Reporters Without Borders Fight Web Censorship

eldavojohn writes "Yesterday Reporters Without Borders (RSF) launched a new initiative called 'Anti-Censorship Shelter' that aims to provide shelter for bloggers and Internet journalists in foreign countries who risk persecution or censorship from their local governments. RSF stated, 'At a time when online filtering and surveillance is becoming more and more widespread, we are making an active commitment to an Internet that is unrestricted and accessible to all by providing the victims of censorship with the means of protecting their online information. Never before have there been so many netizens in prison in countries such as China, Vietnam, and Iran for expressing their views freely online. Anonymity is becoming more and more important for those who handle sensitive data.' Working with Xerobank, RSF has a high-speed, devoted VPN that users can connect to that sounds like an onion router. While RSF admitted this masked address service is not foolproof, it's impressive to see an organization proactively seeking out individuals and offering them a digital shelter to protect themselves from a fate similar to that of the estimated 120 imprisoned bloggers around the world."

Comments

Journalist are considered to be foreign spies

[PolygamousRanchKid]

In the past governments' have relied on information from foreign correspondents . . . either formally or informally. Who else can just walk around asking nosy questions about stuff? Repressive governments know this, and treat every journalist that way; even accredited ones from big international news agencies.

Bloggers have a tougher lot: they are considered to be downright subversives. Ever see an old movie with a group of idealists printing anti-government fliers on a hand printing press in a dark basement? They are the bloggers of today.

This is intrinsically a very dangerous business to be in. Secret police in these states tend to be very effective.

As soon as this gets set up, I am afraid that the governments will just up the ante: try to infiltrate a false blogger, disband student organizations . . . whatever it takes to stop those presses in the basement.

So, as I applaud this initiative, I am doubtful if this will be a "silver bullet" for the problem.

And no, I don't have any other solutions, and applaud the courage of these folks.

Oh, another thing . . . governments like to slip in "legal" spies in their embassies, usually with such titles as "Under-Secretary for Agricultural Exchange", or something like that. How do you spot one of these? From The Economist, "Look for someone who is obviously much too clever for his job."