NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] "Free Speech Be Damned!": Congressional Bill Would Censor Search Engines
"Free Speech Be Damned!": Congressional Bill Would Censor Search Engines
http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000851.html
In my "Censorship, Governments, and Flagellating Google" white paper
( http://j.mp/l9SKEU [Lauren's Blog] ) that I released a week ago, I
based part of my analysis on statements by U.S. politicians, last
year's attempt at horrible COICA (Combating Online Infringement and
Counterfeits Act) legislation, and various events occurring in other
countries around the world.
I had hoped we would have some time to discuss and prepare for major
new censorship threats before any related U.S. legislation had
crystallized.
Unfortunately, it appears that Congress' "hell bent to censor" effort
is already in high gear, as word (and now complete text) of a proposed
PROTECT IP Act have leaked out ( http://j.mp/lZ0nOs [techdirt] ).
While it could be argued that PROTECT IP (another one of those warped
acronyms that I won't even bother to expand here) seems on its face to
improve on certain aspects of COICA, most of those changes appear to
be illusionary when viewing PROTECT IP as a whole.
And in a concept taken straight from the Orwellian playbooks of
dictatorships throughout history, PROTECT IP contemplates the direct
censorship of Google and other search engines, to excise search result
entries that the government prefers that you not see. Terrible on its
face, and obviously the proverbial slippery slope right down the side
of Mt. Everest.
An alternative DNS - Domain Name System (more properly, an alternative
naming/identifier system for Internet sites not subject to centralized
control), whether IDONS ( http://j.mp/hLVOUv [GCTIP] ) or something
else entirely, would certainly be a major step in the right direction
toward helping to limit censorship via domain name control.
However, it's important to note that PROTECT IP appears to propose
outright and direct censorship of Google (and other search engine)
results, that could be implemented via a wide range of criteria not
necessarily tightly bound to IP addresses or even specific common
names or identifiers.
The sorts of search engine results censorship that PROTECT IP
advocates would be a direct attack on freedom of speech and the First
Amendment -- direct government interference. And in the vast majority
of related cases, there wouldn't even be any "public safety" aspects
that could be invoked ... unless illicit downloads of "Nude Nuns
with Big Guns" have somehow become a major national security
concern.
One might hope that U.S. courts -- at least -- would block egregious
efforts to flog and censor search engines, and other Internet
services, via such outrageous government decimation of basic civil and
free speech rights.
But in today's exceedingly toxic political environment, making any
such assumptions might be very risky -- particularly given the big
money intellectual property interests who seemingly believe that their
music and film properties are worth turning the Internet into a
virtual police state. Funny how that works, huh?
Search engines are the key gateways to information and knowledge
discovery on the Internet, and so for the entire planet and its vast
population. The ability of Google and other search engines to display
search results free from government interference is absolutely
crucial.
That Congress is even contemplating such legislation that would censor
search engine results is an utter disgrace to them and to basic
American values.
This must not be tolerated. The battle for freedom of knowledge is
now truly and most righteously joined.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein (lauren@vortex.com): http://www.vortex.com/lauren
Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org
Founder:
- Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org
- Global Coalition for Transparent Internet Performance: http://www.gctip.org
- PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com
Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenweinstein
Google Buzz: http://j.mp/laurenbuzz
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com