[kictanet] Fwd: [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

[Barrack Otieno]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Wende Cover <cover at isoc.org>
Date: Sun, Aug 4, 2013 at 6:44 PM
Subject: [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
To: "chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org" <chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org>


 Internet Society Board of Trustees Calls on the Global Internet Community
to Stand Together to Support Open Internet Access, Freedom, and Privacy****

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Fundamental ideals of the Internet are under threat****

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[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.  ****

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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.” ****

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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. ****

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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.****

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“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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-- 
Barrack O. Otieno
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