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Free the internet

5 comments on Free the internet

Free the internet

: Hoder calls for ending the embargo on Iran — and other repressed nations — when it comes to the Internet so the people there can find and exercise their human right of free speech:

I really believe it’s time to use the momentum that “freedom for repressed people” rhetoric of Bush has created and ask for some of the stupid parts of the US embargo on Iran that only harm the free speech of the Iranian people to be lifted….

I think the whole thing deserves more attention from the American liberal media and, honestly, it’s a perfect topic for editorial writers of liberal newspapers, such as New York Times. Can anyone help?

5 responses to “Free the internet”

  1. Soldier's Dad Avatar
    Soldier’s Dad

    Publishing(as long as it is not on behalf of the Government of Iran) is exempted under export restrictions.
    31 CFR PART 160 – Iranian Transactions Regulations
    This whole “scandel” is most probably based on a private company making the decision that it is not financially worthwhile to determine if an Iranian Website is funded by the government of Iran or a private individual.

  2. Stuart Avatar
    Stuart

    All I can think of every time I hear stories like this is the UNs attempts to take control of the Internet (and the oceans).
    They do not have the same goals as us. Why don’t reasonable people understand this?

  3. /pd Avatar
    /pd

    Actually how will America feel– if the other countries limit /block content of American ISP’s. Whats good for the ‘goose’ has to be good for the ‘gander’ too. Won’t this also be a ‘freedom of speech’ ? i.e freedom of not wanting to take amercian content provided by ISP’s in amercia ?? Would this be legit behaviour ?? Just asking…

  4. button Avatar
    button

    Somebody should leave a message about this issue for Mr Wolfowitz on the D.O.D. bulletin board.
    By the way, we lost the blogging mullah, too. I tried to conjure him up last night, but his blog was gone. I hope his head is not gone, too.

  5. reza Avatar
    reza

    Making distinction between government owned and privately owned websites is practically impossible for ISPs in US.
    Very small portion of Iranian websites might be owned by Iranian government. It is simply stupid to block all for those few. Even goverment owned ones are not all propaganda tools. For example, the blog of former Iranian vice president was the one who leaked the info that bloggers who made confessions in Iranian national TV where in fact are severly tortured. The Iranian Students News Agency which was cut off by The Planet ISP is funded by Education Ministry in Iran, but they have been very bold in reporting many things that hardliners in Iran do not wish to be reported.
    ISPs blocking Iranian sites has been also a very bad news for Iranian bloggers who have been complaining about Iranian government censorship of Internet. Now Iranian government can say look Americans censor you too.
    Sanctions on anything related to exchange of information should be dropped all together. OFAC in the State Department has performed awfully in this regard. Information exchange was excempted from the sanctions when the congress passed the sanctions against Iran. However, since you can’t give Iranians a website without collecting the fee, you still can be targeted by OFAC opaqe rules against doing business with Iran.
    OFAC has to come out and explicitly say that such small transactions made in the area of information exchange are excempted from sanctions against Iran.