US bill aims to protect online democracy

A new bill to combat online censorship could be implemented this year if it is given the go-ahead by the US Congress.

The Global Internet Freedom Act (GIFA) is set to fight state-sponsored internet jamming and the punishment of those who use the web.

The act is most likely to benefit users in countries such as China and Cuba whose news is strictly controlled by the state. Bobson Wong, executive director of the Digital Freedom Network, said: "Restrictive governments, particularly China, have been spending a lot of money to filter content they feel is dangerous. Only someone with the resources of the US government can counteract what restrictive governments like China have accomplished."

The bill, which is exclusively concerned with freedom of speech on the internet, comes at time when more and more companies and individuals expressing their opinions on the web are silenced.

Not only will GIFA allow people free speech, it will also enable users to access previously out-of-bounds web sites.

Some human rights activists are sceptical of the bill's potential. "There's no point in developing a censorship-busting distribution system if the reader's digital fingerprints are left all over the web for dictators to find," said Rohan Jayasekera, web editor for Index on Censorship.

Source: http://www.ojr.org/ojr/world_reports/1039734182.php

Free daily newsletter

If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).