Reader Response Draft 1

The powerful bandit against internet freedom – should we stop him?

Morozov (2015) tells us “But it’s hardly a global defeat for Google: the company is still expanding elsewhere…” in the article “Who the true enemy of the internet freedom- China, Russia or the U.S?” I read the first few paragraphs of the article. And my desire to work in the Google in America intensified despite the author hinting me, through the title, that the U.S might be doing something unacceptable. It is my goal to contend myself one day, telling that I have also contributed to the “ever-growing” Google. However Morozov has changed my perspective about my career.

Morozov asserts in his article that though Russia and China restrict internet freedom to maintain their technological sovereignty on their land, it is the U.S that exploits internet freedom to assert its digital sovereignty globally. Not just Russia and China, but other countries like Brazil also take actions to reduce their dependence on American-run communication services. And Morozov points out that these actions are condemned by the U.S. It is reported in the article that the U.S have great interest in the information that are serviced by their companies but stored elsewhere. Finally the author concludes that countries are imposing stricter internet censorship and control over their citizens’ data not just in response to domestic tension, but concerning the growing technological supremacy of the U.S. I strongly agree with the author’s assertion. However I would go further by adding that the expansion of U.S technological sovereignty globally, using powerful strategies has to be restricted; before it becomes very hard for other nations to undo it.

As stated in the report “Privacy and Human Rights”, written by Privacy International (n.d), Universal Declaration, 1948, specifically protected territorial and communications privacy. Now the rules should be much stricter. But on the other hand, the retrieval of personal data by the U.S seems to increase and happen globally. This is supported by Morozov, in his article, who briefly narrates the disagreement between the U.S government and Microsoft regarding gaining access to data stored by the Microsoft in Ireland. Infringing anyone’s privacy is wrong. If it is legalised for the governments to do so, it should be only that of their citizens’

I support the fact that it is fine for other nations to react against the U.S’ increasing control in the communication sector, though it is a stab on internet freedom . The U.S has already developed huge companies like the Microsoft and the Google. As what Morosoz has stated in his article, it is also hard to replace such services easily by other countries. Other nations need time to form their own “Google” or “Microsoft”. In the meanwhile, the nations can increase internet censorship and control their citizens’ data inland, as to restrict the expanding technological supremacy of the U.S.

I fear that the U.S will be able to use its rising power in the communication sector to interfere or influence the politics of other countries. We all know that the internet play an important role in politics. It helps politicians to mobilise supports, increase their popularity, convey important messages to the people and etc. Just like how a nation can determine what information its citizen have access to on the internet, the U.S might be able to do it border-less with its growing power. If the U.S easily gains access to the data, serviced by its company elsewhere, today, it might be able to even alter the data without anyone’s acknowledgement in the future.

Returning back to my plans about my career, how was it changed after reading Morozov’s article? I have not changed my decision to go to the U.S to work. I believe that I can learn a lot from such a country which is victorious in establishing its highly futile services everywhere. However I will return back to my homeland to help it uphold its technological supremacy inland.

(659 words)

Reference:

Morozov, P. (2015, January 4). Who’s the true enemy of the internet freedom – China, Russia, or the U.S? The Guardian Retrieved from

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jan/04/internet-freedom-china-russia-us-google-microsoft-digital-sovereignty

Privacy International. (n.d) Privacy and human rights. Retrieved from http://gilc.org/privacy/survey/intro.html