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US Eases Internet Export Rules To Iran, Sudan, Cuba
coondoggie writes "Looking to facilitate what it calls free speech rights in countries that don't look favorably at such liberties, the US government today said it would ease the regulations around exporting Internet-based applications to Iran, Sudan and Cuba. Specifically, the Treasury Department said it would add general licenses (PDF) authorizing the exportation of free, personal, Internet-based communications services – such as instant messaging, chat and email, and social networking – to those three countries. The amendments also allow the exportation of related software to Iran and Sudan, the department said in a release (the US Commerce Department controls software exports with Cuba). Until now all such exports would have broken federal laws."
Sounds like a good way to gather intel on the people using this technology in these "friendly" countries.
Ocean is land, covered with water.
US now cares about freedom?
You need a license to export ?
Better add "free-speech zones" to that list.
Set your phasers on "funky"!
When will the government learn that about the only way people continue to be oppressed through governments is poverty, lack of information, and brainwashing. By allowing citizens of countries with oppressive governments to be opened to art, music, literature, communication and visitors from the "free" world, it will inspire citizens to rebel. Selfishness is a virtue, it helps keep a sane government if there is at least some communication with the outside world. If we would flood Cuba with American tourists, artists, musicians, and brought them computers, cell phones, etc. chances are the dictatorship would fall (mostly because Cuba is well within travel distance from the US, and while some other "free" countries allow travel/etc to Cuba like Canada, they lack the -very- close distance).
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
had you realized to do that sooner, like maybe 10 years ago, a lot might have changed in those countries by now.
Read radical news here
Let's trade some curry and hookahs for blue jeans, and call off the war, k?
Hmm.... Our military industrial complex vs our dead textile industry. I wonder which will set policy.
"Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
This is nice, guys, but when are we going to get rid of the brain-dead(*) restrictions on encryption software, already? As governments and ISPs all over the world have been demonstrating over the past few years, increasing computer power means it is steadily becoming easier to spy on and censor Internet users. To enable truly free communication in the face of a repressive government requires people to defend themselves, through anonymity software such as Tor, Freenet, and I2P, not to mention strong web and email encryption. If the US wants to encourage freedom of speech, it should be promoting the distribution of these technologies, not outlawing their export.
Well, we can hope. This seems to be a small step in the right direction.
(*) Yes, brain-dead; you'd have to be an idiot to think these restrictions do anything to keep encryption software out of terrorists' hands. All they accomplish is to make it more difficult for ordinary citizens of, say, Iran, to protect themselves from their government.
"Trade Iran's government into a needy, third-world leech."
Looking at the direction of the flow of wealth, third-world nations are not the leeches.