Policy Observatory

Neelie kroes speech for IGF - Defending the open internet

Mon 22 Sep 2014, 16:40

NETMundial has established a solid foundation and we now need to follow through in putting the multistakeholder model on much sounder footing. We need to invest and build a governance structure for the Internet that people can trust! Trust, trust, trust is the key.

Tags: Internet Governance, Neelie Kroes, NetMundial, Internet Governance Forum, Internet, open, trust

Fighting for a free and open internet

Mon 22 Sep 2014, 16:40

Access to internet is critical for fundamental freedoms and economic development. Continued access to a free and open internet depends on effective governance. In the wake of large-scale internet surveillance and reduced trust in the internet, governance of the internet must become more transparent, accountable and inclusive. 2014 is a critical year for global internet governance.

Tags: fundamental rights, trust, surveillance, European Commission, IGF, Internet Governance Forum, Neelie Kroes, Internet, Internet Governance

US Department of Justice thinks companies need to trust gov't on cybersecurity

Tue 9 Dec 2014, 22:20

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) said that the fight against cybercrime would be more effective if private companies put more trust in the country's law enforcement agencies and if they engage more.

But DOJ calls for legislation to require mobile phone operating systems to include back doors in newly announced encryption tools may be a major stumbling block to additional cooperation. FBI Director James Comey raised concerns about law enforcement access to criminal evidence on smartphones after Apple and Google both announced encryption tools for their mobile operating systems.

Dean Garfield, CEO of tech trade group the Information Technology Industry Council, said the tech industry will oppose efforts to pass a law requiring a back door in encryption tools. Such regulations would be "incredibly disruptive in a negative way," he said.

Tags: mobile phones, private companies, engagement, trust, legislation, back doors, cybersecurity, privacy, smartphones, DOJ, US Department of Justice, FBI, Information Technology Industry Council, cooperation, law enforcement, encryption

Second High-level Conference on the EU Cybersecurity Strategy

Fri 22 May 2015, 14:20

The conference is organised on the 28 May by the European Commission and it will discuss trust and security in the digital world. The conference will be opened by Gunther Oettinger, Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society.

The Conference will be an opportunity to explore the way forward regarding the proposal for a Network and Information Security Directive, the EU cybersecurity industrial strategy and the next steps for capacity building for cyber defence and fighting cybercrime.

Registration is open and the agenda is available here.

Tags: Gunther Oettinger, cybercrime, anti-terrorism, defense, network and information security, trust, cybersecurity, European Commission, EU law, NIS Directive

Payment processors are profiling heavy metal fans as terrorists

Fri 14 Jul 2017, 21:00

If you happen to be a fan of the heavy metal band Isis (an unfortunate name, to be sure), you may have trouble ordering its merchandise online. Last year, Paypal suspended a fan who ordered an Isis t-shirt, presumably on the false assumption that there was some association between the heavy metal band and the terrorist group ISIS.

Then last month Internet scholar and activist Sascha Meinrath discovered that entering words such as "ISIS" (or "Isis"), or "Iran", or (probably) other words from this U.S. government blacklist in the description field for a Venmo payment will result in an automatic block on that payment, requiring you to complete a pile of paperwork if you want to see your money again. This is even if the full description field is something like "Isis heavy metal album" or "Iran kofta kebabs, yum."

These examples may seem trivial, but they reveal a more serious problem with the trust and responsibility that the Internet places in private payment intermediaries.

Tags: profiling, Internet, US, online payment, anti-terrorism, trust, payment procesors