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5.17.2002


Yee haw kiddoes.... a few comments I sent to the Council of Europe were actually included in their most recent report by the Directorate General of Human Rights.

In a nutshell, the comments are related to internet privacy and anonymity etc... and I am feeling especially good due to the other comments that were published. It seems strange and almost surreal that I am in a quasi-academic paper/report put out by a multi-national governmental body.... The other comments came from:

Electronic Frontier Finland
International Chamber of Commerce
Internews
The Motion Picture Association
Mr. Jonathan Robin - Liaison Internet Society UNESCO, OEDC & NGOs
Ms. Claire Milne - UK Internet Watch Foundation Board Member
Dr. Alexander Dix, L.L.M., - Commisioner for Data Protection and Access to Information - Bradenburg, Germany
Mr. Pierre Guerder - Head of te 2nd Civil Chamber - Cour de Cassation, France

Anyway, without being anymore goofy about how neat I think it is that my comments actually fell in with such esteemed company, here they are:

I appreciate the efforts on the draft Declaration on freedom of communication on the Internet." I find that most elements of the draft text are well thought out and offer substantial benefits to the Internet community as a whole. However, I do wish to voice my concern regarding the sections which advocate "balancing" the need for free expression with "the need for law enforcement authorities to trace the authors of criminal deeds."

Though I abhor the thoughts of criminals being able to use the Internet for illicit means, I am much more concerned with government or police intrusion into what should rightfully be allowed to be free and unrestricted anonymous speech. It is imperative the Internet remain "free" in the broadest sense, unencumbered by legislation or regulations that threatens to remove and forever rescind the incentive for individuals to speak out with opinions as eclectic and diverse as the many nations of this world. One cannot hope to "balance" speech and law. Once law enters the fray, the multitude of voices that were heard when their privacy was assured will be reduced to the blather and drivel that commonly passes for discourse on television where voices are also stifled by regulation, intervention, and the lack of anonymity.

Please do all that is in your power to ensure that speech and its requisite components remain intact for years to come and are not subject to a precipitous balancing act that can never truly be achieved.

You can see the whole of the document here:
http://www.humanrights.coe.int/media/documents/CommentsondraftDeclaration(E).rtf

Cheers all -- Have a great weekend

posted by JM at 9:56 AM


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