Information Policy

The Internet Is Not the Enemy

BY Jillian C. York

As the Islamic State (IS) has conquered more and more territory across Iraq and Syria, the jihadists have added another tool to their arsenal of terror: the Internet. IS propaganda officers have used YouTube, Twitter, and chat platforms to boast of their accomplishments, promote terror by posting videos depicting the beheading of journalists, and recruit young people to their cause. A recent estimate suggests that at least 2,000 Westerners have traveled to Syria to fight alongside IS and other groups -- many of them recruited online.

Comments on IGF Istanbul and the future of the Internet Governance Forum

On Monday 27th September, CDT submitted comments in response to the Internet Governance Forum‘s call for input on its recent meeting in Istanbul.

Overall, we believe that IGF Istanbul was a success and that the IGF continues to grow in importance. While some may disparage the IGF as just a “talk shop,” there is no other environment that allows for fruitful Internet policy discussions without the burdens of negotiated outcomes and political grandstanding.

Source: https://cdt.org/insight/comments-on-igf-istanbul-and-the-future-of-the-internet-governance-forum/

What it looks like when 100,000 people rally for Internet freedom

By Megan Specia

Swarms of protesters took to the streets of Budapest, Hungary, on Tuesday night, waving their smartphones in the air to demonstrate against a planned tax on Internet use. The protest, which was the second in about a week, was largely organized through a Facebook page.

Estimations put the number of demonstrators against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s policy at close to 100,000.

Internet Freedom Pledge Circulates Among Those Who Value Privacy, Free Speech, Innovation

As Election Day 2014 approaches, the nonpartisan Americans for Internet Freedom will be contacting senators, representatives, state legislators, journalists, tech companies, and others who value a free and open Internet to take a pledge supporting Internet freedom.

Hungarians stage Budapest protest against internet tax

Thousands of protesters in the Hungarian capital Budapest have demanded a halt to a proposed law which would place a tax on internet use.

Demonstrators held their mobile phones aloft outside the economy ministry and hurled old computer parts at the gates of the ruling Fidesz party.