Monthly Archives: July 2017

Posted: Jul. 13, 2017 12:01 am

NEWTON -- A handful of protesters stood on the Newton Green Wednesday afternoon to urge support of free speech on the internet as part of the Day of Action for Net Neutrality.

Similar movements were happening Wednesday at numerous locations throughout the U.S. and in several other nations, according to protester Wendi Goetz of Frelinghuysen. Goetz said the Newton group is speaking on behalf of protectourinternet.org.

Goetz -- one of a group of three or four persons at the event -- used a microphone to amplify her message, speaking up when drivers were stopped at the Spring Street intersection. Signs staked into the grass read, "Protect Our Internet" and "Democracy Not Corporatocracy."

Another protester, Aaron Hyndman of White Township who is a Democratic candidate for 24th District Assembly, described net neutrality as "the principle that the internet should be a place of free and open exchange of ideas without the corporations that own the tech infrastructure regulating or charging people extra for certain types of what should be free speech to go through." Goetz, more simply, called it "the First Amendment of the internet."

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that AT&T supported the day of action, but there are still concerns about the future of net neutrality due to the influence of other large tech companies. As an example, the protesters on the green referenced Ajit Pai, the former CEO of Verizon who is now the Federal Communications Commission's chairman.

"He's chairman of the FCC, and by weighing in (on net neutrality) like he is, he's just setting it up for big corporations," said protester Elizabeth Nelson of Newton.

Goetz said this type of behavior could be detrimental to internet users in the long run.

"These chairmen are all coming from the revolving door of industry lobbyists and into our regulatory positions," she said. "They're common carriers who have used up all their subsidies and taxpayer money to get their infrastructure built on our backs, and now they want us to pay more."

If net neutrality is repealed, Goetz said, another consequence would be slower internet speed. As someone who relied on the web to help bolster support for the United States' withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership which happened shortly after President Donald Trump's inauguration Goetz is concerned about this drawback.

"I utilized the internet so people could know what I was talking about, could come join me, and we helped to flush the TPP," she said. "Fights like that, and fights for our freedom, will not be available to us if the internet is slow. Can you imagine being back in the 1990s with it reloading over and over again? No way."

Hyndman said the location of the protest was fitting given the Newton Green's history, calling it "a birthplace of democracy, of free speech and the First Amendment." He believes a repeal of net neutrality would jeopardize these three values for the sake of large corporations.

"People don't realize, because we take the internet for granted, how fundamental it is in facilitating free speech and getting us connected to all the information we need," Hyndman said. "If it becomes tiered and regulated in such a way that it puts profit over principled exchange of ideas, it's dangerous for democracy."

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Protesters urge support of free speech on internet - New Jersey Herald

Ahmed Mansoor is a human rights defender from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who was arrested in March along with four other activists. Mansoor has allegedly been subjected to years of cyberattacks through surveillance software and tools sold to the UAE by European companies including FinFisher from Germany and the Italian HackingTeam. Mansoor, the recipient of the 2015 Martin Ennals Award, an annual prize for human rights defenders, remains imprisoned.

Unfortunately he is not alone. Many other cases, perhaps lesser known but just as important, highlight the great risks faced by human rights defenders and activists around the world. These activists are often imprisoned, harassed or forced to flee because of the critical role that intrusive technology plays in enabling such abuses. This is no longer an issue that can be ignored.

Technology's role

When we speak of freedom of expression today we have to also talk about technology. Much of modern journalism and activism happens online. Blogs, social media and collaborative platforms have enabled many to reach wider audiences and bring local issues to the attention of the global community. These tools also assist in more effectively organizing protest movements and in achieving change.

The internet is an enabler, but also a hindrance to free speech, Guarnieri says

What makes the internet such a powerful technology is that it is both an instrument of liberation and a tool of oppression. It is true that in the minds of most, the internet remains a force for good and a platform of endless economic opportunity. However, it is important that we remind the citizens of the world how pervasively and systematically that same internet enables censorship and surveillance against those in society who risk the most: journalists and human rights defenders.

The ability to monitor those who dare to speak truth to power is very appealing to those who are in power. Whether by directly persecuting people through the information collected, or indirectly by installing fear of ubiquitous control, surveillance is extremely effective at curbing dissent and hindering free expression.

