ACTA soon to join graveyard of attempts to cut online liberties

Now that EC digital chief Neelie Kroes has acknowledged ACTA is set to fail and join the growing worldwide graveyard of deceptive attempts to lockdown the Internet, maybe we can move on and start co-designing a truly user centered framework for our global digital future. While this sounds great, my only concern is who (or which entity) has the legitimacy to start this conversation ? I’m afraid none of the existing bodies are “free” enough to tackle such a global wicked problem. Particularly if it involves using remedies and solutions from the past.
We are living a historic time, the answers we will provide are likely to shape the future of our society for generations. Let’s not miss this unique opportunity to build upon what the Internet and the Web have achieved, to design the first Global Digital Policy Framework. Internet is a county that has all the flavors of a country except physical territory. We are all citizens of the Internet, let’s unite and follow this metaphor in this global co-design challenge.

(May 8, 2012 article from The Guardian )

Latest News : May 9, 20012,  Switzerland to postpone signature of ACTA in light of general controversy and protests.

On a causé de protection de la sphère privée…

Reblogged from la Muse:

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Des habitués (déjà!) et de nombreux nouveaux venus pour la causerie du jeudi 19 avril consacrée à la protection de la sphère privée et à la transparence. C’est l’équipe de ThinkData.ch qui a animé la soirée. ThinkData.ch est un service en ligne de sensibilisation à la protection des données et à la transparence destiné dans un premier temps aux organisations, mais par la suite à tout un chacun: employés, citoyens ou anonymes.

Read more… 432 more words

Stay tuned for multi-language (V1.5) and plenty of great features for the next major step (V 2.0) of ThinkData, including multi-jurisdiction, personas, Open Data, etc. Feel free to contact me or the ThinkData.ch team in case you want to join the effort in any way (ideas, funding, doing, etc.)

Special Presentation by Korea NIA agency president, Dr. Seang-Tae Kim on Smart Society

As Concerned Citizens, Concerned Workers, Concerned Parents, Concerned Species in an increasingly complex, multistakeholder, digital society facing “wicked problems” for its sustainable future, there is urgency in rethinking what information society we want to live in. We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to hear Dr, Seang-Tae Kim, president of the Korean National Information Society Agency, sharing his view on the coming of smart society.

Everyone is welcome to the talk on Tuesday October 25, 2011 at Uni-Mail, 6:15 pm, Room M S 150.

This is all the more significant than Korea is ranked #1 in the 2010 UN E–Government Development Index and E-Participation Index. Korea is among the most connected and technology driven societies in the world with a culture of exploring digital territories in its DNA. I am extremely enthusiastic about this, having lived myself for two years in Korea. During my stay, I was able to experience first hand this extraordinary phenomenon of a country having undertaken a massive effort in developing its society around digital technologies. As a foreigner and immigrant, not only did I feel comfortable and “at home”, but I was able feel “included” (even when dealing with basic issues with the administration). After returning, I admit having had a shameful feeling looking at our own administration and how we welcome foreigners. Part of my soul stayed in Seoul and I therefore feel partly Korean. 감사합니다

For details, please refer to the official announcements in the news section of HEC Genève or on the CUI news page.

Just a PUR pack of BS !

Coincidentally, as the report on Internet policy by Frank La Rue is just out, expressing “deep concerns” about “graduated response” and disconnecting users from the Internet (explicitly referring to France HADOPI and UK Digital Economy Act 2010), France is launching another communication campaign with a set of Pathetic clips going live this month and la new Label called “PUR” standing for “Promotion des Usages Responsables” (promotion of responsible uses).

I just don’t get it! Not only has the campaign cost over 3 M € for communicating on a law that is increasingly being recognized as going against a fundamental human right, but much worse : this is a deceptive message playing on negativity instead of the initially planed positive communication as pointed out by Numerama.

Several fun remixed deviated PUR labels have already appeared, check them out on Google Images among the original ones. Some are really creative!

There is urgency in addressing these global issues in a responsible and sustainable way.

Internet Access : Finally A Fundamental Human Right according to UN Special Rapporteur Frank La Rue

Borrowing from the phrase of Armstrong: That’s one small step for the UN, one giant leap for the Internet!

Frank La Rue, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression released his report (22 pages well worth reading) submitted to the 17th session of the Human Rights Council on the “key trends and challenges to the right of all individuals to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds through the Internet“.

His conclusions and recommendations are clear and call for no further argument. In a nutshell : Internet Access is a fundamental human right. Now maybe we can move on with the real discussions and issues on how to creatively address some of these global problems currently hampered by ridiculous territorially bound legislations that have been hijacked by lobbies and industry led pressure groups.

So long HADOPI, ACTA, Protect IP Act, etc. Long live the Internet ! and let’s get to work, we’ve got a responsible digital society to build… Time for Responsibility 2.0 : towards A new World Order ?