia, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Europe, Legislation, Take-down, Surveillance, Data retention, Threats to the Open Net

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* On July 25, Saudi Arabia began blocking the website of INGO Amnesty International (AI), after
AI published a Saudi draft law that the organization fears will hinder free speech in the nation if implemented.

* In other censorship news, on Thursday a UK judge ordered British Telecom (BT) ISP to begin blocking access to Newzbin2, a members-only usenet search engine.

* Also in Europe, several nations, including Switzerland, Finland, Estonia and Germany, have indicated plans to increase Internet surveillance in response to the July 22 terrorist attacks in Norway. Similarly, after a meeting attended by the Polish EU Presidency, the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove, the European Commission, Europol, member states and Norwegian counter-terrorism experts on July 28 to discuss the events in Norway, European counter-terrorism forces committed to increasing Internet surveillance and monitoring of cybercrimes.

* In China, new regulations are being enforced, which require businesses that provide Internet to install a costly Web monitoring software that collects data on users and their web activity. The high price of the software--and of the fine that businesses face for failing to install it--has led many bars, restaurants, hotels, and cafes to suspend Internet access.