Note: Please use the internet to do research on the people, events, and terms that are not clear to you.
To many the internet is a tool to get work done whether it is used for research or collaboration. Others use it as a source of information, information ranging from news to the opinions of others on the likes of Facebook and Twitter. Meanwhile, the rest use it for business, for the purchase or sale of services and goods. The internet has become the town square of the world. Information is traded between people every moment of every day, people become their own publishers, but more importantly people connect. For the internet’s on-going and potential role in the development of the human race, it has been turned into a resource that governments fight over, usually against their people, to control.
The US military has the technology to force connections and communications into an area or country that has cut off communications (be it voice or data). The only problem is that doing so is an act of war. The military has aircraft that can be used to beam AM, FM signals for radio as well as UHF and VHF for television. There are also planes that fly around and restore internet access to blacked out areas. Then there are attachments that can be mounted onto planes and drones that could bring both cellular and data services to the area or population. The approach requires specialized devices that can be smuggled into the area with relative ease. Then there are the satellites that can make a more permanent approach at re-establishing connection with the right satellite dishes. Keep in mind that what the US can give, it can also take away, as other countries have done.
The recent protests in the Middle East have led to the ousting of two autocratic rulers as of this writing. The people there protest the current state of their countries, their ineffectual and usually oppressive governments, and the crimes committed by the government. Several events have led to the protests in the region. Mass protests in Tunisia led to the ousting of President Zine El Abidine Ali, January 14, 2011. A man in Tunisia, discontent with the state of the country and living conditions immolated himself, January 17, 2011. Even prior to these events, there was Khaled Saeed, whose death was caused by police brutality. The Facebook page “We Are All Khaled Saeed” was used as a springboard of sorts for the discontent of the people towards the state of things in the Middle East. The protest in Cairo, Egypt’s capital, began in earnest on January 25, 2011. Then on January 27, 2011 the internet in Egypt was abruptly cut.
The internet is made is made up of Internet Service Providers. These ISPs use routers to establish connections with others of the same ISP and to other ISPs. This interconnection of computers and computer-like devices is what makes the internet possible. When the Egyptian government turned off the internet, it did not have a metaphorical red button. It had to go through all of the ISPs and demand that they shut off the connections in the country. Egypt being an autocracy, the ISPs had no way to fight the demands and were forced to comply. More than 90% of the country’s communications, cellular and data, were cut off in a single night.
The Egyptian government’s reason for cutting the internet was to impede the people’s ability to coordinate and execute further protests in its cities. This, however, backfired and caused the international community to step up support for the people of Egypt. If the internet had not been cut, most of “Generation Y” in the US would not have given a second glance at the unfolding situation in the Middle East. This was the first time where an entire country disappeared from the digital landscape. In a country that is believed to have over 150,000 political bloggers writing about the Egyptian government, the blackout forced many of them to turn to the streets, joining others in protest. Companies such as Google and Twitter found ways to keep the people of Egypt connected to the outside world, and allowed them to keep the world updated after the media blackout.
In regards to media blackouts, WikiLeaks, a whistle-blower type news site, was taken off-line in the United States. After many government officials and agencies stated that the most recent leaks (wiki cablegate) were a threat to national security, the act could be considered treasonous. The removal of WikiLeaks is not limited to the US, other countries have followed suit and blocked off access to the site. In Germany, Theodor Reppe’s home was raided. In Australia, the Australian Communications And Media Authority tried to blacklist the website for all Australians, but it never came to pass. In Thailand, the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation has censored WikiLeaks. In the People’s Republic of China, any website with the word “WikiLeaks” in the URL is blocked.
The People’s Republic of China is a near perfect example of government control over the internet. China gained access to the internet in 1994 and in 1997 the Chinese Ministry of Public Safety took steps to regulate the peoples use of the internet. In 1998, the Golden Shield Project was started and is often referred to as the “Great Firewall of China.” The purpose of this firewall is to censor access to information that the government deems inappropriate for the population. What the government deems inappropriate, however, ranges from pornography to social dissent. Using a variety of methods the government has effectively made China an island in the digital landscape where only certain traffic can go in and out.
