Internet shutdowns; Calendar gridlock
Everyone should read the newly published annual report on internet shutdowns in 2023. In "SHRINKING DEMOCRACY, GROWING VIOLENCE," the #KeepItOn coalition led by Access Now reports on the latest trends in shutdowns, which are only growing in number and duration:
- Shutdowns continue to shroud grave human rights abuses and violence;
- Authorities are normalizing the blocking of platforms;
- The worst offenders are entrenched and emboldened in the increased, global use of shutdowns; and
- The geographic scope of shutdowns is broadening.
In particular I learned about the successes of strategic litigation around the world against shutdowns. For example, by an ECOWAS Court order, Nigeria's block of Twitter was unlawful and Nigeria must adopt legislative measures to prevent future occurrences and directed Nigeria to align its laws with international human rights standards to ensure that similar acts of censorship do not happen again. Other places where strategic litigation against shutdowns has been successful: Kashmir, Togo, Zimbabwe and Sudan.
Here's the download: https://www.accessnow.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2023-KIO-Report.pdf
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News and Upcoming Events
- Read a new report, "Navigating Demographic Measurement for Fairness and Equity," from my colleague Miranda Bogen https://cdt.org/insights/report-navigating-demographic-measurement-for-fairness-and-equity/
- Britain has been using location trackers on immigrants. This horrendous practice is under severe legal scrutiny in the UK. Privacy International breaks down the legal battle here: https://x.com/privacyint/status/1790759684690854222
- Mobile telcoms networks are fundamentally insecure. A US official breaks with the government narrative and admits that SS7 and similar networks and protocols have been used to track people in the US: https://www.404media.co/cyber-official-speaks-out-reveals-mobile-network-attacks-in-u-s/
- Bread&Net wrapped up last week. You can check out what sessions happened and what people are saying about them: https://x.com/hashtag/%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%B2_%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AA?src=hashtag_click
- Anti-copyright activist and musician Steve Albini died last week. This week his band Shellac released its sixth (and final) album, To All Trains. Albini was not only a pivotal figure in the music industry but the author of the excellent and formative anti-copyright book, The Problem with Music.
- EngageMedia is organizing the Digital Rights Asia-Pacific assembly for 2024, which will take place before the Asia-Pacific Internet Governance Forum, in Taipei, Taiwan https://drap.ac/24/
- The Palestine Digital Activism Forum 2024 is coming up in early June. Register to attend any or all of the online sessions– including with the Palestine Minister of Telecommunications or with US Senator Elizabeth Warren– here: https://pdaf.net/
- Register for Splintercon v2 happening in Brussels, also in June. https://splintercon.net
Another event!
Later this month I'll be in Geneva for the kick-off event of the World Summit on the Information Society's 20-year review. This high level event is a special edition of the annual WSIS Forum, which has been hosted by the ITU annually since the original WSIS process in 2005-07.
With representatives from the Dutch and US governments, the OHCHR and Gurshabad Grover from ARTICLE 19, I'll be talking about the importance of– you guessed it!– human rights considerations in internet standards, and in particular the importance of the ITU's evolving relationship to the human rights framework.
You can register to attend the session online.
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