[Chapter-delegates] NEWS RELEASE: Internet Society Board of Trustees Calls on the Global Internet Community to Stand Together to Support Open Internet Access, Freedom, and Privacy

[Halbersztadt Jozef (jothal)]

What about Manning, Assange and Snowden? And a few others who blowed
wind. Will ISOC stand by them?

2013/8/4 Elver Loho <elver.loho at gmail.com>:
> Yes, but what are we going to do about it?
>
> At the Estonian Chapter, we've done podcasts about this, written
> countless articles for the media, given interviews, released an online
> newsletter on global internet surveillance (which is subscribed to by
> a quarter of the parliament), and we're preparing even more actions to
> undertake on the local level. All of this without financial support
> from the ISOC HQ.
>
> I hope that the employees of ISOC HQ can do more than a sternly worded
> press release. This is one of these issues, which is so important that
> Chapters can't let you guys and girls off the hook. You've got a
> thousand times more resources than any Chapter. We're counting on you
> to make a difference. And we must pressure not only the governments,
> but also you to act on this.
>
> Best,
> Elver
> .ee
>
> elver.loho at gmail.com
> +372 5661 6933
> skype: elver.loho
>
>
> On 4 August 2013 18:44, Wende Cover <cover at isoc.org> wrote:
>> Internet Society Board of Trustees Calls on the Global Internet Community to
>> Stand Together to Support Open Internet Access, Freedom, and Privacy
>>
>>
>>
>> Fundamental ideals of the Internet are under threat
>>
>>
>>
>> [Berlin, Germany, 4 August 2013] – The Internet Society Board of Trustees
>> during its meeting in Berlin, Germany today called on the global Internet
>> community to stand together in support of open Internet access, freedom, and
>> privacy. Recently exposed information about government Internet surveillance
>> programs is a wake-up call for Internet users everywhere – the fundamental
>> ideals of the Internet are under threat.
>>
>>
>>
>> The Internet Society Board of Trustees believes that government Internet
>> surveillance programs create unacceptable risks for the future of a global,
>> interoperable, and open Internet. Robert Hinden, Chair of the Board of
>> Trustees, stated, “Berlin is a city where freedom triumphed over tyranny.
>> Human and technological progress are not based on building walls, and we are
>> confident that the human ideals of communication and creativity will always
>> route around these kinds of attempts to constrain them. We are especially
>> disappointed that the very governments that have traditionally supported a
>> more balanced role in Internet governance are consciously and deliberately
>> hosting massive Internet surveillance programs.”
>>
>>
>>
>> In the brief period since these surveillance programs were revealed to the
>> general public, the Internet Society Board stated there are already chilling
>> effects on global trust and confidence on the Internet ecosystem. The fact
>> that information about surveillance programs is emerging primarily from
>> countries with a long history of supporting the open Internet is
>> particularly disturbing. As the next billion people come online, these
>> countries should be expected to demonstrate leadership in support of the
>> values that underpin the global Internet. In the wake of these
>> announcements, the Internet Society encourages a return to multistakeholder
>> cooperation to preserve the benefits of the Internet ecosystem for all.
>>
>>
>>
>> The Internet Society Board of Trustees expects governments to fully engage
>> with their citizens in an open dialogue on how to reconcile national
>> security and the fundamental rights of individuals. Security should not be
>> at the cost of individual rights and, in this context, the Board welcomes
>> the initiative by some civil society organizations to promote "International
>> Principles on the Application of Human Rights to Communications
>> Surveillance." The Internet Society endorses these principles, and
>> emphasizes the importance of proportionality, due process, legality, and
>> transparent judicial oversight. The Internet Society believes that
>> surveillance without any such safeguards risks undermining the
>> sustainability of the open Internet.
>>
>>
>>
>> “In the spirit of the pioneers and early innovators of the Internet that
>> were honored this week at the 2013 Internet Hall of Fame ceremony, we urge
>> the global Internet community to defend against attempts by governments to
>> fragment the Internet either through overt regulation or hidden surveillance
>> programs,” commented Lynn St. Amour, President and CEO of the Internet
>> Society. “We must reassert the global spirit of community that is at the
>> heart of the Internet’s growth and success, and stand firm in our belief
>> that openness and collaboration is the best path forward.”
>>
>>
>>
>>
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> _______________________________________________
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