Iraq The Latest To Push For Internet Censorship

from the freedom-not-to-express dept

Wed, Aug 5th 2009 7:46pm — Mike Masnick

Looks like Iraq is the latest country to have politicians look to put in place widespread internet censorship rules, and it's upsetting a lot of people there, who see it as an assault on their (only recently granted) right to free expression. Politicians are looking at banning books, as well, claiming they need to stop the dangerous influence some of these books and websites present. It would be interesting to see if there were actually any studies on how effective such things are. I think the folks most likely to be influenced by such things are pretty likely to get around the blocks -- and actually interpret the blocks themselves as more evidence that the blocked content is valid. I doubt bans on such material actually slows its influence. However, it would be interesting if there were actually any research on this topic. Know of any?

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Filed Under: censorship, iraq

15 Comments

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Pwdrskir (profile), 5 Aug 2009 @ 8:37pm

Iran to Iraq
Iran is a good test case, the people are working around many of the governmental blocks. I saw a tv news report where the moderate officials decided to boycott a session of their governmental meetings. There were gathering by the boycotting government officials and a segment of the popular is still defiant for now. Stay tuned…

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Moderates+boycott+presidential+ceremony/1856751/story.h tml
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Aug 2009 @ 9:48pm

Outrageous!!!
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Aug 2009 @ 10:19pm

I personally don't buy the notion that the U.S. is trying to help promote free speech in Iraq or anywhere.

http://dissembly.livejournal.com/
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Matty, 5 Aug 2009 @ 10:47pm

Missing the point completely. this is not about your personal feelings of the US.

Sad to say that after a country just getting some freedom that it will be taken away. What it seems like is that it really is the older generations who try to impose these regulations. the younger people have embraced technology. Iran is a great example of this where you can see the difference in generations.

Now that the younger generations have got a taste of what is outside there country, they have started adopting ideas and tech that they would have not been exposed to.

To bad that twitter, facebook, myspace, youtube will all be banned because they will be seen as bad influences and not as a way to expand communication.
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- Anonymous Coward, 5 Aug 2009 @ 11:14pm
  
  Re:
  "Missing the point completely."
  
  What point? I wasn't responding to any point you made.
  
  "this is not about your personal feelings of the US."
  
  My post is. I think the role the U.S. is playing in either limiting or advancing their free speech is important.
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- Anonymous Coward, 5 Aug 2009 @ 11:14pm
  
  Re:
  and please, don't tell me what this is about either.
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- Anonymous Coward, 6 Aug 2009 @ 12:02am
  
  Re:
  and if mike has a problem with a post I make because he thinks it's off topic then he can tell me. But who are you to tell me what the point is, as if all my posts revolve around some point you made that I wasn't even responding to.
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  - some old guy, 6 Aug 2009 @ 5:45am
    
    Re: Re:
    Shut up loser, you were trolling in an attempt to get people to read your shitty blog. gfy, you have a blog. Wooptidoo.
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    - Anonymous Coward, 6 Aug 2009 @ 12:34pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      It's not even my blog you idiot and the only one trolling is you. Stop trying everything in your power to censor things that disagree with what you want people to think (the only reason you're not censoring it is because it's not in your power to do so) just because you want to people to be brainwashed with what you want them to think. Stupid tyrants.
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    - Anonymous Coward, 6 Aug 2009 @ 12:41pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      and since you won't even respect the opinions of others why should anyone respect, or even take seriously, your pro - tyrant attitude. You can't stand people disagreeing with what you want them to believe and since you can't censor it you get outraged and start to lose you temper. This is a free country, we have freedom of speech just like you do, you have no right to control everyone's thoughts or opinion and if you don't like it tough. But stop crying about it like a stupid baby tyrant who wants to kill anyone who doesn't think, speak, and act exactly like you want them to. Who the heck do you think you are?
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    - Anonymous Coward, 6 Aug 2009 @ 12:48pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      and if you honestly believe that telling people to shut up is going to get people to shut up you are utterly mistaken. It will only make people take note of your tyrant attitude and take more seriously the views that you are trying to suppress.
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Fred McTaker (profile), 6 Aug 2009 @ 12:09am

War Hawks never gave a crap.
Anyone duped by claims of "exporting democracy" are idiots. Any war involvement by the U.S. since WWII has been about being able to claim the most allies in the Cold War, not caring whether any of them are ruthless dictators. Any war engaged in by the U.S. since Vietnam has been about keeping oil cheaper for us than either Europe or the Russians, including and especially the Iraq invasion. We have never cared about totalitarian governments (especially theological monarchies) -- otherwise why would we be so friendly with Saudi Arabia? Even the hackneyed term "exporting democracy" has nothing to do with exporting our particular form of democracy, which almost entirely depends upon the Bill of Rights and related Amendments to the Constitution (which end stupid mistakes like slavery). We're far too willing to let other countries make stupid mistakes in their own Constitutions.

We have never fully defended any form of foreign domestic freedom of speech -- we invade with our own CNN and Fox idiots instead. All we ever defend internationally is pollution, oil, and consumerism, in that order.
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- Anonymous Coward, 6 Aug 2009 @ 1:14am
  
  Re: War Hawks never gave a crap.
  "Anyone duped by claims of "exporting democracy" are idiots."
  
  I wish our mainstream media wasn't so corrupt as to try and sell us this nonsense. Unfortunately we seem to live in an age where misinformation on mainstream media abounds.
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  - Chuck Norris' Enemy (deceased) (profile), 6 Aug 2009 @ 6:25am
    
    Re: Re: War Hawks never gave a crap.
    Come to think of it...the media has been pretty silent on Mr. Obama'a war resurgence in Afghanistan. Bush/Cheney took all the beatings I guess.
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Aug 2009 @ 8:59am

Might not be a bad idea to start pushing to put in place an earthbound version of the Prime Directive - noninterference in the internal affairs of other nations. Just a thought, is all.
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