[ga] Fwd: [ NNSquad ] AP: "China targets Google in crackdown on pornography" (plus a comment)

["Joe Baptista" <baptista@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The problem with search engines is that they are centralized - unlike the
DNS.  You can always find someone to sue or hold accountable behind a search
engine.  In the DNS accountability is a sort of cloudy issue with so many
splinters and versions of roots and tlds mucking up the namespace.  A lot of
claims too.  China realized this early about the DNS - thats one of the
motivations behind the launching of the China National TLD system.  You
can't control the DNS - but you can control your own piece of the network.
In Chinas case the National TLDs are the network they can rely on if ICANN
or the USG go bonkers.

regards
joe baptista

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, Jan 5, 2009 at 12:07 PM
Subject: [ NNSquad ] AP: "China targets Google in crackdown on pornography"
(plus a comment)
To: nnsquad@xxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: lauren@xxxxxxxxxx



AP: "China targets Google in crackdown on pornography"

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2009/01/05/ap/hitech/d95h1ii00.txt

 - - -

This of course is China's way of thanking Google for cooperating with
certain previous content control efforts.  I have long stated that I
understand, and to some extent even sympathize, with the conflicting
dynamics that led to Google's original decisions in this regard.
However, I also have said all along that the most likely outcome of
going along with censorship demands would be a broadening of
associated demands over time,

In particular (and this will be the focus of a white paper I currently
have in progress) I believe that search engines will become the
favored target of Internet content control proponents -- and the related
risks to search engines, and by extension to all of their users, are
potentially vast and rapidly coming into focus.

Governments around the world, gradually beginning to understand how
impossible it is to actually block easily mirrored Internet content
effectively, are pivoting to the concept that censoring search
engine listings gets more bang for the censorship bucks.

More to come on this.  You can count on it.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@xxxxxxxxxx or lauren@xxxxxxxx
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
  - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, NNSquad
  - Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com



-- 
Joe Baptista
www.publicroot.org
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