Things are taking the worst possible of turns...<br><div class="gmail_quote"><div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5"><div><br></div><div><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Lauren Weinstein</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:lauren@vortex.com" target="_blank">lauren@vortex.com</a>></span><br>
Date: 15 July 2013 03:35<br>Subject: [ NNSquad ] Touting Snowden, Russia Again Demands UN Takeover of Internet<br>To: <a href="mailto:nnsquad@nnsquad.org" target="_blank">nnsquad@nnsquad.org</a><br><br><br><br>
Touting Snowden, Russia Again Demands UN Takeover of Internet<br>
<br>
<a href="http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/001057.html" target="_blank">http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/001057.html</a><br>
<br>
<br>
It was only late last year that freedom-loving Internet users around<br>
the world were transfixed with concern regarding a possible United<br>
Nations takeover of the Internet -- largely pushed by Russia and other<br>
repressive regimes.<br>
<br>
A massive effort to fight back against this was triggered, including<br>
this strong campaign by Google, which I supported:<br>
<br>
<a href="http://j.mp/11PbHgQ" target="_blank">http://j.mp/11PbHgQ</a> ("Take Action" / Google)<br>
<br>
The threat from the UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU)<br>
was fought back for the moment -- and we all gave a sigh of relief.<br>
<br>
But now, in a clear demonstration that actions do have consequences,<br>
often unintended ones, "The New York Times" reports that Russia is<br>
again demanding a UN Internet takeover of exactly the sort repressive<br>
governments around the world have long been lusting after, and using<br>
Edward Snowden's continued presence in Russia as a foundation for this<br>
new thrust. ( <a href="http://j.mp/11PbN8j" target="_blank">http://j.mp/11PbN8j</a> )<br>
<br>
Acting as a catalyst for a crackdown against freedom of speech on the<br>
Net was certainly not Snowden's intention -- quite the opposite, it's<br>
reasonable to assume.<br>
<br>
But even many of Snowden's most dedicated supporters have seemed<br>
increasingly uneasy at his continuing presence in Russia, under at<br>
least the putative control of Putin -- in a country where you can<br>
spend years in a forced labor camp prison for the crime of blasphemy,<br>
and where freedom of speech is still largely an unfulfilled dream.<br>
<br>
And while Snowden's supporters and Snowden himself suggest -- with<br>
considerable merit -- that the focus should be on global intelligence<br>
agencies and not on Snowden himself, the fact is that the way events<br>
have unfolded, Snowden has become the center of attention, and<br>
continues to be in the spotlight.<br>
<br>
This puts him -- we can assume unwillingly -- in something of the<br>
position of an "international pawn" to be played by the various powers<br>
with their complex agendas, like icebergs, mostly hidden below the<br>
surface.<br>
<br>
It may well be the case that Snowden saw no practical alternative<br>
other than fleeing to Russia and asking for asylum there. This course<br>
of action may yet well serve his needs.<br>
<br>
But it would be naive for anyone -- for any of us -- to assume that<br>
Russia would not attempt to leverage a situation like this for their<br>
own purposes of Internet control. Whether or not they succeed is a<br>
wholly different question, and all of us will have a say in that, one<br>
way or another.<br>
<br>
Yes, planned or not, incidental or not, actions do have consequences,<br>
and it would be ironic indeed if Edward Snowden's stated quest to<br>
promote the cause of freedom around the world, had the unintentional<br>
effect of helping to crush Internet freedoms at the hands of his<br>
benefactors of the moment.<br>
<br>
--Lauren--<br>
Lauren Weinstein (<a href="mailto:lauren@vortex.com" target="_blank">lauren@vortex.com</a>): <a href="http://www.vortex.com/lauren" target="_blank">http://www.vortex.com/lauren</a><br>
Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: <a href="http://www.pfir.org/pfir-info" target="_blank">http://www.pfir.org/pfir-info</a><br>
Founder:<br>
- Network Neutrality Squad: <a href="http://www.nnsquad.org" target="_blank">http://www.nnsquad.org</a><br>
- PRIVACY Forum: <a href="http://www.vortex.com/privacy-info" target="_blank">http://www.vortex.com/privacy-info</a><br>
- Data Wisdom Explorers League: <a href="http://www.dwel.org" target="_blank">http://www.dwel.org</a><br>
- Global Coalition for Transparent Internet Performance: <a href="http://www.gctip.org" target="_blank">http://www.gctip.org</a><br>
Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy<br>
Lauren's Blog: <a href="http://lauren.vortex.com" target="_blank">http://lauren.vortex.com</a><br>
Google+: <a href="http://vortex.com/g+lauren" target="_blank">http://vortex.com/g+lauren</a> / Twitter: <a href="http://vortex.com/t-lauren" target="_blank">http://vortex.com/t-lauren</a><br>
Tel: <a href="tel:%2B1%20%28818%29%20225-2800" value="+18182252800" target="_blank">+1 (818) 225-2800</a> / Skype: <a href="http://vortex.com" target="_blank">vortex.com</a><br>
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