Focus On Net Freedom Praised
Internet firms, tech industry associations, public interest groups and lawmakers praised the announcement from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that the Obama administration would make Internet freedom a key diplomatic priority. In a speech Thursday, Clinton said the United States is "committed to devoting the diplomatic, economic, and technological resources necessary to advance" the freedoms that the Internet and other technologies help support.
She said media and tech companies have a responsibility too and urged them "to take a proactive role in challenging foreign governments' demands for censorship and surveillance...They need to consider what's right, not simply what's a quick profit." She noted Google's recent decision to stop censoring search results for users in China, a move made in response to cyberattacks that originated in China targeting Google and others.
But it remains to be seen whether other firms will heed Clinton's call to follow Google's lead. TechAmerica President Phil Bond said in a statement that his group agrees with Clinton that "a single, secure and uncensored Internet is critical both for human rights and global prosperity." But he added that his group looks to "the U.S. government to address laws and practices in other countries that either facilitate censorship, oppression or a fractured Internet." And Computer & Communications Industry Association President Ed Black said in an interview after Clinton's speech that while U.S. industry may be able to make changes at the margins to help promote Internet freedom in some countries, "It's up to countries to fight other countries, not companies."
Facebook Manger of Public Policy Communications Andrew Noyes said "companies like ours have been looking for guidance from the U.S. government and we're glad to hear that this is a priority at the State Department."
Clinton argued that it is not only morally right to resist foreign government censorship but also makes good business sense, a claim echoed by others. "The secretary made an important point: Access to information and access to knowledge, facilitated by the Internet, are in the long-term economic interests of companies and countries alike," Sally Wentworth, the Internet Society's senior manager for public policy, said.
Some groups tied Clinton's calls for Internet freedom to the battle being waged before the FCC over network neutrality rules, which would bar broadband providers from prioritizing Internet content. The Open Internet Coalition said such rules are "critical to making sure that the freedom of choice for our own citizens is protected." Public Knowledge President Gigi Sohn echoed this view, while also calling for legal protections for the content of text messages.
Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., said in a blog post Thursday on Talking Points Memo that he wants to work to "find ways to press these nations to work cooperatively and openly to establish the basic rules for Internet access that are fair and respectful of individuals."
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Internet Freedom
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