Stop Censorships

Obama Pushing National Internet ID To Surf the Web

The Obama administration is creating an “identity ecosystem” on the Internet that some say will lead to government-issued IDs necessary to browse the web.

The process, if approved, would reportedly replace all personalized passwords on “sensitive” accounts with one form of ID. The federal government and many private companies says it’s needed to fix the problem of having multiple passwords for multiple sites. The government also says it will be safer – a claim with which critics disagree.

A pilot program is set to being this month.

The so-called biometric ID card has some concerned that a backdoor for government regulation and monitoring of the Internet would be created and an individual’s online presence would be linked to any government services they receive.

The White House’s National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC) plan would reportedly replace the current Internet passwords process involving sensitive online accounts. For now, it would be voluntary, but critics say the idea is scary and the rollout a disaster. For instance, if the government begins requiring and ID to e-file tax returns or to apply for government benefits, then it essentially would become mandatory for most people.

“The original proposal was quick to point out that this isn’t a federally mandated national ID,” wrote Motherboard journalist Meghan Neal. “But if successful, it could pave the way for an interoperable authentication protocol that works for any website, from your Facebook account to your health insurance company. A scary can of worms to open.” Read More!

The UK is moving dangerously close to internet censorship and we need your help to stop it!

Recently the Government, with the help of religious lobby groups, has persuaded ISP’s to introduce an internet filter across the UK. By default, your ISP can decide what you can or can't see online, unless you request otherwise.

It’s a bad idea that doesn’t work, is dangerous for internet freedom and could give parents a false sense of security when it comes to their children’s use of the internet.

We need your help to launch a campaign to make the UK public aware of this important issue. It will be led by a funny and pointed video that will show people why this filter is bad for them and their families.

It’s been developed by the advertising creatives who were behind the campaign that helped kill off plans for an internet filter in Australia. The Australian Prime Minister of the time even admitted as much!

We need your help to raise £12,000 to get this campaign off the ground. So if this is an issue that is important to you, please donate now and help us raise awareness about internet filtering in the UK!Read More!

Internet censorship leaves few good options

Internet censorship has been a popular debate in recent years, and only continues to be prevalent in the news.

For the uninitiated, the government has been relentlessly trying to push online piracy and copyright bills through Congress. Among these were SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act), PIPA (Protect IP Act) and COICA (Combatting Online Infringement and Copyright Act).

Fortunately they’ve all been unsuccessful, in large part because of enormous online campaigns that fought them. Why lawmakers have been so tenacious, especially after the reaction we gave SOPA, is frankly beyond me.

These bills, while obviously aimed at fighting piracy, often have vague descriptions that could lead to massive collateral damage. For example, the popular file-hosting site Megaupload was taken down in early 2012 on piracy allegations.

Was everything on the site pirated? Clearly not, but the people who push these bills don’t seem to care. As long as the pirated content is off the web, they’re happy. Additionally, these bills’ provisions often allow for non-copyright related content (political and other speech) to be taken down at the behest of a simple notice.Read More!

Magid: A taste of Turkish Internet censorship

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Today's column was supposed to be about alternatives to the broken user-name and password systems, but as I was doing my research, I hit upon an obstacle that required me to change topics.

I had planned to comment on a report about a security flaw in Samsung's recently released Galaxy S5 phone that enabled hackers to bypass the phone's fingerprint recognition system. According to several press reports, researchers at SR Labs had posted a video on YouTube showing how they were able to unlock the phone using a mold of a real fingerprint. But, when I clicked on a link to view the video I saw instead a message telling me that YouTube was being blocked based on "subparagraph 4 of article 8 of law number 5651."

You see, I was working from a hotel room last week in Istanbul, where the Turkish government has blocked access to YouTube. The government had earlier blocked Twitter, but the ban was lifted by court order. A court also ordered that YouTube access be restored, but according to Reuters, the government has decided to defy that order. Read More!

Turkey"s Erdogan: One of World"s Most Determined Internet Censors

ISTANBUL—Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rode around Google Inc. headquarters last spring in the company's self-driving car, tried on Google Glass eyewear and vowed to keep digitizing the economy in the country he has ruled since 2003.

Since then, the 60-year-old Mr. Erdogan has turned his democratically elected government into one of the world's most determined Internet censors.

His political party passed laws letting him shut down websites without a court order and collect Web browsing data on individuals. He put a veteran spy in charge of Turkey's telecommunications regulator. View Graphics

He also has blocked dozens of websites. Twitter Inc. was banned for two weeks in late March and early April, and Google's YouTube video-sharing service has been dark since March 27. An opposition newspaper columnist and academic was sentenced Tuesday to 10 months in jail for a tweet that insulted the prime minister, while 29 defendants are on trial on allegations that include using tweets to organize protests and foment unrest last year.

"Let people say whatever they want, we will take care of this ourselves," Mr. Erdogan said after blocking Twitter. Read More!

Net Neutrality: Netflix Goes Directly to the FCC as Google, Yahoo, and Other May Launch a SOPA-Style Protest

In the wake of leaks about new, weaker, Open Internet rules proposed by the Federal Communications Commission, and soon after Netflix had to pay two internet service providers for better access to their customers, Netflix has taken its concerns directly to the FCC. Meanwhile, Google, Yahoo, and other internet heavies may be planning a SOPA-like grassroots protest for net neutrality.

Netflix has now paid Comcast and Verizon for direct access to their networks, something that is pretty much unprecedented and contrary to the way the internet usually works. Feeling the pinch, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has called for a stronger version of net neutrality -- one that would protect his company and others from unreasonable interconnect fees.

But beyond the public outcry, Netflix has shown its serious about its stronger net neutrality manifesto: this week it took its concerns directly to the FCC in meetings with the agency's staff, according to a report by Reuters. Read More!