White House Petition Demands TPP Process Be Open & Transparent

from the yeah,-like-that-will-happen dept

It seems that, with every issue that comes up around here, people are quickly putting together White House petitions on the White House's "We The People" site. The latest, in response to all of these stories about secrecy concerning the negotiations on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), is a petition demanding that the process be more open and transparent.
The USTR needs to be more transparent and inclusive in the Trans-Pacific Partnership treaty. The public should be informed by regular drafts of language released and open for comment. Members of Technological and on line civil rights groups should be invited to the negotiations.
It doesn't have many signatures yet, but perhaps we can help change that...

Of course, as I was finishing up this post, I discovered that there's actually another, similar petition that probably should be signed as well. This one asks the White House to stop participating in the TPP negotiations, which is a much stronger request, and unlikely to actually get agreement from the White House (it also has some silly stuff about "the 1%" which is kinda off topic). I think the more straightforward request that any negotiation actually be open makes a lot more sense. But, either way, it's good to see more people recognizing that the TPP is the next big problem when it comes to Hollywood expanding copyright laws against the will of the public that it will impact. Help make sure the White House knows this is a concern by signing one or both of these petitions.
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Filed Under: open, tpp, transparent, ustr


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  • icon
    Paddy Duke (profile), 6 Feb 2012 @ 4:02am

    'White House Petition Demands Blood From Stone'

    FTFY

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Paddy Duke (profile), 6 Feb 2012 @ 4:05am

      Re:

      The USTR and the other 'stakeholders' are simply not capable of a satisfactory level of candour or transparency.

      They conduct these dealings in secret precisely because the content of the treaties/bills is so unpalatable to the rest of us.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      The Mighty Buzzard (profile), 6 Feb 2012 @ 10:31am

      Re:

      We really should take a page from big content's book and hire a bunch of sleazy lobbyists to throw money at the politicians.

      Donate the money you would have spent on big content's products to a non-profit specifically dedicated to opposing their insanity.

      It would be a double-hit. Take money that they would have gotten and put it to work directly against them.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Ninja (profile), 6 Feb 2012 @ 4:14am

    Nice, we need awareness. I'm spreading this as much as I can!

    The worst enemy we have is lack of awareness, what defeated SOPA/PIPA was awareness.

    ACTA is under heavy attack in Europe after the SOPA/PIPA fiasco brought it to light and now TPP. I've seen Michael Geist talking about TPP fervently for a while now but I really thought it was limited to Canada/US (which is bad enough already) but now I understand it's broader than that. That's what awareness does, takes ppl out of darkness and ignorance and we must help as much as we can.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 Feb 2012 @ 4:45am

    Anyone else here feels that the White House will just look at all these recent petitions and go like "Damn, these people are annoying." and simply terminate the "We the People" section?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Eileen (profile), 6 Feb 2012 @ 5:35am

      Re:

      I certainly think the next administration will (Obama or not). They will say they are "temporarily taking it down to work on how to make it better" or some other lie and then it will never be seen again...

      PS, I signed and posted to facebook. Come on, annoy all your friends!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      abc gum, 6 Feb 2012 @ 5:38am

      Re:

      I imagine the required number of signatures will be increased, and increased, .......

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        E. Zachary Knight (profile), 6 Feb 2012 @ 6:30am

        Re: Re:

        Yep. We have already seen an increase from 5,000 to 25,000 as the White House learned that such a low threshold made it too easy in today's internet society to meet it. Now that we have seen a high number of successful petitions at 25,000 signatures, it is pretty easy to see them upping it to perhaps 50,000 or more.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 6 Feb 2012 @ 11:52am

      Re:

      I'm sure we'll just continue to get increasingly tepid responses from PR people instead of any real results, just like always (even back with the req was only 5000).

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Smurf, 6 Feb 2012 @ 4:51am

    What happened to that vapid and condescending petition?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 Feb 2012 @ 4:53am

    No, when they get something they don't like or is dicey to answer they give a non-answer. Reminds me of an answer you would give the 3 year old kid who has discovered the word 'why'.

