Google Closes a Door on State-sanctioned Censorship; Now Other Corporations and Governments Must Follow
Note to press: contact details for interviews below
A door has been closed in the face of the Chinese regime; and a new door is opening to internet freedom – but, without the strong arm of national governments (including Hong Kong’s) and Google’s competitors like Microsoft, China will win the next round of the cyber war.
“This is a wakeup call to the world’s dictators, that digital intimidation against citizens is not acceptable,” said Brett Solomon, Executive Director of AccessNow. “Censorship of information and active hacking of people’s email must be banished from the rules of engagement for governments and corporations alike.”
The promise of the Internet to deliver dramatic advances in universal access to knowledge has been under threat by the Chinese government policy – this is a threat to all of our security. In an increasingly globalized world, a key way to ensure security and prosperity is to protect the free and secure flow of information.
“The regimes in China, Iran, Burma have been put on notice. Their censorship practices are effectively a threat to our open global nervous system, the internet. Regimes who are carving up the internet into local proxy fiefdoms are compromising the essence and potential of this invaluable global commons,” said Solomon
“By denying citizens their voices, and not appropriately engaging with their citizens, these countries are setting up a situation for long term instability that will hurt their country’s development,” said Solomon
Access to information online is fundamental right that cant be traded away or kept from its people forever. This is the position of people’s from more than 50 countries who signed the AcccessNow petition that was sent to Google last week ahead of today’s announcement.
"Google, we support you to stand firm against online censorship and surveillance. Protection of human rights, including freedom of expression and privacy, must be central to any ongoing business engagement within China and beyond."
Iranian cyber activist Cameran Ashraf and co-founder of AccessNow said “Google’s statement gives us all hope that the internet cannot be perverted for political purposes or to threaten the privacy and security of human rights advocates. Business practices and human rights are clearly not incompatible.”
Cyber security requires new thinking. The fluid and rapidly changing cyber sphere is re-shaping how governments, business and individuals conceive and maintain an open conversation. Enabling defensive technologies (like hardening email account security) while rebuffing offensive technologies (like censorship circumvention technologies) is the new frontier for global security.
Notes for Editors
AccessNow is a new global movement for digital freedom. Born in the aftermath of the Iranian election, accessnow.org brings new technology solutions to political freedom movements and civil society.
AccessNow.org’s citizen media projects have received over 3 million unique hits since the Iranian election of 12 June 2009 and its censorship circumvention projects have reached hundreds of thousands.
Media Contact
Trevor Fitzgibbon
+1 202 406 0646
trevor@fitzgibbonmedia.com
info@accessnow.org
