Ten ways to censor the Internet
state control over telecommunications, denying access to the Internet, and use harmful programs steal information are some techniques used by repressive governments.
On the occasion of World Press Freedom May 3, an organization that defends the rights of journalists identified 10 new techniques that repressive governments are using to suppress information on the Internet. Some
"reveal staggering levels of sophistication, while others come from the old school" said Danny O'Brien, report author and member of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
1. Lock web. "Many countries censoring online news sources using local Internet providers and international channels to set up blacklists of Web sites, and prevent use of certain keywords by citizens' , according to the CPJ report.
On the occasion of World Press Freedom May 3, an organization that defends the rights of journalists identified 10 new techniques that repressive governments are using to suppress information on the Internet. Some
"reveal staggering levels of sophistication, while others come from the old school" said Danny O'Brien, report author and member of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
1. Lock web. "Many countries censoring online news sources using local Internet providers and international channels to set up blacklists of Web sites, and prevent use of certain keywords by citizens' , according to the CPJ report.
One of the countries that use the web lock is Iran: "In January 2011, the designers of Tor, a tool to avoid the privacy and censorship, found that censorship agencies the country were using new, highly advanced techniques to identify and dismantle software against censorship ".
2. Censorship of accuracy. Many repressive governments attack websites only in strategically vital moments. Belarus is known for using this technique, according to CPJ.
"In Belarus, the opposition media in Internet Charter 97 predicted that the site would be dismantled during the December presidential election, told the agency . "What was done: the day of the election, the site was dismissed by an attack known as a denial of service (DOS, for its acronym in English). The DOS attack prevents a normally functioning website by overloading the server with requests external communication. "
3. Access denied. There are governments that severely restrict access to Internet, and where only a small fraction of the population allowed to use the network at home. A majority has no other choice but to use accessible areas controlled by the government. Cuba stands out in this regard, according to CPJ.
2. Censorship of accuracy. Many repressive governments attack websites only in strategically vital moments. Belarus is known for using this technique, according to CPJ.
"In Belarus, the opposition media in Internet Charter 97 predicted that the site would be dismantled during the December presidential election, told the agency . "What was done: the day of the election, the site was dismissed by an attack known as a denial of service (DOS, for its acronym in English). The DOS attack prevents a normally functioning website by overloading the server with requests external communication. "
3. Access denied. There are governments that severely restrict access to Internet, and where only a small fraction of the population allowed to use the network at home. A majority has no other choice but to use accessible areas controlled by the government. Cuba stands out in this regard, according to CPJ.
"Those who manage to evade the obstacles facing other problems. Yoani known bloggers like Sanchez have been discredited in a medium accessible to all Cubans as state television is ", said the report.
4. Control of infrastructure. different countries: Ethiopia. According to CPJ, in this country, the state telecommunications company has monopoly control over access Internet and fixed telephone lines or cell phones. This allows the government to exert a leak "substantial" of political news, according to the report.
5. Attacks on sites operated from exile. "news sites operated from exile also faced censorship and obstruction, often perpetrated by the governments of their countries of origin or their delegates. Exile sites covering news in Myanmar face constant denial of service attacks " said the body that defends the rights of journalists.
6. Malware attacks. different countries: China. Computer programs are harmful also known as "malware" , which can be hidden in emails, "apparently legitimate and sent to the private accounts of reporters with a convincing but false header." If the reporter opened the mail, you install a program on your computer that is used to remotely spy on the communications of the reporter and steal confidential information, according to the report.
7. State cyber crime. Countries like Tunisia use fake Web pages to redirect users to those sites, and from there to steal their usernames and passwords. "The use of fake sites, a common tactic of hackers criminals, is being adopted by agents and followers of repressive regimes. While cybercrime practices appear to have been abandoned with the collapse of the government of Ben Ali in January, the new government has not relinquished control of the Internet as a whole, "according to CPJ.
4. Control of infrastructure. different countries: Ethiopia. According to CPJ, in this country, the state telecommunications company has monopoly control over access Internet and fixed telephone lines or cell phones. This allows the government to exert a leak "substantial" of political news, according to the report.
5. Attacks on sites operated from exile. "news sites operated from exile also faced censorship and obstruction, often perpetrated by the governments of their countries of origin or their delegates. Exile sites covering news in Myanmar face constant denial of service attacks " said the body that defends the rights of journalists.
6. Malware attacks. different countries: China. Computer programs are harmful also known as "malware" , which can be hidden in emails, "apparently legitimate and sent to the private accounts of reporters with a convincing but false header." If the reporter opened the mail, you install a program on your computer that is used to remotely spy on the communications of the reporter and steal confidential information, according to the report.
7. State cyber crime. Countries like Tunisia use fake Web pages to redirect users to those sites, and from there to steal their usernames and passwords. "The use of fake sites, a common tactic of hackers criminals, is being adopted by agents and followers of repressive regimes. While cybercrime practices appear to have been abandoned with the collapse of the government of Ben Ali in January, the new government has not relinquished control of the Internet as a whole, "according to CPJ.
8. Powerful switches for the Internet. different countries: Egypt under Hosni Mubarak. The CPJ reported that the practice of "slow down or block access to the network" has been widely used in Egypt and other countries such as Myanmar or China, to prevent the journalists to tell the world what happens.
9. Detention of bloggers. different countries: Syria. arbitrary arrests "continue to be the easiest way to stop the new media" according to CPJ. In this regard, Syria is one of the "most dangerous" the world to keep a blog "by repeated cases of short and long periods of detention," the report said.
10. Violence against journalists of the Internet. different countries: Russia. The journalists who write for the Internet is increasingly becoming the target of attacks by repressive governments. In this sense, Russia is a clear example: "A brutal attack in November 2010 left the prominent financial journalist and blogger Oleg Kashin so hurt that he was hospitalized with a medically induced coma for some time. No arrest was made in the attack in Moscow, reflecting Russia's poor record in solving attacks against the press, "the CPJ noted.
Voice of America
9. Detention of bloggers. different countries: Syria. arbitrary arrests "continue to be the easiest way to stop the new media" according to CPJ. In this regard, Syria is one of the "most dangerous" the world to keep a blog "by repeated cases of short and long periods of detention," the report said.
10. Violence against journalists of the Internet. different countries: Russia. The journalists who write for the Internet is increasingly becoming the target of attacks by repressive governments. In this sense, Russia is a clear example: "A brutal attack in November 2010 left the prominent financial journalist and blogger Oleg Kashin so hurt that he was hospitalized with a medically induced coma for some time. No arrest was made in the attack in Moscow, reflecting Russia's poor record in solving attacks against the press, "the CPJ noted.
Voice of America
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