    Sounds to me like if this keeps on, there'll be some sphincter muscles puckering.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 Feb 2012 @ 4:59am

    the entertainment industries only have to throw some 'encouragement' in the direction of The White House and this, along with similar petitions, will be totally ignored. they already passed the buck to Law Enforcement over the Chris Dodd petition!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 Feb 2012 @ 5:01am

    OT: Most Radicalism Linked To The Internet

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46274740

    The Home Affairs Committee said the Internet "was now one of the few unregulated spaces where radicalization is able to take place" and played a greater role in promoting violence than prisons, universities or places of worship — a pointed rebuke to other government officials who had identified those areas as high risk.

    "More resources need to be directed to these threats and to preventing radicalization through the Internet and in private spaces," said Keith Vaz, chairman of the committee. "These are the fertile breeding grounds for terrorism."

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 6 Feb 2012 @ 5:34am

      Re: OT: Most Radicalism Linked To The Internet

      the man is a fucking moron!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Eileen (profile), 6 Feb 2012 @ 5:38am

      Re: OT: Most Radicalism Linked To The Internet

      Yeah, clearly it's a breeding ground for terrorism. I mean, just think of all the attacks in the last ten years as the internet has grown! The lives lost! The damage!

      Wait, what? There's been no attacks and all arrests have been textbook entrapment cases of mentally ill people that were no credible threat before the FBI got to them? whaaat? CRAZY. I guess they're just lying then.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Donnicton, 6 Feb 2012 @ 5:51am

        Re: Re: OT: Most Radicalism Linked To The Internet

        The internet has been demonstratively proven to play a pivotal role in overturning entire governments in recent history, however.

        If there's something he's actually afraid of regarding the internet, I don't think it's going to be copyright infringement.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          The eejit (profile), 6 Feb 2012 @ 6:35am

          Re: Re: Re: OT: Most Radicalism Linked To The Internet

          It may,h owever, involve stabbing the lawmakers involved in lying out of their collective arseholes up the same place, so that their shit doesn't stain the UK as a collective.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Josef Anvil (profile), 6 Feb 2012 @ 5:15am

    Off topic

    I missed the Super Bowl (*GASP*), but I woke up this morning and I wanted to watch the halftime show. Instinctively I went to YouTube and watched it.

    Then I thought about TechDirt and I wondered who owned the content. Then I googled the half time show and could not find an official copy. So I went to NFL.com and couldn't find it and then I went to NBC.com and couldn't find it.

    I guess that makes me a pirate because I watched it on YouTube first, but then I thought about it and looked for the "official" version and it just wasn't there. So am I a content thief now? Is YouTube to blame? Why can't the content that we want to watch just be made available? Does SOPA/PIPA/ACTA/TPP fix any of this?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Torg (profile), 6 Feb 2012 @ 5:53am

    Those who count on voters for support need to understand that this nation is watching very carefully who’s going to stand up for them when their rights are at stake. Don’t ask me to vote for you when you think your job is at risk and then don’t pay any attention to me when my rights are at stake.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Jim L, 6 Feb 2012 @ 6:03am

    not working

    I've just tried to sign both petitions.
    The site lets me login, but not sign them.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    timmaguire42 (profile), 6 Feb 2012 @ 7:21am

    WH Petitions is a watse of time

    I find that petition site extremely clunky and stupidly difficult to use (often as not, and for no particular reason, I can't sign in, but there's nothing to say my sign in failed, the petition buttons just don;t become functional).

    Besides, they never respond to the good petitions. Those grapes are probably sour, anyway.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    timmaguire42 (profile), 6 Feb 2012 @ 7:45am

    WH Petitions is a watse of time

    I find that petition site extremely clunky and stupidly difficult to use (often as not, and for no particular reason, I can't sign in, but there's nothing to say my sign in failed, the petition buttons just don;t become functional).

