Internet and politics
Iranians and Others Outwit Net Censors
"The Iranian government, more than almost any other, censors what citizens can read online, using elaborate technology to block millions of Web sites offering news, commentary, videos, music and, until recently, Facebook and YouTube...
"Last July, on popular sites that offer free downloads of various software, an escape hatch appeared. The computer program allowed Iranian Internet users to evade government censorship.
"College students discovered the key first, then spread it through e-mail messages and file-sharing. By late autumn more than 400,000 Iranians were surfing the uncensored Web.
"The software was created not by Iranians, but by Chinese computer experts volunteering for the Falun Gong...
"The Internet is no longer just an essential channel for commerce, entertainment and information. It has also become a stage for state control — and rebellion against it. Computers are becoming more crucial in global conflicts, not only in spying and military action, but also in determining what information reaches people around the globe.
"More than 20 countries now use increasingly sophisticated blocking and filtering systems for Internet content, according to Reporters Without Borders...
"In response, a disparate alliance of political and religious activists, civil libertarians, Internet entrepreneurs, diplomats and even military officers and intelligence agents are now challenging growing Internet censorship..."
Labels: China, civil society, human rights, Iran
posted by Ken Wedding @ 6:45 AM
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