Stories about Internet governance from December, 2012
China Introduces New Rules to Tighten Government's Grip Over the Internet
On Friday, December 28, China's legislature approved a new set of rules intended to tighten government control over the Internet, forcing internet and online service providers to require real name registration from all their users. What do Chinese netizens think of the new regulations? What are the implications of the these new measures?
What does the WCIT really mean for Internet users?
The World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) in Dubai failed to reach consensus last Thursday, leaving many delegates frustrated after nearly two weeks of intense negotiations. The final text of the treaty will not drastically change the state of Internet policy for the world, but it could push us further in the direction of a fractured network where user experiences differ substantially from country to country.
China: Government Willingness to Expand Control Over Internet Worries Netizens
A series of articles published by state-run media outlets that justifies online real-name registration and cracking down of cyber crimes makes Chinese netizens worried about the beginning of a new wave of campaign against online dissent.
Right to Forget: Between Data Protection, Memory and Personal Life in the Digital Era
A new essay from the Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information addresses the question of the "right to forget," one that might give back to individuals the control over their own information and, additionally, free them from their “digital past”.
What Happened at the WCIT-12: Interview With Beatriz Busaniche
The World Conference on International Telecommunications has just ended in Dubai, UAE. Beatriz Busaniche from Fundacion Vida Libre, Argentina, explains what was at stake at the UN-sponsored meeting.
Pakistan's Fight for Net Freedom
It’s been an active year for digital activism on Internet freedom in Pakistan. The fact that the United Nations deemed it a basic universal human right has not stopped authorities in Pakistan from clamping down on the world wide web in many different ways and by various means.
Human Rights Day: Defending Free Expression, Online and Off
If we want to reap all the civic, educational, political, and economic benefits of an open Internet, human rights -- and freedom of expression in particular -- must be baked into the technology and the policies that govern its use from the very beginning. On this year's Human Rights Day, the UN has placed a spotlight on the rights of all people “to make their voices heard in public life and be included in political decision-making,” a theme particularly relevant to the Internet and its unique civic power.
The WCIT Wake-Up Call: Time To Broaden the Discussion on Internet Governance
World leaders are meeting in Dubai this week for the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT), and depending on whose perspective you get, the future of the entire Internet as we know it may be at stake.
Tajik Official Blocks Facebook and Summons its CEO
The chief of the state-run telecommunications service in Tajikistan has ordered Facebook blocked and asked the social network's CEO to travel to the Central Asian country and meet with him. Tajik internet users now ridicule the official.
Costa Rica: President Signs Internet Freedom Declaration
Laura Chinchilla, President of Costa Rica, signs the Declaration of Internet Freedom and calls upon the leaders of the world to "join us in preserving and nurturing this openness and freedom upon which a bright future can be built."
