How the ITU is threatening Internet freedom and access
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0:00 - 0:04(Openmedia - the Stream)
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0:04 - 0:09[Josh Rushing] ...International Telecommunications and Union, and it's an agency of the United Nations.
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0:09 - 0:12They're meeting next week to negotiate a treaty on internet regulations
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0:12 - 0:15and discuss policies ranging from cybersecurity to online fraud
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0:16 - 0:20but digital rights groups have criticized the push for so-called internet central government.
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0:21 - 0:24and insist that an international treaty that includes the influence of countries
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0:24 - 0:28like China, Russia and others could lead to greater
online censorship -
0:29 - 0:30and ITU says
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0:30 - 0:35its main objective is to increase internet access to underserved communities.
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0:35 - 0:39But should this goal be achieved through international regulations?
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0:39 - 0:42And can it be done without harming internet freedoms?
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0:42 - 0:46[Ellery Biddle] We've seen leaked proposals that clearly
implicate the internet that would - -
0:46 - 0:51you know, with the goal of the improving cybersecurity, whatever that may mean
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0:51 - 0:53- it means different things different countries -
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0:53 - 0:58could limit people's privacy by, you know, being able to identify
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0:58 - 1:01a communication anywhere in the network
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1:01 - 1:03another proposal would limit free expression
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1:03 - 1:06would limit free expression by authorizing governments
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1:06 - 1:11to shut down communication networks for, you know - in the name of national security.
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1:11 - 1:15[Rushing] From your view as someone who fights to protect civil liberties online,
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1:15 - 1:19how much of a realistic threat do you see in cyber security and cyberwar,
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1:19 - 1:23and how much do you see that being used as kind of useful boogey man?
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1:24 - 1:29[Biddle] I think cybersecurity is such a subjective concept that it's almost -
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1:29 - 1:33- I don't think it's useful to really use the term very much.
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1:33 - 1:37[Unidentified speaker?] It's that issue transparency that's coming up, Sunju says
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1:37 - 1:40there's no transparency at all. Individual governments have tried and failed
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1:40 - 1:42and now they want to use the UN
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1:42 - 1:45to push for their bid, another from
Mohammed who says governments will -
1:45 - 1:50basically use censorship to their advantage, crushing and suppressing all voices against them
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1:50 - 1:53[Josh Rushing] Well how do you respond to the critics who say that there's been a lack
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1:53 - 1:55of transparency in your process?
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1:57 - 2:01[Hamaoun Toure] Well, we have asked - I've asked as secretary general of ITU,
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2:01 - 2:04I've asked every nation to have national consultations.
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2:04 - 2:07And many countries have done so, and I've requested ITU
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2:07 - 2:12to send delegations there to continue to explain what the ITR (?) are about.
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2:12 - 2:15and some countries have done so.
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2:15 - 2:18And every country who wants - anyone who wants information
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2:18 - 2:22can contact his national government to get the information.
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2:22 - 2:24[Biddle] And that the idea of trying to get
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2:24 - 2:29all 193 countries together to agree by consensus
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2:29 - 2:34on policies related to anything - anything related to content really,
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2:34 - 2:36that alone
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2:36 - 2:39it's very difficult to imagine how you could come to consensus that
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2:39 - 2:42would be acceptable to all players.
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2:42 - 2:45The general question about how much should government's be able to watch
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2:45 - 2:50what users are doing online, and what are their
motives there - is it in, -
2:50 - 2:53you know, pursuing real criminals
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2:54 - 2:59in some normative sense, or is it trying to control people who might be engaged
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2:59 - 3:02in some kind of activism that the government
doesn't like? -
3:02 - 3:05[Unidentified ?] We've seen reports that the internet has been shut down in Syria.
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3:05 - 3:09dc0de says: To say that there isn't "Jamming" today, look at what syria has done
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3:09 - 3:12to their internet? The abuses of control already exist.
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3:12 - 3:15and there's a Facebook comment from Noemi who says:
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3:15 - 3:19In fact dozens of countries including China Russia and some Arab states already restrict
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3:19 - 3:22internet access within their own borders,
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3:22 - 3:25but these governments would have greater leverage over internet content service providers
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3:25 - 3:27if changes are made.
- Title:
- How the ITU is threatening Internet freedom and access
- Description:
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Learn more and join us in speaking out at http://ProtectInternetFreedom.net.
The world's governments are currently meeting to update a key treaty of a UN agency called the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Some governments are proposing to extend ITU authority to Internet governance in ways that could threaten Internet openness and innovation, increase access costs, and erode human rights online.
Original video viewable at The Stream: http://youtu.be/d8fTgTrb3CQ
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
Captions Requested
- Duration:
- 03:33
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Maggie S (Amara staff) edited English subtitles for How the ITU is threatening Internet freedom and access | |
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Retired user edited English subtitles for How the ITU is threatening Internet freedom and access | |
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Claude Almansi edited English subtitles for How the ITU is threatening Internet freedom and access | |
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Claude Almansi edited English subtitles for How the ITU is threatening Internet freedom and access | |
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Claude Almansi edited English subtitles for How the ITU is threatening Internet freedom and access | |
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Claude Almansi edited English subtitles for How the ITU is threatening Internet freedom and access | |
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Claude Almansi edited English subtitles for How the ITU is threatening Internet freedom and access | |
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Claude Almansi added a translation |