BATTLE FOR THE INTERNET Google’s Sergey Brin: state filtering of dissent threatens web freedom

Day 3 Guardian 7 day series Battle for the Internet


Google’s Sergey Brin: state filtering of dissent threatens web freedom


Charles Arthur, Guardian 18 April 2012

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BATTLE FOR THE INTERNET Tim Berners-Lee urges government to stop the snooping bill

Guardian series: day 2: Battle of the Internet


Tim Berners-Lee urges government to stop the snooping bill


–Exclusive: Extension of surveillance powers ‘a destruction of human rights’


Ian Katz, Guardian, 17 April 2012

Selling You on Facebook

Selling You on Facebook

–Many popular Facebook apps are obtaining sensitive information about users—and users’ friends—so don’t be surprised if details about your religious, political and even sexual preferences start popping up in unexpected places.


By Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, Shayndi Raice and Courtney Schley, WSJ, 8 April 2012

Facebook and Twitter Aren’t Pro-Revolution, Professor Says

Facebook and Twitter Aren’t Pro-Revolution, Professor Says


Jakob Schiller, Wired, 2 December 2011


Democracy, Capitalism and Technology


David Correira, Counterpunch, 4-6 February 2011 edition

Facebook’s privacy lie: Aussie exposes ‘tracking’ as new patent uncovered

Facebook’s privacy lie: Aussie exposes ‘tracking’ as new patent uncovered


Asher Moses, Sydney Morning Herald, 4 October 2011

Facebook secretly hands over private user data to law enforcement

Facebook secretly hands over private user data to law enforcement


Andrew Couts, Digital Trends, 12 July 2011


5 page Facebook guidelines dated 2008

Facebook Watch: Privacy Group Files FTC Complaint Over Facial Recognition

Facebook Watch: Privacy Group Files FTC Complaint Over Facial Recognition


By D J Pangburn, death+taxes, 14 June 2011


–Wikileaks’ Julian Assange has called Facebook “the most appalling spy machine that has ever been created.” Now the social media giant has installed facial recognition feature on the site. Here’s how to disable it.

Start a Revolution With Your Personal Tech

Start a Revolution With Your Personal Tech


–If you happen to be planning the overthrow of a corrupt regime–whether it’s the national ruling party or the board of your Homeowners Association–your personal tech and Twitter account can be your best co-conspirators.


Patrick Miller and David Daw, PC World, 22 March 2011

#Internet #Egypt ~ How Egypt Killed the Internet [http://on.wsj.com/hMdA4J [http://bit.ly/hH4AnD]

How Egypt Killed the Internet


Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, Wall Street Journal, 29 Jan 2011




side-comment

The man who pooh-poohs social media in his book The Net Delusion, but who is himself a master of their use to promote his very book, asks in a Tweet if Egypt will be appointing a Minister for Twitter and FaceBook. I wrote a general reply to him with a #evgenymorozov (he is not following me) suggesting they may also be thinking about a Minister for Vodaphone – the Egyptian government shut down the whole mobile network as well as tampering with the social media.

#INTERNET ~ Egypt down : world first as nation blacks out [http://bit.ly/ecqihW]

Egypt down: world first as nation blacks out
ZDnet, 28 Jan 2011

The WDIK column
This is very interesting: it shows that Egypt is even more authoritarian than Tunisia was. Both countries rely heavily on U.S. dosh, Egypt to the tune of $1.2B, probably a lot in the form of armaments. Both countries roped in to be a bulwark against Islamic terrorism, both possibly involved, in return for dosh, in extra-ordinary rendition: Egypt certainly so.

Hillary Clinton has gone on TV to urge restraint, that the Egyptian government not resort to shooting people in the streets. Well of course she has: the American’s don’t want anyone to draw attention to the Egyptian military relying so heavily on U.S. armaments, and using said to repress its own people. And certainly not that Egyptian doctors be digging out small arms rounds from protesters with Made in the U.S.A on them.

But at the same time the Obama administration will be squirming because all this shows that the American armaments and aviation industries rely heavily on selling their goodies to repressive regimes. Keeping the U.S. economy heathly on the backs of the freedom of billions of non-Americans. Take Indonesia. Take Saudi Arabia. It really behoves U.S. politicians to rein in idle talk of democracy and freedom.

Even more funny is the request that Egypt does not close down the Internet and mobile networks to stop the protesters communicating. Particularly since that was what was in the minds of many in the U.S. government in reaction to the Wikileaks crisis. They asked Internet companies such as Amazon to shut down servers connected to WikLeaks! But of course, there is bound to be some highly paid official in the U.S. who is now pointing out that Twitter and FaceBook are multi-billion dollar American businesses and must not be shut down by foreign governments willy-nilly!