Reporters Without Borders: U.S. is the enemy of the internet...

[Luminous Animal]

“U.S. surveillance practices and decryption activities are a direct threat to investigative journalists, especially those who work with sensitive sources for whom confidentiality is paramount and who are already under pressure,” the organization said.

The U.S. had never before been included on Reporters Without Borders’ "Enemies of the Internet" list. Other countries listed as enemies include Russia, Iran, Syria and North Korea, as well as the United Kingdom, which was criticized for its Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).

....

In addition to the NSA, Reporters Without Borders also criticized the Obama administration for launching a “witch hunt” against Snowden and other leakers of confidential information.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/200866-us-labeled-enemy-of-internet#ixzz2wLfV09vj

[Luminous Animal]

1. From Reporters Without Borders

Identifying government units or agencies rather than entire governments as Enemies of the Internet allows us to draw attention to the schizophrenic attitude towards online freedoms that prevails in in some countries. Three of the government bodies designated by Reporters Without Borders as Enemies of the Internet are located in democracies that have traditionally claimed to respect fundamental freedoms: the Centre for Development of Telematics in India, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in the United Kingdom, and the National Security Agency (NSA) in the United States.

The NSA and GCHQ have spied on the communications of millions of citizens including many journalists. They have knowingly introduced security flaws into devices and software used to transmit requests on the Internet. And they have hacked into the very heart of the Internet using programmes such as the NSA’s Quantam Insert and GCHQ’s Tempora. The Internet was a collective resource that the NSA and GCHQ turned into a weapon in the service of special interests, in the process flouting freedom of information, freedom of expression and the right to privacy.

The mass surveillance methods employed in these three countries, many of them exposed by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, are all the more intolerable because they will be used and indeed are already being used by authoritarians countries such as Iran, China, Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to justify their own violations of freedom of information. How will so-called democratic countries will able to press for the protection of journalists if they adopt the very practices they are criticizing authoritarian regimes for?

http://12mars.rsf.org/2014-en/enemies-of-the-internet-2014-entities-at-the-heart-of-censorship-and-surveillance/

[G_j]

2. K&R

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. A well deserved honor. Somehow, I don't think this will be on The List of Obama's achievements.

[ProSense]

4. The U.S.

makes the list related to surveillance and national security, and so does Russia.

<...>

Identifying government units or agencies rather than entire governments as Enemies of the Internet allows us to draw attention to the schizophrenic attitude towards online freedoms that prevails in in some countries. Three of the government bodies designated by Reporters Without Borders as Enemies of the Internet are located in democracies that have traditionally claimed to respect fundamental freedoms: the Centre for Development of Telematics in India, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in the United Kingdom, and the National Security Agency (NSA) in the United States.

<...>

Private sector and inter-governmental cooperation

<...>

Private-sector companies are not the only suppliers of surveillance technology to governments that are Enemies of the Internet. Russia has exported its SORM surveillance system to its close neighbours. In Belarus, Decree No. 60 on “measures for improving use of the national Internet network” forces Internet Service Providers to install SORM.

<...>

National security as pretext

The NSA and GCHQ, Ethiopia’s Information Network Security Agency, Saudi Arabia’s Internet Services Unit, Belarus’ Operations and Analysis Centre, Russia’s FSB and Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Service are all security agencies that have gone far beyond their core duties by censoring or spying on journalists and other information providers

http://12mars.rsf.org/2014-en/enemies-of-the-internet-2014-entities-at-the-heart-of-censorship-and-surveillance/

Russia has a whole set of ofther issues.

Russia Wipes Opposition Sites From The Internet
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024669215

Russia: Media black-out ahead of disputed Crimea referendum
https://www.amnesty.org/en/news/russia-media-black-out-ahead-disputed-crimea-referendum-2014-03-14

[Luminous Animal]

5. No shit, Sherlock. The fact that we are on it at all

let alone keeping company with Russia and Iran is disgusting.

[ProSense]

6. The fact that Russia

"let alone keeping company with Russia and Iran is disgusting. "

...is shutting down opposition sites is what is even more "disgusting."

At least American don't have to worry that the Government is going to pull the plug on DU or Fox Noise.

Russia Wipes Opposition Sites From The Internet
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024669215

The "No shit, Sherlock" moment is not recognizing that that countries engage in surveillance.

NSA reforms will effect change, but nothing is going to stop Putin from wiping opposition off the Internet.

[Luminous Animal]

7. I won't play your stupid game. The US is an enemy of the internet.

[ProSense]

8. LOL! n/t

[zeemike]

11. Quick, look over there!

We are not as bad as them.

[Demo_Chris]

9. I, for one, welcome our security state overlords. Hail Drone Master Obama! nt

[Luminous Animal]

10. Kick.