Welcome:
Login
|
Sign Up
|
About CircleID
Follow:
|
|
|
Let's say that providing communications infrastructure is an inherent function of a state. Most people think of the internet as a telephone system, and most people think the telephone companies aren't supposed to choose which calls will go through based on their content. People think that because they think internet access, like telephone access, is a utility -- like electricity conduit, water pipes, etc. -- that has something to do with the government, and the government isn't supposed to discriminate. more
I've been reading the kerfuffle around Comcast's blocking of various random network protocols with interest. Whilst I remain convinced that blanket "network neutrality" legislation remains just a form of digital gripe water (cures colic for cybernauts), there's clearly a problem. As I previously alluded there's a definite consumer protection issue over what you buy when it says 'Internet' on the tin. So here's tuppence worth of additional input... more
ICANN's travelling circus is meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico this week. One of the main subjects of discussion has been the introduction of new generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs), after a GNSO Report [PDF] proposed 19 "Recommendations" for criteria these new domain strings should meet -- including morality tests and "infringement" oppositions. ...It's important to keep ICANN from being a censor, or from straying beyond its narrow technical mandate. The thick process described in the GNSO report would be expensive, open to "hecklers' vetos," and deeply political... ICANN should aim for a "stupid core"... more
The Internet Governance Project has joined free-expression advocacy organizations Reporters Without Borders and Article 19 to push for including Internet censorship and filtering problems on the agenda of the first meeting of the new Internet Governance Forum (IGF), a multistakeholder deliberation body created by the World Summit on the Information Society... more
Iran is finalizing a nationwide internet isolation system that would allow authorities to disconnect from the global web, as protests continue and external equipment sources, including Huawei, remain shrouded in secrecy. more
Iran has imposed a sweeping internet blackout amid nationwide protests, disrupting even Starlink satellite service. The move marks a new level of digital repression, raising fears of an impending crackdown shielded from global view. more
Despite deep geopolitical divides, the WSIS+20 outcome document was adopted by consensus, preserving a multistakeholder vision for the digital future while deferring controversial issues to a time more conducive to progress. more
ICANN is finalising a policy to curb DNS abuse, aiming to preserve internet stability while defending freedom of expression. With regulatory pressure mounting, the multistakeholder model faces a critical test. more
In a striking admonition issued on August 21st, Andrew Ferguson, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), cautioned over a dozen major technology firms against bowing to foreign demands that compromise American users' data security or freedom of speech. more
China briefly disconnected from much of the global internet for over an hour on Wednesday, following a disruption traced to the country's "Great Firewall." According to activist group Great Firewall Report, the outage began at 12:34 a.m. Beijing time and lasted until 1:48 a.m. on August 20. more
A smartphone smuggled out of North Korea has revealed the alarming extent of digital surveillance enforced by the Kim regime. Though it resembles a modern Android device, the software within tells a darker story: every five minutes, the phone covertly captures screenshots, storing them in an inaccessible folder for later state inspection. more
The i2Coalition has unveiled a new report and website, DNS at Risk, spotlighting the growing misuse of Internet infrastructure by governments to control online content. Released on June 3rd, the initiative documents how states are increasingly deploying DNS resolvers and IP filtering—originally neutral systems—as tools of censorship and enforcement. more
Ukrainian authorities have arrested a 28-year-old man in Khmelnytskyi for running an illicit virtual private network (VPN) service that enabled access to the Russian segment of the internet, known as Runet. more
Apple has reportedly removed nearly 60 VPN apps from its Russia App Store, significantly higher than the 25 VPNs acknowledged by Russian authorities, according to a recent report by the App Censorship Project. more
As of September 6, Brazilians caught using VPNs to access Elon Musk's social media platform X will face fines of up to 50,000 reais ($8,943.74) per day, despite false claims online suggesting otherwise. more
A World-Renowned Source for Internet Developments. Serving Since 2002.