Who's watching?

Unfortunatelycases such as Mansoor's are increasing as more and more surveillance technologies produced by European companies are ending up in the hands of repressive governments. The human rights community has long been demanding that surveillance vendors take issues like free expression seriously, but most companies continue with business as usual.

Human rights activist Ahmed Mansoor was arrested in March in the United Arab Emirates

Electronic surveillance depends on engineering to be developed and perhaps it is these engineers that would be receptive to a dialogue about the consequences of such tools. As technology becomes inherently political, it is necessary that technologists recognize the role they play in society through the products they build. In order to foster this, schools and universities need to educate the computer scientists of tomorrow on matters of ethics and society and equip them with the right tools to determine the global human rights impact of the technologies they develop.

Today some piece of code may significantly contribute to the ability of an entire population to express themselves freely and without fear. It is then up to engineers to decide whether the fruits of their labor will benefit autocrats or activists. As a technologist and an activist, I urge all engineers to exercise their skills with conscience, empathy and solidarity.

Claudio Guarnieri is a technologist and researcher at Amnesty International, a senior research fellow with Citizen Lab, University of Toronto, and the co-founder of Security Without Borders.You can follow him on Twitter @botherder.

This commentary is a part of DW'sFreedom of Speech Project which aims to highlight voices from around the world on the topics of freedom of expression and press freedom. You can also follow the project of Facebook.

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Technology must 'foster, not hinder, free speech' - Deutsche Welle

A total of six colleges in North Carolina have recently earned the highest green light rating from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE).

East Carolina University (ECU), the latest addition to the list, earned its free speech rating following a controversial decision to allow conservative commentator Tomi Lahren to speak on campus in April.

"Shortly after I arrived on campus I realized that our free speech rights were limited to three areas."

According to FIREs press release, ECU joins 32 other colleges around the country with written policies that do not imperil student and faculty expression.

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte earned the same rating last week, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina Central University both earned green light status in May, FIRE explained, noting that Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill previously earned FIREs highest rating for campus free speech.

[RELATED: Yale students agree that their campus restricts free speech]

Giovanni Triana, chairman of ECUs Turning Point USA chapter, said the push in favor of free speech began when students in his club decided it was time to take back their first amendment rights.

Shortly after I arrived on campus I realized that our free speech rights were limited to three areas on campus, and we had to ask for permission ahead of time just to use it, Triana told Campus Reform. Meanwhile, ECUs marching band made headlines for thinking it was okay for them to kneel during the national anthem.

While Triana condemned the marching bandspolitical statement, he acknowledged that free speech couldnt be restricted by the public schools policy.

After garnering the support of the Black Student Union, the Asian Student Association, chapters of Young Americans for Liberty, and the College Republicans, my group planned to protest the speech code. The only group that didnt join us was the chapter of the College Democrats, he said. Just days before the protest, however, the administration reached out to me and offered to diplomatically come to a solution to the issue.

[RELATED: Princeton students speak out against safe spaces]

Following the administrations pledge to support free speech on college campus, the university was criticised for planning to host the conservative firebrand Tomi Lahren. Despite the pressure to cancel the event, however, ECU allowed Lahren to come to campus and speak about millennial issues, including the importance of free speech.

With the support of the student senate, ECUs speech policyformerly titled Freedom of Expression Regulationhas also gone throughfive revisions, leading to a new policy called Assemblies and Public Addresses in Designated Public Forums.

At ECU we are committed to free speech and freedom of expression on our campus, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Virginia Hardy told FIRE. We want our students, faculty, staff and guests to feel comfortable exercising their rights and exploring their ideas. Allowing the opportunity for freedom of expression and civil discourse around differing views has always been, and continues to be, a mainstay of institutions of higher learning.

[RELATED: MAP: Growing number of states consider free speech bills]

Alongside the universitys internal revisions, some North Carolina lawmakers also spearheaded a campaign to implement free speech legislation on a state level.

In late June, the North Carolina state house successfully passedHB527 reaffirming the states commitment to restore and preserve campus free speech.

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @willthethinker

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Free speech sweeps through North Carolina campuses - Campus Reform