Twitter Steps Down From the Free Speech Party
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Re: Twitter Steps Down From the Free Speech Party
#2> Experts in the country question whether these requests have any legal authority
As much as it sucks that Twitter is forced to do this, the government of neither Russia or Pakistan has a legal system which I would trust to fully respect the rule of law in this matter--either is likely to simply block the service if the requests are not acknowledged.
As principled as Google's stand was in refusing to pull an offensive video, it probably did more to stifle the free flow of information than had they pulled the "offensive" video on request. At least that way people would have an idea of which specific videos the government didn't want them to see, rather than the entire site being blocked out.
Re: Twitter Steps Down From the Free Speech Party
#3[deleted]
Re: Twitter Steps Down From the Free Speech Party
#4> Experts in the country question whether these requests have any legal authority As much as it sucks that Twitter is forced to do this, the government of neither Russia or Pakistan has a legal system which I would trust to fully respect the rule of law in this matter--either is likely to simply block the service if the requests are not acknowledged. As principled as Google's stand was in refusing to pull an offensiv…
No, really, no. Russian users will notice that Twitter is being blocked by the government a lot more than they'll notice that a few tweets have been blocked. Twitter has the position, and responsibility, to play hardball with these governments. A few days of lost revenue from a Russian block is nothing compared to the lost revenue from an entire nation under tyranny.
Only in China do you have a population so brainwashed that they think these things are being done for their benefit. Russians have an active dissent. Feed it; It will bear fruit.
Re: Twitter Steps Down From the Free Speech Party
#5> Experts in the country question whether these requests have any legal authority As much as it sucks that Twitter is forced to do this, the government of neither Russia or Pakistan has a legal system which I would trust to fully respect the rule of law in this matter--either is likely to simply block the service if the requests are not acknowledged. As principled as Google's stand was in refusing to pull an offensiv…
In Pakistan (from where I am from) the laws we have in place do not actually state who, if anyone, within the country can block anything on the internet. So despite
1. court orders to the effect that the government must seek ways of blocking only only offending content on youtube and not whole website
2. a resolution in the national assembly that youtube should be unblocked
nothing has happened towards unblocking. Activists have gone around and convinced everyone possible that youtube should be blocked. Everyone has claimed they are open to youtube being unblocked. Yet it remains blocked.
Re: Twitter Steps Down From the Free Speech Party
#6> Experts in the country question whether these requests have any legal authority As much as it sucks that Twitter is forced to do this, the government of neither Russia or Pakistan has a legal system which I would trust to fully respect the rule of law in this matter--either is likely to simply block the service if the requests are not acknowledged. As principled as Google's stand was in refusing to pull an offensiv…
No, really, no. Russian users will notice that Twitter is being blocked by the government a lot more than they'll notice that a few tweets have been blocked. Twitter has the position, and responsibility, to play hardball with these governments. A few days of lost revenue from a Russian block is nothing compared to the lost revenue from an entire nation under tyranny. Only in China do you have a population so brainwas…
I'm from China and I just don't know how to refute your last line. Google has been blocked for about half a month now, but average people would not feel a thing about it.
That's just sad.
Re: Twitter Steps Down From the Free Speech Party
#7> Last week, Maxim Ksenov, deputy head of Roskomnadzor, took to Russian newspaper Izvestia to complain about an unnamed Twitter account that "published monstrous things" and called for the overthrow of the political regime and the destruction of capitalism. Ksenov threatened to block Twitter entirely unless they "listen to us and periodically remove illegal content."
Wait, so calling for the destruction of Capitalism is illegal now in Russia?
That might be news to the quarter of the Duma who are Communists: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_the_Russian...
Re: Twitter Steps Down From the Free Speech Party
#8> Experts in the country question whether these requests have any legal authority As much as it sucks that Twitter is forced to do this, the government of neither Russia or Pakistan has a legal system which I would trust to fully respect the rule of law in this matter--either is likely to simply block the service if the requests are not acknowledged. As principled as Google's stand was in refusing to pull an offensiv…
No, really, no. Russian users will notice that Twitter is being blocked by the government a lot more than they'll notice that a few tweets have been blocked. Twitter has the position, and responsibility, to play hardball with these governments. A few days of lost revenue from a Russian block is nothing compared to the lost revenue from an entire nation under tyranny. Only in China do you have a population so brainwas…
The last line about China seems extremely unnecessary and inaccurate.
Re: Twitter Steps Down From the Free Speech Party
#9> Experts in the country question whether these requests have any legal authority As much as it sucks that Twitter is forced to do this, the government of neither Russia or Pakistan has a legal system which I would trust to fully respect the rule of law in this matter--either is likely to simply block the service if the requests are not acknowledged. As principled as Google's stand was in refusing to pull an offensiv…
>As principled as Google's stand was in refusing to pull an offensive video, it probably did more to stifle the free flow of information than had they pulled the "offensive" video on request.
It definitely feels like a lose-lose situation for liberty when governments can pressure websites to censor at the risk of a total block.
Google is currently working on a crowdsourced proxy called uProxy in order to push back against censorship. If uProxy succeeds, it will no longer be necessary to meet censors half way.
Re: Twitter Steps Down From the Free Speech Party
#10> Last week, Maxim Ksenov, deputy head of Roskomnadzor, took to Russian newspaper Izvestia to complain about an unnamed Twitter account that "published monstrous things" and called for the overthrow of the political regime and the destruction of capitalism. Ksenov threatened to block Twitter entirely unless they "listen to us and periodically remove illegal content." Wait, so calling for the destruction of Capitalism…
There is a saying: Умом Россию не понять (You cannot understand Russia with your mind).