The 10 Tools of Online Oppressors
Digital censorship threatens press freedom, new report shows
New York, May 2, 2011—As journalists increasingly use social media to report breaking news and the number of people with Internet access explodes worldwide, governments are employing sophisticated new tactics to {www:suppress} information, according to a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists, issued today to mark World Press Freedom Day.
CPJ’s {www:assessment} of the 10 prevailing strategies for online oppression and the leading countries utilizing such tactics shows that traditional mechanisms of repression have evolved into pervasive digital censorship. The tools utilized include state-supported email designed to take over journalists’ personal computers in China, the shutting down of anti-censorship technology in Iran, monopolistic control of the Net in Ethiopia, as well as synchronized cyber-attacks in Belarus.
“These techniques go well beyond Web {www:censorship},” said Danny O’Brien, CPJ Internet Advocacy Coordinator and author of the report. “The Internet is being used to spy on writers and sabotage independent news sites where press freedom is most threatened. The aim is not only to censor but to block or disrupt the reporting process and the dissemination of news and information.”
The digital offensive is often coupled with physical {www:intimidation} of online journalists. In 2010, CPJ research shows that 69 journalists whose work appeared primarily online were jailed as of December 1, constituting nearly half of all those in prison.
“These sophisticated, often invisible, attacks constitute a new front in the fight for press freedom,” said O’Brien. “Bypassing censorship is important but basic protection of source data and identities should take priority as well. Combined, these digital attacks undermine our universal right to seek information.”
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CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide
Note to Editors: The full report is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
CPJ monitors Internet freedom and online press freedom violations, working to promote tools and techniques for a free press on the Web. In 2008, CPJ joined the Global Network Initiative, a coalition to ensure companies uphold freedom of expression in their policies and operations. Danny O’Brien tracks developments on a dedicated blog called the Internet Channel.
Media contacts:
Gypsy Guillén Kaiser
Advocacy and Communications Director
Tel. +1.212.300.9029
E-mail: [email protected]
Magnus Ag
Advocacy and Communications Associate
Tel. +1.212.300.9007
E-mail: [email protected]
2 thoughts on “Digital censorship is tyrant’s tool in Ethiopia – CPJ”
It is true that various websites are blocked in Ethiopia now and then, but today on Press Freedom Day 2011 I’m in Addis surfing sites like Ethiopianreview.com, Cpj.org and Abbaymedia.com (which claim to be blocked), and they’re all available.
Ironically, the site I could not access yesterday was Erta.gov.et, the state-owned broadcasting company …
Did you know this?
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Ethiopia: Zenawi Agrees to Extend Egypt’s Veto Power over Abbay
May 3, 2011 at 3:19 am · Gadaa.com
VOA News reported that “Ethiopia has agreed to postpone ratification of a treaty on sharing Nile River water until a new Egyptian government takes office to join the negotiations.”
The treaty, the River Nile Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA), is designed to undo the colonial-era agreements giving Egypt and Sudan monopoly rights over the Nile’s water; these colonial-era treaties have given Egypt veto rights over all upstream projects, such as dams and irrigation. The upstream countries affected by the agreements are known as the Nile Basin countries: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. In short, the CFA is meant to end Egypt’s veto rights over the Nile.
The River Nile Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) would have been due for ratification on May 14, 2011, a long anticipated deadline – after 10 years of negotiations. Five countries, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, signed the CFA in May 2010, but, with the required sixth signatory not on board, the CFA was destined for rejection; however, Burundi saved the CFA by signing it in late February 2011. (The May 14, 2011 deadline was set a year ago when the first signatories inked the CFA – see the video from last year below).
In the latest development reported by VOA News (as mentioned above), days before the May 14, 2011 ratification of the CFA, Mr. Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia has agreed to let the deadline pass and allow Egypt to continue having veto rights over the Nile and upstream projects “until a new Egyptian government takes office to join the negotiations” – estimated to be at least one more year.
Egypt’s veto rights will affect the recently announced Grand Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia. According to media reports, “the interim Egyptian government said it would oppose Ethiopia’s plan to erect a dam along its territory’s Nile water.” (EthiopiaFirst.com)
Many critics of Mr. Zenawi have accused him of politicizing the Grand Renaissance Dam in order to distract the Ethiopian people from the Egypt- and Tunisia-type nonviolent protests. Millions of low income families in inflation-ridden Ethiopia were buying bonds, at the request of Zenawi’s government, to raise funds to build the Dam. Many struggling families have done so by giving up a one-month or two-month full wage under high-inflation economic conditions.
It’s not clear why Mr. Zenawi would collect money from struggling families, during such dire economic conditions, to build the Grand Renaissance Dam, and then declare defeat when it came to the ratification of the very treaty that was needed to build the Dam in the first place. It’s also not clear why Mr. Zenawi would make a national mockery of people’s nationalistic feeling towards Abbay by promising a Dam he knew he’d not deliver – will Mr. Zenawi now say “I punk’d you!” to the nation, shamelessly?!
What are the political ramifications of Mr. Zenawi’s agreement to extend Egypt’s veto power over Abbay by letting the May 14, 2011 deadline for the ratification of the CFA slip? These remain to be seen.