Interesting summary on Global Internet issues by ACCESS NOW *Glenn McKnight, B.A, M.A* Internet Society Board of Trustee Chair: Foundation for Building Sustainable Communities(FBSC) IEEE HIC Committee Member IEEE PES CSI Committee Member ICANN NARALO Chair (Fall 2017) ICANN NARALO Secretariat ( Starting Fall 2017) Oshawa, Ontario Canada glenn.mcknight@ieee.org SKYPE: gmcknight ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Access Now Express <info@act.accessnow.org> Date: Fri, Jul 13, 2018 at 10:01 AM Subject: Warning: sharks circling the internet in Geneva To: <glenn.mcknight@ieee.org> [image: Access Now] Saving the U.N. "Internet Resolution" from sharks circling in Geneva <https://www.accessnow.org/saving-the-u-n-internet-resolution-from-sharks-cir...> It's an especially critical time <https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=23206&Lan...> for human rights across the globe, and what's happening now at the U.N. Human Rights Council shows just how important it is to have every hand on deck. Last week, the council adopted a renewed version of the resolution affirming that human rights apply online. Human rights advocates fought for and won vital updates to the text, including on gender, encryption, and internet shutdowns. But the flaws in the final resolution hold an important lesson: we must keep close watch to ensure that it will protect the most vulnerable in our societies. Read more via Access Now <https://www.accessnow.org/saving-the-u-n-internet-resolution-from-sharks-cir...> Dig deeper Governments must protect your rights when you protest, even online <https://www.article19.org/resources/unhrc-states-must-protect-rights-in-prot...> Instead of persecuting those who speak out, governments must protect them — including when they organize online. Another U.N. resolution adopted last week, specifically on human rights and protest, "sends a clear signal to states that they cannot frustrate people's right to take to the streets by blocking access to the internet or websites, by undermining the security of our communications, or criminalizing the right to protest," says ARTICLE 19's Thomas Hughes. Read more via ARTICLE 19 <https://www.article19.org/resources/unhrc-states-must-protect-rights-in-prot...> Guide: Navigating human rights in the digital environment at the U.N. Human Rights Council <https://www.gp-digital.org/publication/navigating-human-rights-in-the-digita...> If you or your organization are fighting sharks, take heart: you can engage meaningfully at the U.N. and make an impact for your community. This 2017 guide by our friends at Global Partners Digital makes it easier, providing solid information on how things work and how to get involved. Read more via GPD <https://www.gp-digital.org/publication/navigating-human-rights-in-the-digita...> Your voice matters Urgent: Honduras is poised to vote on disastrous "cybersecurity" bill that will censor online expression <https://act.accessnow.org/page/24481/tweet/1?ea.tracking.id=ae> The vote was supposed to take place on Wednesday, but it didn't. The Congress in Honduras will reconvene on July 17 — next week. At a time of rising violence against journalists, this bill would force internet platforms to remove disputed content within 24 hours or face fines and blocking, an approach at odds with basic standards of freedom of expression and due process <https://www.accessnow.org/honduras-new-bill-threatens-curb-online-speech/>. Please take action NOW to stop it, and help spread the word using the hashtag #HNSinCensura <https://twitter.com/hashtag/HNSinCensura> Take action via Access Now <https://act.accessnow.org/page/24481/tweet/1?ea.tracking.id=ae> Uganda social media tax to be reviewed <https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-44798627> Earlier this week, Ugandans mobilized fierce opposition <https://advox.globalvoices.org/2018/07/06/ugandans-say-notosocialmediatax-be...>, both online and off, to a highly controversial new tax on the use of social media. This effort appears to be making an impact. In a statement to parliament in the wake of public protests, Uganda Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda said, "Government is now reviewing the taxes taking into consideration the concerns of the public and its implications on the budget." To join the conversation online and add your support, follow #NoToSocialMediaTax <https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoToSocialMediaTax> and #ThisTaxMustGo <https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThisTaxMustGo>. Read more via BBC <https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-44798627> AI Facebook labels Russian users as "interested in treason" <https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/11/facebook-labels-russian-u...> Are you Russian? Are you interested in treason, perchance? Well, Facebook's algorithms took a look and labeled 65,000 people accordingly, until journalists noticed and raised the alarm. Read more via The Guardian <https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/11/facebook-labels-russian-u...> Inside China's dystopian dreams: AI, shame, and lots of cameras <https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/08/business/china-surveillance-technology.ht...> As frightening as it might be to be marked "interested in treason" when you live under an authoritarian regime, much more frightening is the reality of pervasive surveillance in the streets, where technologies like facial recognition software and artificial intelligence are used to identify and shame people, exerting imperfect yet opaque "algorithmic governance." Read more via NYT <https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/08/business/china-surveillance-technology.ht...> Argentina province in talks with Huawei over acquiring facial recognition surveillance technology <https://www.accessnow.org/mendoza-surveillance-tech/> You may remember Huawei from its entanglement in Facebook's dangerous data sharing agreements. On Thursday, we joined our partners in Argentina in a letter to Governor Alfredo Cornejo of the Mendoza province, warning him against the use of Huawei's technology — cloud-based storage systems, big data, and artificial intelligence for facial recognition and public surveillance — to "improve public safety." Read more via Access Now <https://www.accessnow.org/mendoza-surveillance-tech/> Facebook's push for facial recognition prompts privacy alarms <https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/09/technology/facebook-facial-recognition-pr...