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<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">It might be interesting to
point out to this press release, by one of the European respected
organizations. <br>
<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.laquadrature.net/en/eg8-forum-a-smokescreen-for-governmental-control-of-the-net">http://www.laquadrature.net/en/eg8-forum-a-smokescreen-for-governmental-control-of-the-net</a><br>
<br>
</font>
<p>Paris, May 17th, 2011 – <strong>Next week, Nicolas Sarkozy will
be convening the “eG8 forum”, just two days ahead of a G8 summit
that will focus on Internet policy. Disguised as a
pseudo-consultative process, this staged show could mask the
actual will of governments to increase state control over the
Internet. Beyond the smokescreen of the “forum”, citizens must
hold world leaders accountable for their actions, and denounce
the numerous ongoing attempts at undermining our freedoms
online.</strong></p>
<p><em>La Quadrature du Net, along with several artist and citizen
organizations, calls on everyone to participate in creative
action at <a href="http://g8internet.com"
title="http://g8internet.com">http://g8internet.com</a>.</em></p>
<p>One of the biggest advertising agencies in the world, Publicis,
has been appointed by Nicolas Sarkozy to organize the “eG8 forum”,
which will gather an impressive cast of business actors to discuss
the future of the Internet economy. In fact, Sarkozy has stated
for months his intention to use his presidency of the G8 to impose
his concept of a “civilized Internet”.</p>
<p>This notion, borrowed from the Chinese government, is in line
with Sarkozy's record on Internet policy<a class="see_footnote"
id="footnoteref1_xpom44q" title="In France, Sarkozy has already
imposed the cutoff of citizens from the Internet, and censorship
of online content. His Minister for the Digital Economy has
called for banning WikiLeaks hosting on the French territory,
because it didn't fit within this notion of a “civilized
Internet”."
href="http://www.laquadrature.net/en/eg8-forum-a-smokescreen-for-governmental-control-of-the-net#footnote1_xpom44q">1</a>.
Last year on the international stage, Sarkozy also <a
href="http://www.laquadrature.net/en/sarkozy-exports-repressive-internet">tried</a>
to impose the idea of nation-state control over the network's
architecture, playing down the importance of the Internet for
freedom of communication and democracy worldwide<a
class="see_footnote" id="footnoteref2_335c6uh" title="See
http://www.laquadrature.net/en/sarkozy-exports-repressive-internet"
href="http://www.laquadrature.net/en/eg8-forum-a-smokescreen-for-governmental-control-of-the-net#footnote2_335c6uh">2</a>.
</p>
<p>Recent events worldwide suggest that such an approach is gaining
momentum internationally. The Internet black-out in Egypt, the <a
href="http://www.laquadrature.net/en/wikileaks-and-the-control-of-the-internet">US
government's reaction to WikiLeaks</a><a class="see_footnote"
id="footnoteref3_6s07ihi" title="See
http://www.laquadrature.net/en/wikileaks-and-the-control-of-the-internet"
href="http://www.laquadrature.net/en/eg8-forum-a-smokescreen-for-governmental-control-of-the-net#footnote3_6s07ihi">3</a>,
the <a href="http://www.laquadrature.net/en/ACTA">ACTA agreement</a>
that will be signed during the G8, the adoption of website
blocking mechanisms and talks about a “Virtual Schengen border”<a
class="see_footnote" id="footnoteref4_s5ntk93" title="See
http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/11/st07/st07181.en11.pdf,
point 8"
href="http://www.laquadrature.net/en/eg8-forum-a-smokescreen-for-governmental-control-of-the-net#footnote4_s5ntk93">4</a>
in Europe, or plans for <a
href="https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Internet_kill_switch">“Internet
Kill Switches”</a> are some of the numerous examples of
governments trying to take over the Internet and its governance<a
class="see_footnote" id="footnoteref5_q19efnr" title="Other
examples include the new version of the COICA bill and the
seizure of domain names by the US, etc."
href="http://www.laquadrature.net/en/eg8-forum-a-smokescreen-for-governmental-control-of-the-net#footnote5_q19efnr">5</a>.
Citizens must react by holding their governments accountable and
ensure that the Internet remains our most precious tool for
improving societies.</p>
<p><strong><em>“In spite of a harmless-sounding rhetoric, the 'eG8
forum' is a smokescreen to cover the increased control of
governments over the Internet. It is a crucial moment in
history when citizens have to mobilize to remain in control of
an open and universal Internet. Attempts to turn the Net into
a tool of repression and control must be opposed through every
available mean of expression and creation.”</em></strong>
concludes Jérémie Zimmermann, spokesperson for citizen advocacy
group La Quadrature du Net.</p>
<br>
<br>
On 5/23/2011 05:20, Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:4DDA26E9.4090409@gih.com" type="cite">
<pre wrap="">What a lovely multi-stakeholder line-up at the eG8!
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.eg8forum.com/programme.html">http://www.eg8forum.com/programme.html</a>
Where is the Internet Society?
eG8: The Slaughter of The Internet.
Kind regards,
Olivier
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