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Internet repression is eroding freedom of expression online as more governments block sites and arrest bloggers, a human rights group warned today. Amnesty International said the internet could change beyond all recognition unless action is taken and it called on governments and companies to respect people's right to freedom of expression online. "The virus of internet repression is spreading. The 'Chinese model' - of an internet that allows economic growth but not free speech or privacy - is growing in popularity, from a handful of countries five years ago to dozens of governments today who block sites and arrest bloggers," said Tim Hancock, UK campaigns director of Amnesty International. Source : Guardian UK
State-sponsored censorship of the internet has increased significantly in recent years, according to a recent study of 41 countries conducted during 2006 and 2007 by the OpenNet Initiative, a consortium of researchers from four major universities, including Harvard and Oxford.In a report last month, ONI said at least 25 of the 41 countries it tested were engaged in some form of filtering, where governments block access to specific sites or sites featuring particular words or themes. In its survey of thousands of web sites across 120 internet service providers, ONI found that countries including Burma, China, Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia engaged in filtering. "At the moment we turn on our computer and assume we can see all that there is online," Mr Hancock said. "The fear is that we will only be able to access what someone wants us to see." In addition to filtering, politically motivated closure of websites and internet cafes, as well as threats or imprisonment, are reported far more widely, Amnesty said. Continue the Full Story at the Guardian |
