NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] AP: "China targets Google in crackdown on pornography" (plus a comment)
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@vortex.com or lauren@pfir.org 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