    Besides, they never respond to the good petitions. Those grapes are probably sour, anyway.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    David (profile), 6 Feb 2012 @ 7:50am

    I wish they hadn't said "more"

    The petition asked that the process be "more transparent". From a lawyer's point of view, all they have to do is issue a press release, and they have become more open that they were before.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Some Guy, 6 Feb 2012 @ 9:01am

    Are they playing games with their site? It shows me logged in but the "Sign Petition" button is grayed it. I reset the password and logged in and out a few times and no matter what I do the button is always grayed out. It worked the last couple times just fine.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Digital Consumer (profile), 6 Feb 2012 @ 9:27am

    Seems okay

    Only time its grayed out for me is when I didn't log in, when I'm logged in its fine, using CHrome.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    SolEiji, 6 Feb 2012 @ 9:32am

    Helping out

    Just posted that link to Twitter and my website. I'll get as many people as I can aware of that petition!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 Feb 2012 @ 10:41am

    You guys have to stop being misleading.

    This isn't a "white house petition", it's a public petition, hosted as part of a function of the whitehouse.org website, and nothing more.

    It isn't sanctioned by or support by the whitehouse.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Torg (profile), 6 Feb 2012 @ 1:00pm

      Re:

      Surely anyone who actually think that the Executive Branch needs to circulate petitions about the Executive Branch's actions wouldn't know how to locate this website? Everyone knows that a White House petition is a petition to the White House. To suggest otherwise is ludicrous.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Mike Masnick (profile), 7 Feb 2012 @ 2:32am

      Re:

      You guys have to stop being misleading.


      I'd argue that applies significantly more to you.

      This isn't a "white house petition", it's a public petition, hosted as part of a function of the whitehouse.org website, and nothing more.

      It isn't sanctioned by or support by the whitehouse.


      It's a petition system set up by the White House for people to petition the White House. So, nothing we said was misleading at all.

      By the way, a month ago you promised you were never coming back to this site again, but it only took a month before you were back to being the same clueless fool on every post. What happened to your promise?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Alex V, 6 Feb 2012 @ 11:37am

    'silly stuff about "the 1%" which is kinda off topic'

    I don't think it's off topic at all.

    What has happened with IP and copyright law is just one example of how governments, especially the US government, are now run for the benefit of corporations instead of citizens. And corporations are owned by the 1%.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 Feb 2012 @ 1:52pm

    I can guess what the response will be:

    "Consistent with the We the People Terms of Participation and our responses to similar petitions in the past, the White House declines comment on this petition."

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    firefly (profile), 6 Feb 2012 @ 6:03pm

    USTR is committed to President Obama’s OpenGov Initiative

    I found this while trying unsuccessfully to sign one of these petitions:

    "USTR is committed to President Obama’s OpenGov Initiative, helping to create a government that is transparent, participatory, and collaborative with the American people. USTR’s OpenGov page will allow for the American public to ask USTR questions, review Annual Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reports, and contact USTR officials. As USTR works to create trade policy that benefits American workers and families, the OpenGov initiative will be a vital tool in maintaining an open dialogue with the American people.
    Share Your Ideas

    "USTR has created a comment form where you can comment on USTR's open government plan and priorities."

    I also downloaded the USTR transparency plan (pdf) from this page, which says about the TPP: "This new initiative presented an excellent opportunity to engage more robustly and in new ways with the American public to gain input as the Administration crafts its trade policy." and refers to this page:

    http://www.ustr.gov/tpp

    The whole experience of trying to sign this petition is just a bit too Kafkaesque for my tastes. I think I'll wait 'till tomorrow to read the TPP information which has been posted to make it, not just in compliance with, but exemplary of the OpenGov Initiative. YMMV

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    ColdSteel (profile), 7 Feb 2012 @ 2:08pm

    White House Petition - Internet Bill of Rights

    Guys,

    I am putting together another White House Petition on an Internet Bill of Rights. I would like specific feedback.


