Consider what this new reality means: In three of the four most populous countries in the world, governments have empowered themselves to order posts from the internet taken down by citizens they don’t like. .
Indonesia — the world’s fourth most populous country and a democracy — is in the process of enforcing what civil rights groups say is overly broad regulation. Request removal of speech online Anything that a public official considers to be contrary to society or public order and morals. Most of the major Internet companies such as Google, Meta, Netflix, TikTok, Apple, Twitter, etc. agreed For now, just follow the rules.
Indonesia’s regulations are another sign that tight online controls are no longer limited to authoritarian states like China, Iran, North Korea, and Myanmar. There is also an ever-expanding range of democracies that use the law and the Internet to shape public discourse and beliefs.
In free societies, there has long been a tug-of-war over free speech and its limits. But one of the enduring problems of the online age is that the internet and social media have made it easier for people to share their truths (or lies) with the world, making them more attractive to the public. What should governments, digital companies and citizens do now? A leader who shuts everything down.
What is happening in 3 of the world’s 4 largest countries: China, India and Indonesia. The United States is her third largest and simpler than that. This fits the classic definition of censorship. The government is trying to silence outside criticism.
Indonesian officials say new regulations are needed to protect people’s privacy, remove online material that promotes child sexual abuse and terrorism, and make the internet a welcoming space for all. says.
Governments sometimes have good reasons to shape what happens online, such as preventing the spread of dangerous misinformation. But Dhevy Sivaprakasam, Asia-Pacific policy adviser at global digital rights group Access Now, said the Indonesian rule is the fig leaf that the government uses. suffocate Journalism and public outcry, few checks on its power.
The regulation requires digital businesses of all kinds, including social media sites, digital payments, video game companies and messaging apps, to constantly scan for illegal online material and remove it within hours of being discovered. I have. Authorities also have the right to request user data, including people’s communications and financial transactions. Companies that do not comply with the law can be fined or forced to cease operations in the country.
Indonesia’s regulations are new and have not yet been applied, “raising serious concerns about freedom of expression, association, information, privacy and security,” Sivaprakasam told me.
Access Now includes called out Vietnam, Bangladesh, and India.
(My colleague reported today that the Indian government has withdrawn a bill on data protection. Privacy advocates and some lawmakers exempt law enforcement and public institutions from the provisions of the law, while authorities provided overly broad rights to personal data.)
Trying to decide what to do with these laws is even more complicated. Companies in tech and other industries tend to argue that they must comply with the laws of the countries in which they operate, but argue that the laws and governments have misinterpreted them, citing countries such as Russia. They sometimes resist or even withdraw from the country. Among them are violations of people’s basic freedoms.
Access Now and other rights groups say companies should not give in to what they claim is a violation of international human rights and other norms in Indonesia.
U.S. internet company executives should do more than just leave it to Google, Apple, Meta and Twitter to help the U.S. government confront overly strict government controls over online speech. said informally. They say American corporations should not be put in a position to independently try to protect citizens of other countries from abuses by their own governments.
Of course, the question of whether and when the government should have a say in what people post is less clear-cut. Countries such as Germany and Turkey have state controls over online information in the name of rooting out hateful ideologies and keeping society healthy. Not everyone in these countries agrees that they are reasonable restrictions on the Internet or how the restrictions should be interpreted or enforced.
The Supreme Court of the United States may soon consider whether the First Amendment will allow government authorities to prescribe speech rules on Facebook and other large social media sites.
The original utopian idea of the Internet was that it would tear down borders and give citizens the ability to challenge their governments. We saw that version, but the government wanted more control over what happened online: “The government is very powerful and they don’t like to be kicked out. Mishi Choudhary, a lawyer who deals with Internet users’ rights in India, told me last year.
Our challenge, therefore, is to create room for governments to act in the public interest to shape what happens online as necessary, but to allow authorities to maintain their power. to warn the government if it is abused.
Tip of the week
How to buy used gadgets
Interested in buying a used computer, phone, or other device? Saving money and being kind to the planet is great unless you buy lemons. Brian X. ChenThe New York Times consumer tech columnist tells his own story of buying second-hand in a clever way.
Recently, my wife wanted a new iPad Pro, and I drew illustrations and occasionally emailed her. I frowned.
The maximum version of the tablet is priced at $1,100. Add an Apple Pencil ($130) and a keyboard ($100+) to draw on the screen, and you’re spending $1,330. Instead, I did some legwork and bought everything used. My price was $720. Here’s how I did it.
I started by looking for used iPad Pro devices on eBay. The 2021 model was still expensive, around $850. The 2020 model was much less, and in 2020 he ended up buying a 12.9-inch iPad Pro with 256 gigabytes for $600. That’s about half the price of newer models with less data storage.
I was careful. I purchased an iPad from a seller whose reviews were 100% positive and described as “good condition”. The seller has also included a one-year warranty and a 30-day return policy. To my delight, the iPad arrived a few days later and looked like new.
I couldn’t find a good Apple Pencil on eBay or Craigslist, but I found one on Facebook Marketplace. Lives nearby and reviews found him a 5 star seller. His profile showed a photo with his girlfriend and he was very polite in our conversation. I met him at lunchtime in the Taqueria parking lot and paid him $70 through Venmo.
The final step was to purchase a keyboard. Apple sells its own model, but I chose his Logitech model. I found one on Amazon that was described as “like new” condition. This means that the keyboard was previously purchased and returned with the box open. It was $50 compared to $115 new. When the keyboard arrived it looked like the original and worked perfectly.
Bottom line: there’s a trick to buying second hand. There is some risk involved, but you can minimize your chances of being scammed by looking for online sellers with good ratings, generous return policies, and product warranties. Feel the good vibes and meet in public. The money saved was worth the effort for me.
Should I buy a refurbished phone? (Consumer Report)
Before you go…
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They even compared their army to a defeated soccer team: On Chinese social media, many took the unusual step of ridiculing the government for not taking military action to prevent Speaker Nancy Pelosi from visiting Taiwan. My colleague Li Yuan wrote that the online backlash shows that the nationalism encouraged by the Chinese Communist Party may also turn against the government.
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Buyers Note: For those looking for weight loss treatments, there are plenty of options for telemedicine companies.statistics news report Virtual options can be great, but experts also worry that some sites may be ineffective or flood prescriptions purely for profit.
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we have emotions About sound: Twitter’s app now makes hissing and alien-like sounds when users update their feeds.input magnification explored Why sound is so important in technology and product design.
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check this out A hungry goat doing a good job eradicating invasive plants(I have previously shared a video of a herd of goats in New York’s Riverside Park, but I can’t get enough of it.)
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