[NA-Discuss] Fwd: Warning: sharks circling the internet in Geneva

[Glenn McKnight]

Interesting summary  on Global Internet issues by  ACCESS NOW


*Glenn McKnight, B.A, M.A*
Internet Society Board of Trustee
Chair: Foundation for Building Sustainable Communities(FBSC)
IEEE HIC  Committee Member
IEEE PES CSI  Committee Member
ICANN NARALO Chair (Fall 2017)
ICANN NARALO Secretariat ( Starting Fall 2017)
Oshawa, Ontario Canada
glenn.mcknight at ieee.org
SKYPE:   gmcknight



---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Access Now Express <info at act.accessnow.org>
Date: Fri, Jul 13, 2018 at 10:01 AM
Subject: Warning: sharks circling the internet in Geneva
To: <glenn.mcknight at ieee.org>


[image: Access Now]



Saving the U.N. "Internet Resolution" from sharks circling in Geneva
<https://www.accessnow.org/saving-the-u-n-internet-resolution-from-sharks-circling-in-geneva/>

It's an especially critical time
<https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=23206&LangID=E>
for human rights across the globe, and what's happening now at the U.N.
Human Rights Council shows just how important it is to have every hand on
deck. Last week, the council adopted a renewed version of the resolution
affirming that human rights apply online. Human rights advocates fought for
and won vital updates to the text, including on gender, encryption, and
internet shutdowns. But the flaws in the final resolution hold an important
lesson: we must keep close watch to ensure that it will protect the most
vulnerable in our societies. Read more via Access Now
<https://www.accessnow.org/saving-the-u-n-internet-resolution-from-sharks-circling-in-geneva/>

Dig deeper
Governments must protect your rights when you protest, even online
<https://www.article19.org/resources/unhrc-states-must-protect-rights-in-protests-including-online/>

Instead of persecuting those who speak out, governments must protect them —
including when they organize online. Another U.N. resolution adopted last
week, specifically on human rights and protest, "sends a clear signal to
states that they cannot frustrate people's right to take to the streets by
blocking access to the internet or websites, by undermining the security of
our communications, or criminalizing the right to protest," says ARTICLE
19's Thomas Hughes. Read more via ARTICLE 19
<https://www.article19.org/resources/unhrc-states-must-protect-rights-in-protests-including-online/>
Guide: Navigating human rights in the digital environment at the U.N. Human
Rights Council
<https://www.gp-digital.org/publication/navigating-human-rights-in-the-digital-environment-the-united-nations-human-rights-council/>

If you or your organization are fighting sharks, take heart: you can engage
meaningfully at the U.N. and make an impact for your community. This 2017
guide by our friends at Global Partners Digital makes it easier, providing
solid information on how things work and how to get involved. Read more via
GPD
<https://www.gp-digital.org/publication/navigating-human-rights-in-the-digital-environment-the-united-nations-human-rights-council/>

Your voice matters
Urgent: Honduras is poised to vote on disastrous "cybersecurity" bill that
will censor online expression
<https://act.accessnow.org/page/24481/tweet/1?ea.tracking.id=ae>

The vote was supposed to take place on Wednesday, but it didn't. The
Congress in Honduras will reconvene on July 17 — next week. At a time of
rising violence against journalists, this bill would force internet
platforms to remove disputed content within 24 hours or face fines and
blocking, an approach at odds with basic standards of freedom of expression
and due process
<https://www.accessnow.org/honduras-new-bill-threatens-curb-online-speech/>.
Please take action NOW to stop it, and help spread the word using the
hashtag #HNSinCensura <https://twitter.com/hashtag/HNSinCensura> Take
action via Access Now
<https://act.accessnow.org/page/24481/tweet/1?ea.tracking.id=ae>
Uganda social media tax to be reviewed
<https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-44798627>

