Regular readers of the TECHLife Post will almost certainly have noted the increasing frequency, in recent months, of stories focusing on Internet censorship and a growing tendency by governments everywhere to consider filtering and other means of censorship to protect their citizens — specifically, minor children — from real and perceived threats posed by the Internet.
Civil liberties and free speech advocates the world over are speaking out against filtering but they are having trouble being heard. The government of Australia, for example, is going ahead with plans to institute filtering, based on a government-controlled “back list” of Web sites which Australians won’t be allowed to visit, in spite of placard-carrying protests by thousands in major cities there.
Critics have warned that such a black list could — and probably will — be abused for political purposes, setting a dangerous precedent in favour of government control of the media. This is already a reality in China, where the government has controlled what its citizens can view and post on the Internet from day one.
TECHLife Post (TLP) believes that Internet filtering is fundamentally wrong and, in fact, threatens the fundamental human right to freedom of opinion and expression proclaimed under Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
TLP believes that, together, we can stop Internet censorship and preserve the right of end users to choose the Internet content they wish to access.
In support of this editorial stand, TLP today launched the Hands off MY Net! (HOMN) campaign against Internet censorship.
The Hands off MY Net! Web site provides full details of the campaign and is home to an electronic petition, open to signers from all countries, calling on all governments to defend their citizens’ right to a free Internet and to entrench this right in law.
The site also aggregates daily Internet censorship and related news as reported by the TECHLife Post and other media.
TECHLife Post welcomes partnerships with other Internet free speech organizations, corporations and institutions which believe, as we do, that government filtering of the Internet is the thin edge of a dangerous and destructive wedge, and wish to support the HOMN initiative to educate lawmakers, businesses and individuals worldwide about this critical issue.
