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U.N. Realizes Internet Surveillance Chills Free Speech

Posted by Soulskill on from the last-horse-finally-crosses-the-finish-line dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports that the United Nations has finally come to the realization that there is a direct relationship between government surveillance online and citizens' freedom of expression. The report (PDF) says, 'The right to privacy is often understood as an essential requirement for the realization of the right to freedom of expression. Undue interference with individuals' privacy can both directly and indirectly limit the free development and exchange of ideas. An infringement upon one right can be both the cause and consequence of an infringement upon the other.' The EFF adds, 'La Rue's landmark report could not come at a better time. The explosion of online expression we've seen in the past decade is now being followed by an explosion of communications surveillance. For many, the Internet and mobile telephony are no longer platforms where private communication is shielded from governments knowing when, where, and with whom a communication has occurred.'"

7 of 90 comments (clear)

  1. Captain OBVIOUS by fredgiblet · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So they realized it, but the problem is that pretty much all the people in power want it that way, so nothing will change, no matter how many sternly worded letters and resolutions get introduced.

    1. Re:Captain OBVIOUS by Dunbal · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yeah they realized it. Now, it took how many people how many years and how much money to realize what everyone already knows? Ahh, you have to love bureaucracy. But just wait, they'll come up with a solution that makes everything more expensive and actually makes the problem worse instead of better.

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  2. Captain Obvious strikes again! Too bad... by CmdrEdem · · Score: 3, Insightful

    .. that UN can`t really do anything unless countries support it. Countries where governments are more and more interested in speech restriction so they can keep the shiny power!

    --
    This combination doesn`t exist: ETIs that know about humanity and want to see us dead. Otherwise we wouldn't exist.
    1. Re:Captain Obvious strikes again! Too bad... by interval1066 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      that UN can`t really do anything unless countries support it.

      The UN WON'T do anything, and acting like the UN is some kind of savior is foolish, I'm really surprised at the number of supposedly intelligent people who always want to run to the UN to solve world problems. Shall I chant the number of wars and atrocities the UN has seen fit to turn its back on over the last 40 years yet again? Maybe I'm a fool but it seems like the UN's FIRST responsibility as I read their charter is to either prevent or interceed in such matters, and your running to them to write up some kind of rules on international censorship? ~cough~

      --
      Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
  3. Re:Ah, a sternly worded letter! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    A first post means more than a sternly worded letter. At least the first post gets read and replied to.

  4. Re:Not the monitoring, it's the ACTION that matter by canadiannomad · · Score: 4, Insightful

    all efforts should be made in shaming those taking bad ACTIONS based upon collected data.

    To heck with *shaming* people who take bad actions with collected data need to be *punished*. And pretty severely at that.

    --
    Hmm, the humour and sarcasm seem to have been be lost on you.
  5. we the real anonymous will now speak by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What you have had before was fun interesting and a start to show what kids can do if given freedom and with that freedom they WILL rise up....When you persecuted , infiltrated and incarcertated those kids ....you bring us into the light....we are not the script kiddies. We are not the dumb bearded kids living in basements and with moms....no we are YOU....look around , all walks of life , all brackets of age and wealth and of every religion or non religion ....( well except scientology but cults dont count )

    We are as a associative group are of like mind and seek the freedom of all nations peoples ot live without fear of a police officer or army officer to harm them when they speak there mind....SOME speech , mostly that of hate should not be tolerated however for it is that which gives rise to the very people that have taken our civil rights and liberties. They like scientology or hitler used hate to bring you form being a individual into a hive mind so they could act for you often in ways you would abhore given more time to make your reasoning.

    THE USA for all its wealth and pwer has one main problem....it has now a rank of 31 for avg math skills.its reading isn't far off. Who needs ot read or count when you have actors and musicans and army men with automatic rifles? WELL there comesa time on earth when all this violence will be seen for what it is....just old school riuch people trying to keep there status above you all like gods or kings. The USA will ahve at obama;s end of term 21 trillion in debts.

    china will be getting close to passing it...have you seen the skies of its capital during the day....now think of L.A. during nixons time when enviromental movements began...

    what has changed.....are you better off?
    is there peacfe on earth.....ask your sleves this ....if by the odd chance some alien space craft came here and suveyed this world what would you htink if you were them?
    NO really. of all the cultures on earth we hackers get this the most. WE know that race , religion and wealth mean nothing to us....we are all equal....
    you cannot fight this....nor our curiosity to learn and know more.
    YOUR laws of copyright and patents are going to destroy us one day....and i will cry...