Tag: Internet Governance

Access has released a briefing document that provides analysis of the outcomes of the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT), an overview of its geopolitical context, and a preview of upcoming internet governance debates at the United Nations.

From 2004, the United States has signed onto free trade agreements with nearly half of the countries in Latin America. As a product of these agreements, Peru, Colombia, Chile, Panama and other Central American countries agreed to enact new and more restrictive copyright laws, which can place important threats on the fundamental rights of internet users across the region.

New mechanisms to censor websites and filter mobile communications could come online in Pakistan, possibly within 60 days, according to government officials in the country and activists on the ground. News that the censorship system is being built directly conflicts with promises made by Pakistani government officials a little less than a year ago to not pursue massive online censorship.

We were deeply saddened to learn this weekend of the passing of Aaron Swartz: a friend, fighter, and spark of brilliance. Many of us at Access knew Aaron well–we were lucky enough to share an office with him for a chunk of time between 2011 and 2012. We’d find him there, in front of a spread of screens–in late, in early, and sometimes not at all. His unpredictable and irrepressible approach to life–and his life’s work–was one of his most defining characteristics.

Shortly after the end of the World Conference on International Telecommunications members of civil society issued a statement regarding the new International Telecommunication Regulations and the future of multi-stakeholder engagement with the International Telecommunication Union.