[Chapter-delegates] Privacy statement

[David Solomonoff]

I think Veni had made some important points here and done more promptly
than I've been able to. The Madrid statement isn't specific. It can't be
- it's a statement of principles rather than detailed breakdown of
privacy and human rights abuses worldwide.

Joly has dismissed the endorsement of this type of statement as
ineffectual. It's not earth-shattering but ISOC-NY didn't restore
democracy in Iran because we had Iranian dissidents speak at recent
events either. Small steps can build to large results. One positive
gesture encourages others. My vision for ISOC-NY has alway been to build
alliances with human rights organizations. This could be one of those steps.

Privacy is not a luxury - it's essential for the protection of civil
liberties and human rights as Veni points out. Veni knows more about
this topic than some of us because he's lived in country than has made
the difficult transition from a dictatorship to an imperfect democracy.
When he uses the term "chilling effect" he knows what he's talking about.

When global ISOC seems unresponsive to Chapters then dictates policy
positions after the fact for the Chapters that are actually active on
the ground it makes a very bad impression. I'm left with the disturbing
(maybe paranoid I admit) concern that ISOC wants to take a "go along get
along" attitude towards repressive regimes that threaten to have a
greater input in the new global Net governance.

-- 
David Solomonoff, President
Internet Society of New York
president at isoc-ny.org
isoc-ny.org