The firewall in China is not that much different from those that can be purchased in retail stores. The concept is the same, and many of the techniques used are the same. The major difference is the Great Firewall of China is forced upon the population and used to keep the people uninformed. When the people have a need for something, they will find a way to meet those needs. If there is no alternative, people invent an alternative. With regard to the firewall, the people of China have found ways of getting around it. Using proxies, Onion routing, software and services from companies outside of China, the people can access the entirety of the internet. Sadly, the majority of the people are either not aware of these methods or are afraid to use them for fear of castigation by the government.
The Chinese government’s response was the creation of the Green Dam software that had to be installed onto any new PC or laptop that was sold in the country. The official statement by the Chinese government was that the software blocks pornography. Upon further study of the software, it was found that it could be used for surveillance and electronic censorship. Due to several incidents, vulnerabilities and defects, the software is now no longer mandatory on new systems. The government stopped funding for the software in 2009; the developers of the software are shutting down for financial reasons.
In recent news, the US presidency wants the power to turn off the internet in the event of an unmanageable attack on US networks. This power would not just turn off the internet for government systems, but could also be used to turn off private networks. The Bill was first introduced in the summer of 2010, it has since been revised. The original bill stated that it would only affect the computers and networks of critical importance to the US’s infrastructure. The revised bill gives the executive branch the power to designate any computer or network as vital, and that is not subject to judicial review. Checks and balances is a system that is integral to the functioning of our government. Without it the branches would abuse their power. Upon the executive branch’s declaration of a national cyber emergency, the presidency would have full control over almost any and all computer networks.
The kill-switch would give the presidency the power to shut or isolate the computers or networks of anyone or any group. Without judicial review, the possibility for the abuse of power is significant. What is to stop our government from silencing and disrupting protestors, as is the case in Egypt? What stops the government from monitoring the people, as is the case of China? Can our government be trusted to control the internet with limitless power? There are government agencies that do have near limitless power and these agencies are just as prone to accidents as their limited counterparts.
The Department Of Homeland Security (DHS), created after the September 11 attacks, is responsible for protecting the US from terrorist attacks as well as responding to natural disasters. The Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arm of the DHS was given the power to seize domain names in late 2010. In mid February, the ICE seized a domain name for child pornography. The problem with this is that the domain was also the host to over 80,000 sub-domains. Small businesses or private owners owned many of these sub-domains. Normally it would not have been a problem; ICE would just give the domains back to the rightful owners. The problem is that ICE posted warning banners all over the legitimate sites stating: “Advertisement, distribution, transportation, receipt, and possession of child pornography constitute federal crimes that carry penalties for first time offenders of up to 30 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, forfeiture and restitution.” Any visitors to the sites were shown the banners. Owners of the sites could do nothing about the banners for about a week. DHS and ICE have publicly ignored this incident and instead focused on the numbers of legitimately dangerous sites that were taken down. For the owners of the wrongfully taken down sites, there does not seem to be any recourse to their damaged images.
In an era where some are seeking to make the use of the internet an inalienable right, the governments around the world try to restrict the people’s freedoms. Advances in technology have reduced the need for office space as the workers can now work from home. It has changed the way people communicate with each other: video chat, texting, and instant messaging to name just a few. With all new advancement, its progress should be monitored and shaped responsibly. However, it has become harder and harder to tell what is good for the people when the people themselves do not know what they want, or what goes on around them. So use the internet, learn and connect with others, publish that book you’ve been writing, write of your day and experiences in that blog because someone, somewhere, someday will learn from you.
Addendum:
After the writing of this article, the Libyan government took action against protestors in a violent way. There have been reports that Muammar Gaddafi hired mercenaries to suppress the crowds and protests with live ammunition. Within days, there have been hundreds of people confirmed dead and the number is set to rise. There have also been reports that Gaddafi has ordered air and artillery strikes against the cities where protests are ongoing. On February 21, 2011, two Libyan pilots, with their jets carrying rockets and loaded machine guns, defected to Malta after being ordered to bomb and strafe protestors. On February 24, 2011, two pilots ejected from their aircraft into villages occupied by protestors rather than bomb civilians.
All of this happened after the country’s connection to the internet became intermittent on February 18, 2011. The evidence currently shows that the intermittent connections are caused by internal shutdowns and not due to high traffic volume (Google: Renesys Libyan Disconnect). Regardless, Gaddafi probably hoped that word of his use of violence would not spread to the international community, or to the rest of the population. Yet the people have once again relied on the internet to get the news out to the international community. The people have used the internet to tell others of the violence used against them. The people have gained the support of others outside the country in an effort to remove Gaddafi from his position.