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[Sheflug] Fwd: They want to ââââââ the Internet
I don't imagine these petitions do much good, but I guess it can't
hurt. I fear the pressure from many sides (repressive governments,
anti porn, worry about kids being groomed, usage by terrorists, etc)
is going to kill off our free internet eventually.
Cheers, Jan
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: They want to ââââââ the Internet
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2012 08:55:51 -0500
From: Pascal V - Avaaz.org <avaaz@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Jan.White@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <Jan.White@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Dear Avaazers,
<http://www.avaaz.org/en/hands_off_our_internet_i/?byrvBdb&v=20011>
*Authoritarian regimes are pushing for governmental control over the
internet in a binding global treaty.* If they succeed, the internet
could become less open, more costly and much slower. We've stopped
threats like this before, and we can again -- but only with a massive
global outcry. *Sign the petition and share* with everyone you know:
Sign the petition
<http://www.avaaz.org/en/hands_off_our_internet_i/?byrvBdb&v=20011>
Right now at a UN meeting in Dubai, *authoritarian regimes are pushing
for full governmental control of the Internet in a binding global
treaty* -- if they succeed, the internet could become less open, more
costly and much slower. We have only 2 days to stop them.
The Internet has been an amazing example of people power -- *allowing us
to connect, speak out and pressure leaders like never before.* That's
largely because it's been governed to date by users and non-profits and
not governments. But now countries like Russia, China and United Arab
Emirates are trying to rewrite a major telecom treaty called the ITR to
bring the Internet under its control -- the web would then be shaped by
government interests and not by us, the users. *Tim Berners Lee, one of
the "fathers of the Internet," has warned that this could increase
censorship online and invade our privacy.* But if we object with a
massive people-powered petition, we can strengthen the hand of countries
fighting this power grab.
We have stopped attacks like this before and can do it again before the
treaty text is locked this week. A wave of opposition to a new ITR is
already building -- *sign the petition to tell governments hands off our
Internet!* and then forward this email to everyone you know -- when we
hit 1 million signers, it'll be delivered straight to the delegates at
this cozy meeting:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/hands_off_our_internet_i/?byrvBdb&v=20011
<http://www.avaaz.org/en/hands_off_our_internet_i/?byrvBdb&v=20011>
The meeting to update the ITR (International Telecommunication
Regulations) is being convened by a UN body called the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU). Normally, it wouldn't merit much
attention, but *Russia, China, Saudi Arabia and others are trying to use
the meeting to increase government control* of the Internet through
proposals that would allow for access to be cut off more easily,
threaten privacy, legitimize monitoring and traffic-blocking, and
introduce new fees to access content online.
At the moment, our Internet has no central regulatory body, but various
non-profit organisations work together to manage different
technological, commercial and political interests to allow the Internet
to run. The current model is certainly not without its flaws. *US
dominance and corporate influence highlight the need for reform,* but
changes should not be dictated from an opaque governments-only treaty
body. They should emerge from an open and transparent, people-powered
process -- putting the interests of us users in the center.
The ITU does extremely important work -- expanding affordable access for
poor countries and securing networks -- but it's not the right place to
make changes to how the Internet operates. Let's ensure that our
Internet stays free and governed by the public and *show the ITU and the
world that we wonât stay silent in the face of this Internet attack.
Click below to sign* and then share this email widely:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/hands_off_our_internet_i/?byrvBdb&v=20011
<http://www.avaaz.org/en/hands_off_our_internet_i/?byrvBdb&v=20011>
Avaaz members have come together before to save the free web -- and won.
More than 3 million of us demanded the US kill a bill that would have
given the government the right to shut down any website, helping push
the White House to drop its support. In the EU, the European Parliament
responded after 2.8 million of us called on them to drop ACTA, another
threat to the free net. Together, now we can do it again.
With hope,
Pascal, Ian, Paul, Luca, Caroline, Ricken, Kya and the rest of the Avaaz
team
SOURCES
Cerf and Berners Lee Criticize ITU Conference (IT Pro Portal):
http://www.itproportal.com/2012/12/05/sir-tim-berners-lee-joins-criticism-of-un-internet-regulation-talks/#ixzz2EDlH06f5
ITU and Google face off at Dubai conference over future of the internet
(Guardian):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/dec/03/telecoms-unitednations
Keep the Internet Open (New York Times):
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/25/opinion/keep-the-internet-open.html?_r=1&;
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/25/opinion/keep-the-internet-open.html?_r=1&;>
Proposal for global regulation of web (Financial Times):
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/1b114d8c-422e-11e2-bb3a-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2EdnmBAXI
Who controls the Internet? (Guardian):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/oct/17/who-rules-internet
*Support the Avaaz Community!*
We're entirely funded by donations and receive no money from governments
or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even the smallest
contributions go a long way.
<https://secure.avaaz.org/en/donate_to_avaaz_gc/?cl=2262784071&v=20011>
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