Re: [soac-mapo] Background info?

["Michele Neylon :: Blacknight" <michele@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

+1

On 27 Aug 2010, at 01:56, Stuart Lawley wrote:

> +1
> 
> 
> Stuart Lawley
> 
> Via Wireless
> 
> 
> On Aug 26, 2010, at 8:46 PM, Carlton Samuels <carlton.samuels@xxxxxxxxx> 
> wrote:
> 
>> Avri: " If ICANN is forced to meet such a standard, as opposed to leaving it 
>> up to UAE to do as it sees fit, we will be forcing a regime upon most of the 
>> world, that that world would find intolerable."
>> 
>> +1
>> 
>> Carlton
>> ==============================
>> 
>> On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 12:42 PM, Avri Doria <avri@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi,
>> 
>> Thanks for the references. I think they are worth having.
>> 
>> I was especially interested to read in the OpenNet initiative what could 
>> constitute a basic list of what people mean by culturally sensitive materials
>> 
>> >
>> > The UAE uses the SmartFilter filtering software to block nearly all 
>> > pornography, gambling, religious conversion, and illegal drugs sites 
>> > tested. The state also blocks access to all sites in the Israeli top-level 
>> > domain. ONI's testing of the UAE filtering regime also found blocking of 
>> > sites on the Bahai faith, Middle East-oriented gay and lesbian issues, and 
>> > English-language (though not Arabic-language) dating sites.
>> 
>> > The topics most sensitive for the UAE are those the state views as 
>> > offensive to adherents of Islam. These include pornography, gambling, 
>> > homosexuality, and other cultural issues. Conversion of Muslims to other 
>> > faiths is a sensitive issue. Dating services that allow dating non-Muslims 
>> > are also of concern. Politically, terrorism is a focus, and the security 
>> > forces monitor extremist groups. Criticism of the government, Islam, or of 
>> > UAE nationals are also highly sensitive subjects.
>> 
>> > the "block page" - a Web page with text indicating that the requested 
>> > content cannot be accessed - from Etisalat's system states that Etisalat 
>> > blocks anything "inconsistent with the political, moral, and religious 
>> > value of the United Arab Emirates."
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> If ICANN is forced to meet such a standard, as opposed to leaving it up to 
>> UAE to do as it sees fit, we will be forcing a regime upon most of the 
>> world, that that world would find intolerable.
>> 
>> a.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On 26 Aug 2010, at 13:23, Evan Leibovitch wrote:
>> 
>> > Hello all,
>> >
>> > I'm not totally sure that the posting of background information or 
>> > relevant news stories here is welcomed or frowned upon, but to me it may 
>> > help with the discussion to know what is already happening.
>> >
>> > By this I mean the existing practices of governments using Internet 
>> > infrastructure to block access to sites with objectionable content based 
>> > on names or IP addresses. For example there is this article from The 
>> > Economist on such blocking efforts in Russia and this report from the 
>> > OpenNet Initiative on a variety of blocking tactics in place in the United 
>> > Arab Emirates -- some of which block based on TLD.
>> >
>> > Is it of value to this group to attempt to collect such information? To 
>> > me, we can't ignore what's already being done in the real world, and any 
>> > efforts we make will need to complement -- or at least recognize -- 
>> > existing practice. Trying to dismiss, ignore or regulate existing 
>> > government action seems pointless and indeed counter-productive. It's 
>> > clear that measures by national governments to filter/ban domains with 
>> > objectionable content already exist, and it's important to our efforts 
>> > (IMO) to determine how our proposals here will actually affect such 
>> > efforts without doing damage to other policy priorities.
>> >
>> > Of course, if there is a consensus that such news items and background 
>> > info will not help, I'll stop sending them. I have no intention to be 
>> > disruptive.
>> >
>> > - Evan
>> >
>> 
>> 
>> 

Mr Michele Neylon
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