Earlier this week, Ugandans mobilized fierce opposition
<https://advox.globalvoices.org/2018/07/06/ugandans-say-notosocialmediatax-because-it-exploits-women-youth-and-the-poor/>,
both online and off, to a highly controversial new tax on the use of social
media. This effort appears to be making an impact. In a statement to
parliament in the wake of public protests, Uganda Prime Minister Ruhakana
Rugunda said, "Government is now reviewing the taxes taking into
consideration the concerns of the public and its implications on the
budget." To join the conversation online and add your support, follow
#NoToSocialMediaTax <https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoToSocialMediaTax> and
#ThisTaxMustGo <https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThisTaxMustGo>. Read more via
BBC <https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-44798627>

AI
Facebook labels Russian users as "interested in treason"
<https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/11/facebook-labels-russian-users-as-interested-in-treason>

Are you Russian? Are you interested in treason, perchance? Well, Facebook's
algorithms took a look and labeled 65,000 people accordingly, until
journalists noticed and raised the alarm. Read more via The Guardian
<https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/11/facebook-labels-russian-users-as-interested-in-treason>
Inside China's dystopian dreams: AI, shame, and lots of cameras
<https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/08/business/china-surveillance-technology.html>

As frightening as it might be to be marked "interested in treason" when you
live under an authoritarian regime, much more frightening is the reality of
pervasive surveillance in the streets, where technologies like facial
recognition software and artificial intelligence are used to identify and
shame people, exerting imperfect yet opaque "algorithmic governance." Read
more via NYT
<https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/08/business/china-surveillance-technology.html>
Argentina province in talks with Huawei over acquiring facial recognition
surveillance technology
<https://www.accessnow.org/mendoza-surveillance-tech/>

You may remember Huawei from its entanglement in Facebook's dangerous data
sharing agreements. On Thursday, we joined our partners in Argentina in a
letter to Governor Alfredo Cornejo of the Mendoza province, warning him
against the use of Huawei's technology — cloud-based storage systems, big
data, and artificial intelligence for facial recognition and public
surveillance — to "improve public safety." Read more via Access Now
<https://www.accessnow.org/mendoza-surveillance-tech/>
Facebook's push for facial recognition prompts privacy alarms
<https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/09/technology/facebook-facial-recognition-privacy.html>

Let's say you want to head off dystopia. If you're on Facebook, you may
have been prompted to approve or deny its use of facial recognition
features with your account (although this does not stop the company from
scanning your public photos). In Europe, Facebook has framed your agreement
as an issue of safety, warning, "Face recognition technology allows us to
help protect you from a stranger using your photo to impersonate you." That
runs afoul of rights protected under the E.U.'s General Data Protection
Regulation, says MEP Viviane Reding. "Facebook is somehow threatening me
that, if I do not buy into face recognition, I will be in danger. It goes
completely against the European law because it tries to manipulate
consent." (Access Now, meanwhile, continues to urge Facebook to undergo a
global independent audit
<https://www.accessnow.org/access-now-calls-for-global-independent-audit-of-facebook-data-practices/>of
its data practices and a comprehensive human rights impact assessment.) Read
more via NYT
<https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/09/technology/facebook-facial-recognition-privacy.html>

Free expression
India: Net Neutrality rules approved by government
<https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/net-neutrality-rules-now-approved-by-telecom-commission-india-internet-timeline-5256139/>

The Telecom Commission in India has approved further amendments to the
licenses of telecom operators that provide protections against throttling
or prioritization of content. This follows from the recommendations of the
TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India). That's great news for free
expression, but it's not over yet. Telecom lobbyists are still targeting
cabinet ministers
<https://thewire.in/tech/india-approves-new-net-neutrality-rules-signs-off-on-new-telecom-policy>
in a last-ditch effort to get their way. Read more via The Indian Express
<https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/net-neutrality-rules-now-approved-by-telecom-commission-india-internet-timeline-5256139/>
Cambodia curbs free speech in the name of stopping "fake news"
<https://www.accessnow.org/cambodia-curbs-free-speech-in-the-name-of-fake-news/>

