[liberationtech] CryptoParty in Tunis tomorrow (Saturday, 1st December)

[Collin Anderson]

> My concern is that USAID may have coerced an OpenITP activist training
event in order to gather personal information on Tunisian activists who
recently were responsible for overthrowing a Middle Eastern government.

How can this claim be falsified?


On Sun, Dec 2, 2012 at 6:06 PM, Nadim Kobeissi <nadim at nadim.cc> wrote:

> This is a U.S. government-sponsored event occurring in a country where
> activists were recently responsible for the overthrow of a despotic regime.
> These activists are vested in protecting their identity and personal
> information from any government in order to avoid (at the very least)
> profiling. My concern is that USAID may have coerced an OpenITP activist
> training event in order to gather personal information on Tunisian
> activists who recently were responsible for overthrowing a Middle Eastern
> government.
>
> I have been told that USAID insisted that OpenITP gather identifying
> information on every attendee. I demand that OpenITP immediately publish a
> blog post clarifying:
> 1. Why this rule was established,
> 2. What information was collected,
> 3. How that information was collected,
> 4. How the authenticity of that information was verified,
> 5. Who suggested this rule,
> 6. Who enforced this rule,
> 7. Who currently holds the personal information of Tunisian activists.
>
> Until such a blog post is published I will be discouraging all activists
> in Lebanon and the Middle East from working with OpenITP and will be
> personally withdrawing all my support and endorsement of this organization.
>
> NK
>
>
> On 2012-12-02, at 6:56 PM, Collin Anderson <collin at averysmallbird.com>
> wrote:
>
> Please elaborate on how requiring a real name endangered Tunisian
> activists.
>
> On Sunday, December 2, 2012, Nadim Kobeissi <nadim at nadim.cc> wrote:
> > If by "fumble" you mean "endangering Tunisian activists at the behest of
> a U.S. Government agency," then we just might be on the right page.
> > If OpenITP doesn't want to be misinterpreted, they would do better to
> publish a blog post on these circumstances instead of hushing them up.
> > NK
> > On 2012-12-02, at 5:30 PM, Collin Anderson <collin at averysmallbird.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > The event organizers made an unfortunate mistake in trying to reach out
> to the public. The problem was that there were sensitivities concurrent to
> the event. The real names policy was to try to ensure that certain people
> were not subject to harassment or surveillance. As an attendee it was clear
> OpenITP was trying hard not to hold an event in Tunisia that ignored the
> environment that it entered. Unfortunately this attempted outreach clearly
> backfired. I would call out malicious intent if it existed, but in this
> case it was an issue of exigent circumstances and unpredictable conditions
> that made a fumble look like a conspiracy.
> >
> > On Sunday, December 2, 2012, Nadim Kobeissi <nadim at nadim.cc> wrote:
> >> I have a meeting with personnel from State next week and I will be
> certainly raising this issue.
> >>
> >> NK
> >>
> >>
> >> On Sun, Dec 2, 2012 at 5:07 PM, Asher Wolf <asherwolf at cryptoparty.org>
> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> The ideals of Cryptoparty include the protection of personal privacy.
> >>> This is why this situation is so worrying.
> >>>
> >>> Asher
> >>>
> >>> On 3/12/12 2:03 AM, Nadim Kobeissi wrote:
> >>> > Betrayal of the ideals of Cryptoparty? That is the very least of my
> >>> > worries. What I'm worried about is why is USAID coercing Tunisian
> activists
> >>> > to give up their names and personal data?!
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> > NK
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> > On Sun, Dec 2, 2012 at 5:00 PM, Asher Wolf <
> asherwolf at cryptoparty.org>wrote:
> >>> >
> >>> >> If there was a real name policy - regardless of whether it was a
> front
> >>> >> or who collected the names - it was a betrayal of the ideals of
> >>> >> Cryptoparty.
> >>> >>
> >>> >> - Asher.
> >>> >>
> >>> >> On 3/12/12 1:51 AM, Nadim Kobeissi wrote:
> >>> >>> Hi,
> >>> >>> Can anyone from OpenITP please explain to me how it is acceptable
> to
> >>> >> force
> >>> >>> everyone to show ID at a CryptoParty? I am *extremely* disturbed
> by this
> >>> >>> news, especially regarding USAID funding of OpenITP's event and
> regarding
> >>> >>> the notion that this was occurring in Tunisia.
> >>> >>>
> >>> >>> Was OpenITP organizing this Cryptoparty as an intelligence
> gathering
> >>> >>> operation?
> >>> >>>
> >>> >>
> >>> >> --
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> >>> >>
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> > --
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> >>> >
> >>>
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> >>
> >>
> >
> > --
> > Collin David Anderson
> > averysmallbird.com | @cda | Washington, D.C.
> > --
> > Unsubscribe, change to digest, or change password at:
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> >
>
> --
> *Collin David Anderson*
> averysmallbird.com | @cda | Washington, D.C.
>
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>
>
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-- 
*Collin David Anderson*
averysmallbird.com | @cda | Washington, D.C.
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