    Internet Bill of Rights (Draft 3.5)

    Please sign our petition to urge the Administration to officially recognize, support and defend an Internet Bill of Rights:

    As Americans we are grateful for the daily benefits that a free and open Internet brings to us. We petition all branches of the U.S. Government to protect our precious Internet rights and to ensure that our nation is an example of Internet freedom to the rest of the world. As citizens of the United States of America we petition the Administration and Congress to defend our freedoms by enacting an Internet Bill of Rights.

    All humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights, that every person’s rights must be respected and protected online. We believe that these rights include the right to life, liberty, and security online. We believe that the Internet belongs to all humanity and it is the right of every person to have a place within it.

    1. Right to Internet Access
    Everyone has an equal right to access and use a secure and open Internet. Everyone shall have universal and open access to access the Internet's legal content, free from discriminatory prioritization, filtering or traffic control on commercial, political or other grounds. Without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

    2. Right to Openness of Information
    Everyone has the right to seek, access, receive and research information freely on the Internet, without censorship, prior restraint, or other illegal interference.

    3. Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Association
    Everyone has the right to the freedom of speech and expression. Everyone has the right to impart their opinions, beliefs and ideas freely on the Internet without censorship, prior restraint or illegal interference. Everyone also has the right to peaceably associate through and on the Internet for all legal social, political, religious, cultural and other purposes.

    4. Right to Privacy
    Everyone has the right to privacy online. This includes freedom from illegal surveillance, the right to be secure in their persons, homes and businesses, to be free from unreasonable search and seizure by law enforcement, the right to use encryption, and the right to online anonymity.

    5. Right of Data Protection
    Everyone has the right to personal data protection, including control over individual personal data collection, retention, processing, disposal and disclosure.

    6. Protection of Intellectual Property
    Every artist, musician, inventor, innovator and creator has the right to intellectual property protection or, if they so elect to release content into the public domain. All creators should be compensated for their works and cultural contributions. Creators should receive intellectual property protection balanced with the public’s need for fair use and eventual release of content into the public domain.

    7. Protection of Format Shifting
    Everyone has the right to transfer content to a device and format shift that content, provided the content was legally obtained, and is for non-commercial private uses only. Everyone has the right, for non-commercial private uses, to record an Internet broadcast, being broadcast for the purpose of privately viewing the work at a later time, provided that the signal is received legally, only one recording is made, is used for private purposes and is not shared or given away.

    8. Protection of Children
    Every child has the right to a safe Internet environment. Children require an Internet that will protect them from harmful influences, pornography, abuse and exploitation. All children deserve the opportunity to participate in an Internet that fully promotes vibrant learning, educational ambition, growth opportunities, family enrichment, and rich cultural and social expression.

    9. Protection of Individuals
    Every individual has the right to a fair and safe online marketplace, to be protected from consumer fraud, deception and unfair business practices. Individuals have the right to be protected from identity theft, hacking, online viruses, spyware, malware, spam and online stalking and harassment.

    10. Protection of Legal Rights
    All individuals have the right to not to be deprived of the foregoing Internet rights without due process of law. Law enforcement has the right and duty to enforce the laws of our country that impact Internet use, but only to do so and to deprive individuals of their life, liberty or property upon probable cause, supported by evidence. The potential punishments and fines associated with Internet offenses shall be both reasonable and not excessive in relation to the alleged offenses. All individuals should be presumed as innocent of Internet related offenses until proven guilty in a court of law.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Joan Daniels, 5 May 2015 @ 9:54pm

    Trans Pacific Partnership a Bad Deal For Americans

    This would be the end of the American economy as we know it. Most jobs will be done overseas. It is a real job killer. It is a real economy killer. It gives all the rights to the corporations and it takes government powers away and gives it to the corporations. It is a bad deal for every country on earth. This is a covert takeover of the US and global economies. It is a really bad deal for everyone. It is worst than all the wars combined. It would be the beginning to the end of the America's way of life. We would be giving our personal powers and rights to the corporations.
    This deal is of the devils making.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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