[GPSCC-chat] Digital Technology and Human Rights Conf in SF today and Wed

[John Thielking]

Here is the transcript from the first 3 hours of the conference.  You can access the online stream by visiting https://www.rightscon.org 
 
 
Information is power.  Issues are complicated. 
Tools can be used to facilitate surveilance.
Rebecca: Technology can be used to push for change
How do you insure that the tech is compatiable
with advancing human rights.
Software code is law.  
Facebook is not popular everywhere.
Govt uses private companies to censor the Internet
and Iphone apps.
Egypt revolution Facebook page taken down because
site creators were not using their real names,
in violation of FB's TOS.
Tunisia was a testing ground for surveilance and 
censorship software being tested by Western tech 
companies.
Many tech companies say:
"Not my responsibility where the rockets come down"
When govt writes bad laws, the checks 
and balances of govt break down.
How do we insure that companies that run the Internet
don't screw the people.
*************************************
Alla Fatah from Egypt:
He is being charged with sabotage and incitement right 
after he left Egypt to come to the conference.
Find ways to stand in solidarity with people
who are being subject to persecution.
There are 12,000 people in Egypt being detained
by the military govt.
How can tech companies respect Human rights 
of their users. Can't expect cos to change their policies
to benefit activists. Internet kill switch in Egypt.
If the companies chose to expose the law that allowed
this before the revolution,this law could have
been taken off the books before the revolution. There
is a coinciding of interests that allow this to happen.
We need to build the Internet without the power of 
monopolies. 
Social Networking sites should allow us (ordinary users) to have a 
negotiated identity, allow use of psuedonyms.
***********************************
Michael Posner  DRL  Human RIghts and Labor portion
of the State Dept.
A lot of people want to put up traffic lights on
the Internet.
Entire industries and govts are upended by the new Internet
technologies.
These new technologies have not made it safer for activists
to act.  Repressive govts can track and repress
using bots and tracking software.
China suggested international standards for Interent 
content.
We are up against a wide array of legal and technical
obstacles to Internet freedom.
Copyright law: You don't have the right to steal movies online.
Corporations have a significant role to play in
the regulation of the Internet.
We now live in a fishbowl: You have to do the right thing
24/7 or risk being exposed.
Z co (former Blackwater) and others have now signed a code of conduct.
Various forces are determined to control what people
do online.
Five basic principles adopted by successful companies:
Broad principles to guide their actions concerning
free expression
Internal systems to insure that code of conduct is implimented
Internal benchmarks of progress
developing industry best practices
Systematic engagement with stakeholders.
Yahoo, Microsoft and Google are doing a good job in these areas.
No business wants to be located in a high crime 
neighborhood or in a zone where cops are beating up
on protesters.  My problem is your problem.
************************************
Activist facing 20 years in prison in Thailand for hosting 
a site that allowed anonymous users to defame the king:
Many women can not have a cell phone or a computer without the
permission from a man.
Woman in Iran had her women's issues web site shut down,
was imprisoned for a year and banned from practicing
journalism for 30 years.
************************
Thialand: Artilce 112  15 years for insulting the
royal family.  Also computer crime act:
Endangering national security merely for asking
a question.  About 400 people have been charged
with 112, many are not able to be free on bail.
One web site owner is in prison for 13 years for running a web site
that allowed defamation of the royal family.
If you confess, you may serve less time via a royal
pardon.
********************************
Bob Boorstin of Google:
Why are we here?
4 trends:
1)Spread of info tech.  Mobile access is growing
very fast. 2/3 of humanity has access to a mobile device.
Every minute 48 hours of video is uploaded to Youtube.
Impossible to control this by any traditional means.
2)Govts are causing lots of trouble by blocking content.
Democratic govts are blocking too.  40 govts around the 
world are blocking.
3)Most companies are not acting to protect human rights.
Some are doing it purposely.  We are just building this stuff,
we don't care who uses it for what.  Some cos say they 
want to do the right thing but they don't. Not enough cos are
ready to lose money to defend human rights.
4)The role that new techs are playing in revolutions.
Some of the talk has been hype.  In Egypt the Arab
Spring has turned into a military controlled Winter.
What happens online doesn't translate automatically
into offline reality.  There is no borderless
Internet.  The Internet is forcing people to change?
What should we do?
1)Put your users first.  Protect them and give them 
products that they can use.  Most of the world doesn't
have a smart phone.  Should design stuff to work on
2nd and 3rd gen phones.
2)Take action of human rights before you have to.
Must do due dillegence on human rights records o
3) Be transparent and open.  
4) Admit and fix your mistakes rappidly.
5)Come together as companies to make a difference and do 
it before someone else does something really stupid.
For instance: PROTECT IP.  This poses a threat to free expression.
Ideas for how to be effective:
1)Have a balanced strategy, both an inside and outside
strategy
2)Adjust your expectations about how to get things done.
3) Protect your own credibility.
Why should cos do all of these things
1) It is the right thing to do.
2) You are not going to fool all of the people for very long.
3)Doing so will save money.
4) Taking these steps will build your customer base 
and build their trust.  Trust is the killer app.
 

From: Jim Doyle <j.m.doyle at sbcglobal.net>
To: sosfbay discussion group <sosfbay-discuss at cagreens.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 10:38 AM
Subject: [GPSCC-chat] time needed for agenda items

Merge
(proposal) Endorsement of the California Disclose Act
      _____ TIME NEEDED, Brian Good
with
Campaign finance reform (carried over from September agenda)
5 min, Jim Doyle


Report on a protest action: __________ DESCRIPTION NEEDED
Creative actions to stop an additional runway at London's Heathrow airport

      1 min, Jim Doyle

*  Report on a protest action: __________ DESCRIPTION NEEDED
Creative actions to stop purchase of public property, creative
actions to call for impeachment, community organising to get
a recall on the ballot and to win the recall
      2 min, Jim Doyle


Holiday Peace Fair: Approve $40 table fee and recruit volunteers
    4 min  _____ TIME NEEDED, Jim Doyle


Valerie,
It may be a matter of timing between your preparing a draft
and the time I send a duplicate notice.  I repeat the request
when I do not see the original request on what you present
as the latest version.
Jim Doyle



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