Loss of Privacy

If you’re in Ethiopia and use any VOIP services, such as Skype or Google Talk, you can be arrested and sent to prison for 15 years. The Ethiopian government has defended the move as it claims VOIP services are a security concern.

Authorities have also installed a new filtering system that monitors the use of the Internet in the tightly-controlled Horn of Africa country in a move seen as targeting dissidents.

The telecoms law strictly prohibits VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) which includes audio and video related social media communication, and the transfer of information packages through the fast growing global cyber networks.

It also authorises the government to inspect any imports of voice communication equipment and accessories, while also banning inbound shipments without prior permission.

While the government cites security concerns, it has been very aggressive in blocking websites critical of government actions and policies.

Reporters Without Borders also reports that Ethio Telecom installed a system to block access to the Tor network, which allows users to surf the Web anonymously. The organization notes that the ISP must be using relatively sophisticated Deep Packet Inspection to filter out this traffic.

According to Internet filtering and censorship watchdog OpenNet Initiative, Ethiopia currently has the second lowest Internet penetration rate in sub-Saharan Africa and just around 700,000 of the country’s 84 million citizens had Internet access in 2010 (that’s the most recent data we could find). The average Internet speed in Ethiopia, says Akamai, is currently 622 kbps.

Ethiopia only has one ISP, Ethio Telecom, which is owned by the government and has been censoring the internet for some time. This just takes the censorship a step further in quelling any dissent or opposition.

Picture via FileSharing Talk.

The Internet is the single most liberating thing to ever happen to humanity, that is why all governments not so secretly want to destroy everything that makes the Internet great. Starting with SOPA and PIPA there has been one attack on the Internet from corporations and governments after another. Here comes the newest attack on humanities revolution, It’s called the “Internet Protection Act”. And instead of protecting the Internet it attacks the core of the Internet.

If passed this bill will more or less kill all freedom of speech on any websites that have anything to do with New York. All websites from New York or most likely any website with servers in New York would have to include some kind of systems where politicians and other unknown groups can remove any anonymous comments they don’t like online, and if this user does not want his user generated content being removed he must make his real name publicly known and he must submit to the website his real address and IP address as well. In this video I talk about the affects this bill would have and why I think they are trying to pass it.

If you’re having trouble viewing the video, you can download a torrent of it.

For more information, read the Wired article.

This is a concept we all need to remember.

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From the BBC:

Today is Everybody Draw Mohammed day. I almost forgot about it. So, here’s a drawing of Mohammed from the first draw Mohammed day.

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