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By: Jillian C. York
Date: 17 Jun 2010
Turkey’s Internet censorship hit the news this week when the country’s own president raised his objections to the policy on Twitter. Yaman Akdeniz explains the state’s recent struggles with Google and YouTube
Access to YouTube has been blocked from Turkey since a May 2008 order by an Ankara court. The order was issued because of 10 video clips involving defamatory statements and images about the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. These clips were deemed illegal under Law No. 5816 — “Crimes Against Atatürk”. Access to such content can be blocked under Law No 5651 — “Regulation of Publications on the Internet and Suppression of Crimes Committed by Means of Such Publication” — which came into force in November 2007.
Since then access to a considerable number of websites has been blocked in Turkey. In January 2010, a report by the OSCE on Turkey and Internet Censorship documented that 3,700 Internet websites are blocked. Miklos Haraszti, the then OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, asked the Turkish authorities to bring Turkey’s Internet law in line with OSCE commitments and other international standards on freedom of expression. Haraszti argued that the law, by blocking access to entire websites, paralysed access to numerous modern file sharing and social networks. The current number of blocked websites is estimated to be around 5,000.
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By: Jillian C. York
Date: 17 Jun 2010
As succeeding presidential administrations and leaders in the Pentagon devote increasing resources to defending U.S. computer networks and planning for potential cyber warfare, some observers are questioning whether the cyber threat has been overstated.
While risks do exist, they say, most of them don't truly rise to the level of war. And framing the debate in war terms could provide justification for the U.S. intelligence community to assert greater authority over what people can do on the Internet, they argue.
But those who warn of the country's cyber vulnerabilities argue that criminals, hackers and other nations pose a great threat to disrupt and destroy the data networks the U.S. relies on so heavily — and strong defenses are essential.
Four experts recently gathered to explore both sides of the issue in an Oxford-style debate on the motion "The Cyber War Threat Has Been Grossly Exaggerated" before an audience at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. The debate was the first in the Intelligence Squared U.S. series to be held outside New York City.
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By: Jillian C. York
Date: 16 Jun 2010
Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) -- Police in Indonesia were on Monday investigating video clips that allegedly show three celebrities taking part in sex acts. The images, spreading online and via cellphones, have shocked the modest Muslim nation.
Following police raids on Internet cafes and schools where the videos may have been viewed, the scandal has also sparked concerns over freedom of speech and attempts to punish immorality.
One of the videos allegedly features pop singer Nazril Ilham, better known as Ariel, with his girlfriend Luna Maya, a model and TV journalist who interviewed Hillary Clinton on her show "Dahsyat" during the U.S. secretary of state's visit to Indonesia last year.
Another video allegedly shows sex scenes between Ariel and Cut Tari, a soap opera star and TV journalist.
All three celebrities have publicly denied appearing in the tapes, saying the people in the footage just looked like them. They could not be reached for further comment.
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By: Jillian C. York
Date: 16 Jun 2010
The concept of government-backed web censorship is usually associated with nations where human rights and freedom of speech are routinely curtailed. But if Canberra's plans for a mandatory Internet filter go ahead, Australia may soon become the first Western democracy to join the ranks of Iran, China and a handful of other nations where access to the Internet is restricted by the state.
Plans for a mandatory Internet filter have been a long-term subject of controversy since they were first announced by Stephen Conroy, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, in May 2008 as part of an $106 million "cybersafety plan." The plan's stated purpose is to protect children when they go online by preventing them from stumbling on illegal material like child pornography. To do this, Conroy's Ministry has recommended blacking out about 10,000 websites deemed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to be so offensive that they are categorized as 'RC,' or Refused Classification.
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By: Jillian C. York
Date: 16 Jun 2010
Google Inc is working with U.S. and European officials to build a case that would argue Internet censorship acts as a trade barrier, a top company executive said Friday.
Google shut down its mainland Chinese-language portal earlier this year over censorship concerns and a cyber attack it said it traced to China.
China has the world's largest number of Internet users and while the market has boomed, Beijing has kept a tight grip over sensitive content on subjects like politics and ethnic unrest.
Robert Boorstin, Google's director of corporate and policy communications, said the company is working with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the State Department, Commerce Department and European officials to build a case to take to the World Trade Organization.
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By: Rebekah Heacock
Date: 11 Jun 2010
The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Rwandan authorities today to provide information as to why the Web site of newspaper Umuvugizi is inaccessible in the run-up to August presidential elections. The state-run Rwanda News Agency reported on June 3 that the Web site of Umuvugizi, a leading private paper known for its critical coverage of the government, could not be opened on the networks of the country’s only Internet service providers.
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By: Sarah Hamdi
Date: 10 Jun 2010
The international media group Reporters Without Borders says during the past year, at least 170 journalists and bloggers have been arrested in Iran, and 22 have been sentenced to jail terms totaling more than 135 years.
Memarian says it has become riskier than ever in Iran to write and criticize the government.
"They have filtered the Internet," he said. "They have even sentenced those who have sent text messages to their friends. So, they have tried to dominate the narrative and block the flow of information and, to some extent, they have been successful."
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By: Rebekah Heacock
Date: 09 Jun 2010
Already under fire by rights groups for restricting Internet access for its citizens, Turkey’s government has opened itself to more criticism by saying YouTube owes Ankara millions of dollars in taxes – even though the website is banned in the country.
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By: Sarah Hamdi
Date: 08 Jun 2010
Version 1.2.0 of the Internet censorship circumvention software alkasir has been launched today and is currently accessible directly on the web at https://alkasir.com. The new version, according to its developer Walid Al-Saqaf, has numerous new features compared to the first version originally released a year ago. Among the most notable new features is its multilingual interface (Arabic/English) as well as its built-in browser, which can be used most effectively to open blocked websites. “It is based on the Mozilla Gecko engine and is hence expected to open most websites without much trouble,” Al-Saqaf said.
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By: Sarah Hamdi
Date: 08 Jun 2010
Last week the Telecommunications Ministry began implementing the short-sighted telecoms law to the letter: It activated new hardware and software equipment to enforce the ban on VoIP communications. The new equipment, which was tested in recent months, now effectively blocks internet telephony for good.
As a consequence, part of my office-to-office business communications and videoconferencing with companies outside and inside Lebanon have come to a halt. And this is probably the case with many others, such as telemarketing centers, outbound support centers, and businesses that also use VoIP.
