11 Apr 12 | Asia and Pacific, Index Index, minipost
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) has given Indian security forces access to private instant messages. The move follows the setting up of a BlackBerry service centre in Mumbai last February, with official sources reporting that the interception of BlackBerry’s messenger service (BBM) messages will be used in cases where criminal activity is suspected. Law enforcement agents must first seek gain permission from the Home Ministry, before sending a request to the suspect’s operator or RIM for the data it needs. RIM has neither confirmed nor denied the reports.
02 Nov 11 | Digital Freedom, Europe and Central Asia, Index Index, minipost
Governments must not crack down on internet and mobile phone networks during times of unrest, the British Prime Minister David Cameron said yesterday. Speaking at a two-day international cybersecurity conference in London, Cameron said that cybersecurity should not be an “excuse for censorship or to deny their people the opportunities that the internet represents”.
Speaking at the same conference, Index on Censorship CEO John Kampfner said: “as soon as our own Western-style stability of the state is called into question then freedom of expression is expendable. There should be one rule for all, including Western governments.”
19 Oct 11 | Europe and Central Asia, Index Index, minipost
Twitter CEO Dick Costolo has stressed the need to keep freedom of speech as a priority, even in times of civil unrest. Speaking at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco on Monday, Costolo stood by the decision not to suspend the service or reveal user identities to authorities in the wake of the UK riots this summer. Talks between representatives from Facebook, Twitter, BlackBerry Messenger and Home Secretary Theresa May during the riots caused speculation that the government would try to temporarily suspend the digital networks.
17 Aug 11 | Egypt, Middle East and North Africa
The UAE has announced it intends to enforce legislation combating the “spreading of rumours” by social media, punishable by up to three years in prison.
Despite the authorities’ assurance that “there are clear definitions in the law to explain the exact meanings of spreading rumours, spreading lies, or spreading defamatory remarks”, in the words of the UAE’s Telecommunications Regulation Authority (TRA) General Manager Mohammad Al Ganem, the announcement has left a number of users puzzled about the extent and limitations of this law, especially its focus on instant messaging, including BlackBerry Messenger and SMS.
The implication can be far-reaching, as the “rumours'” include those “that could cause confusion among the public and lead to destabilisation of the country’s security” all the way to “spreading rumours about merchandise, cancer-causing agents, or mentioning outlets carrying the merchandise.”
The UAE has had a difficult relationship with the internet and social media. Its list of censored websites, though more limited than many other Gulf countries, included until a few months ago photo sharing website Flickr. Skype is also blocked.
More worryingly, however, in April of this year four bloggers were arrested for calling for reforms in the federal nation, and were charged with using a website called UAE Hewar to “conspire against the safety and security of the state in association with foreign powers”.
Seen in that context, the recent announcement regarding “rumours” can be seen as a thinly-veiled warning for activists whose criticism of the government can be viewed as “defamatory remarks” — a category of speech also punishable by the legislation, which is not a new law but an extension and a new application of the existing penal code.
The announcement has also led to a discussion in neighbouring Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, which generally enforce a level of internet censorship. In Qatar for instance, a newspaper observed the online debate and concluded that “most commentators, though strongly opposed to rumour-mongering, said they favoured free expression through the internet”.