> Let's say you want to head off dystopia. If you're on Facebook, you may have been prompted to approve or deny its use of facial recognition features with your account (although this does not stop the company from scanning your public photos). In Europe, Facebook has framed your agreement as an issue of safety, warning, "Face recognition technology allows us to help protect you from a stranger using your photo to impersonate you." That runs afoul of rights protected under the E.U.'s General Data Protection Regulation, says MEP Viviane Reding. "Facebook is somehow threatening me that, if I do not buy into face recognition, I will be in danger. It goes completely against the European law because it tries to manipulate consent." (Access Now, meanwhile, continues to urge Facebook to undergo a global independent audit <https://www.accessnow.org/access-now-calls-for-global-independent-audit-of-facebook-data-practices/>of its data practices and a comprehensive human rights impact assessment.) Read more via NYT <https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/09/technology/facebook-facial-recognition-pr...> Free expression India: Net Neutrality rules approved by government <https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/net-neutra...> The Telecom Commission in India has approved further amendments to the licenses of telecom operators that provide protections against throttling or prioritization of content. This follows from the recommendations of the TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India). That's great news for free expression, but it's not over yet. Telecom lobbyists are still targeting cabinet ministers <https://thewire.in/tech/india-approves-new-net-neutrality-rules-signs-off-on...> in a last-ditch effort to get their way. Read more via The Indian Express <https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/net-neutra...> Cambodia curbs free speech in the name of stopping "fake news" <https://www.accessnow.org/cambodia-curbs-free-speech-in-the-name-of-fake-new...> The government of Cambodia has advanced a new directive aimed at combating "fake news" that will reportedly, among other restrictions, require all websites to register with Cambodia's Ministry of Information or face additional scrutiny. Read more via Access Now <https://www.accessnow.org/cambodia-curbs-free-speech-in-the-name-of-fake-new...> #SecureAlltheThings There's a new resource list for domestic abuse victims targeted through the Internet of Things <https://gizmodo.com/theres-a-new-resource-list-for-domestic-abuse-victims-t-...> "Smart" home technology — for locks, lights, or even your thermostat — can be weaponized for harassment and abuse. A list compiled by a research team focusing on gender and IoT technology at University College London gives you the basics for fending off these attacks. Read more via Gizmodo <https://gizmodo.com/theres-a-new-resource-list-for-domestic-abuse-victims-t-...> Tools for change How to win government policy and influence the internet <https://www.accessnow.org/how-to-win-government-policy-and-influence-the-int...> You may not know this, but you should: when U.S. agencies ask for public feedback on policy, anyone — including you — can participate. Here's a look behind the scenes at our recent submission to NIST, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, on its international internet policy priorities. Read more via Access Now <https://www.accessnow.org/how-to-win-government-policy-and-influence-the-int...> Our data, our rights Council of Europe cooperation against cybercrime — human rights Octopus or fishy deals? <https://www.accessnow.org/council-of-europe-cooperation-against-cybercrime-h...> This week, we joined European Digital Rights (EDRi) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) at the Council of Europe's Octopus Conference to ensure the protection of human rights in any effort to improve law enforcement access to data across borders. Here we detail our concerns and recommendations. Read more via Access Now <https://www.accessnow.org/council-of-europe-cooperation-against-cybercrime-h...> Opportunities Work with us! Open positions that are vital for human rights in the digital age <https://www.accessnow.org/content-type/jobs-and-internships/> Is one of our job openings right for you? Check them out, and remember: for all Access Now openings, and at every level at our organization, women, people of color, LGBTQI individuals, and members of other minority or marginalized groups are strongly encouraged to apply! Read more via Access Now <https://www.accessnow.org/content-type/jobs-and-internships/> [image: Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/accessnow?ref=ts> [image: twitter] <https://twitter.com/accessnow> [image: g+] <https://plus.google.com/+AccessnowOrg/posts> [image: Tumblr] <http://accessnow.tumblr.com/> [image: YouTube] <https://www.youtube.com/user/accessorg> Editor: Donna Wentworth Thanks for subscribing! Share our free newsletter with your friends or invite them to subscribe <https://www.accessnow.org/campaign/#sign-up>. Feedback? Contact express@accessnow.org. Access Now <https://www.accessnow.org/> defends and extends the digital rights of users at risk around the world. Your support makes a difference. Donate here <https://donate.accessnow.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1921&ea.campaign....> . accessnow.org | P.O. Box 20429, Greeley Square Station, 4 East 27th Street, New York, NY 10001-9998 You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Access Now Express. To unsubscribe, click here <https://act.accessnow.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1921&ea.campaign.id=...>. This email and all other Access Now communications are sent in compliance with our Data Usage Policy <https://www.accessnow.org/data-usage-policy/>. Feel free to contact us at *info@accessnow.org <info@accessnow.org>* with any questions or concerns. [image: supporter]