The government of Cambodia has advanced a new directive aimed at combating
"fake news" that will reportedly, among other restrictions, require all
websites to register with Cambodia's Ministry of Information or face
additional scrutiny. Read more via Access Now
<https://www.accessnow.org/cambodia-curbs-free-speech-in-the-name-of-fake-news/>

#SecureAlltheThings
There's a new resource list for domestic abuse victims targeted through the
Internet of Things
<https://gizmodo.com/theres-a-new-resource-list-for-domestic-abuse-victims-t-1827402761>

"Smart" home technology — for locks, lights, or even your thermostat — can
be weaponized for harassment and abuse. A list compiled by a research team
focusing on gender and IoT technology at University College London gives
you the basics for fending off these attacks. Read more via Gizmodo
<https://gizmodo.com/theres-a-new-resource-list-for-domestic-abuse-victims-t-1827402761>

Tools for change
How to win government policy and influence the internet
<https://www.accessnow.org/how-to-win-government-policy-and-influence-the-internet/>

You may not know this, but you should: when U.S. agencies ask for public
feedback on policy, anyone — including you — can participate. Here's a look
behind the scenes at our recent submission to NIST, the U.S. National
Institute of Standards and Technology, on its international internet policy
priorities. Read more via Access Now
<https://www.accessnow.org/how-to-win-government-policy-and-influence-the-internet/>

Our data, our rights
Council of Europe cooperation against cybercrime — human rights Octopus or
fishy deals?
<https://www.accessnow.org/council-of-europe-cooperation-against-cybercrime-human-rights-octopus-or-fishy-deals/>

This week, we joined European Digital Rights (EDRi) and the Electronic
Frontier Foundation (EFF) at the Council of Europe's Octopus Conference to
ensure the protection of human rights in any effort to improve law
enforcement access to data across borders. Here we detail our concerns and
recommendations. Read more via Access Now
<https://www.accessnow.org/council-of-europe-cooperation-against-cybercrime-human-rights-octopus-or-fishy-deals/>

Opportunities
Work with us! Open positions that are vital for human rights in the digital
age <https://www.accessnow.org/content-type/jobs-and-internships/>

Is one of our job openings right for you? Check them out, and remember: for
all Access Now openings, and at every level at our organization, women,
people of color, LGBTQI individuals, and members of other minority or
marginalized groups are strongly encouraged to apply! Read more via Access
Now <https://www.accessnow.org/content-type/jobs-and-internships/>

[image: Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/accessnow?ref=ts> [image:
twitter] <https://twitter.com/accessnow> [image: g+]
<https://plus.google.com/+AccessnowOrg/posts> [image: Tumblr]
<http://accessnow.tumblr.com/> [image: YouTube]
<https://www.youtube.com/user/accessorg>

Editor: Donna Wentworth

Thanks for subscribing! Share our free newsletter with your friends or invite
them to subscribe <https://www.accessnow.org/campaign/#sign-up>. Feedback?
Contact express at accessnow.org.

Access Now <https://www.accessnow.org/> defends and extends the digital
rights of users at risk around the world.
Your support makes a difference. Donate here
<https://donate.accessnow.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1921&ea.campaign.id=43986>
.

accessnow.org | P.O. Box 20429, Greeley Square Station, 4 East 27th Street,
New York, NY 10001-9998

You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Access Now
Express. To unsubscribe, click here
<https://act.accessnow.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1921&ea.campaign.id=44850>.
This email and all other Access Now communications are sent in compliance
with our Data Usage Policy <https://www.accessnow.org/data-usage-policy/>.
Feel free to contact us at *info at accessnow.org <info at accessnow.org>* with
any questions or concerns.

[image: supporter]
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/pipermail/na-discuss/attachments/20180713/9809bd53/attachment-0001.html>