[liberationtech] EFF Resigns from Global Network Initiative

Fri Oct 11 07:09:50 PDT 2013

I believe it was "The right thing to do," just like eating Quaker Oats.

Best Regards | Cordiales Saludos | Grato,

Andrés L. Pacheco Sanfuentes
<alps at acm.org>
+1 (817) 271-9619

On Fri, Oct 11, 2013 at 8:43 AM, LilBambi <lilbambi at gmail.com> wrote:
> I am sure that was a very hard move by EFF after being part of this
> group for five years.
>
> Corporate members being meddled with in regard to their security
> practices about their internal privacy and security systems is no way
> to effectively run any civil society that is hopeful of keeping people
> safe regarding their human rights.
>
> I hope others may also consider making the hard decision to join EFF
> in leaving this group until they can be more effective. It is scary to
> think that faith in a group of this nature can no longer be trusted
> because of government meddling.
>
> I think this is an important move. One that highlights just some of
> the dangers of this meddling.
>
> From the article:
>
> "We know that many within the industry do not like or approve of such
> government interference, and GNI has, in statements, made it clear
> that member companies want permission from the US government to engage
> in greater transparency," EFF's International Director Danny O'Brien
> and Director for International Freedom of Expression Jillian C. York
> write in aletter to GNI leadership. "However, until serious reforms of
> the US surveillance programs are in place, we no longer feel
> comfortable participating in the GNI process when we are not privy to
> the serious compromises GNI corporate members may be forced to make.
> Nor do we currently believe that audits of corporate practice, no
> matter how independent, will uncover the insecurities produced by the
> US government's—and potentially other governments'—behavior when
> operating clandestinely in the name of national security."
>
>
>
> On Thu, Oct 10, 2013 at 4:33 PM, Yosem Companys <companys at stanford.edu> wrote:
>> From: presslist at eff.org
>>
>> Electronic Frontier Foundation Media Release
>>
>> For Immediate Release: Thursday, October 10, 2013
>>
>> Contact:
>>
>> Jillian C. York
>>   Director for International Freedom of Expression
>>   Electronic Frontier Foundation
>>   jillian at eff.org
>>   +1 415 436-9333 x118
>>
>> EFF Resigns from Global Network Initiative
>>
>> Citing Concerns Over NSA’s Impact on Corporate Members, EFF
>> Leaves Industry Group
>>
>> San Francisco - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
>> today withdrew from the Global Network Initiative (GNI),
>> citing a fundamental breakdown in confidence that the
>> group's corporate members are able to speak freely about
>> their own internal privacy and security systems in the wake
>> of the National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance
>> revelations.
>>
>> EFF has been a civil society member of the
>> multi-stakeholder human rights group since GNI was founded
>> in 2008 to advance freedom of expression and privacy in the
>> global information and communication technologies sector.
>> While much has been accomplished in these five years, EFF
>> can no longer sign its name on joint statements knowing now
>> that GNI's corporate members have been blocked from sharing
>> crucial information about how the US government has meddled
>> with these companies' security practices through programs
>> such as PRISM and BULLRUN.
>>
>> "We know that many within the industry do not like or
>> approve of such government interference, and GNI has, in
>> statements, made it clear that member companies want
>> permission from the US government to engage in greater
>> transparency," EFF's International Director Danny O'Brien
>> and Director for International Freedom of Expression
>> Jillian C. York write in a letter to GNI leadership.
>> "However, until serious reforms of the US surveillance
>> programs are in place, we no longer feel comfortable
>> participating in the GNI process when we are not privy to
>> the serious compromises GNI corporate members may be forced
>> to make. Nor do we currently believe that  audits of
>> corporate practice, no matter how independent,  will
>> uncover the insecurities produced by the US
>> government's--and potentially other governments'--behavior
>> when operating clandestinely in the name of national
>> security."
>>
>> EFF's involvement with GNI included helping to define its
>> founding principles over two years of negotiations;
>> coordinating opposition to the United Kingdom's
>> Communications Data Bill in 2011; releasing a paper
>> addressing free-speech issues surrounding account
>> deactivation and content removal; and collaborating with
>> fellow members in internal international technical and
>> policy analysis.  However, EFF can no longer stand behind
>> the credibility of what had been one of GNI's most
>> significant achievements--third-party privacy and freedom
>> of expression assessments of service providers, including
>> Google, Microsoft and Yahoo.
>>
>> Moving forward, EFF plans to continue to provide guidance
>> to the GNI and engage companies directly, but as an
>> external organization.  EFF supports the other
>> organizations and individuals that continue to work within
>> the GNI for the free speech and privacy rights of users
>> worldwide.
>>
>> "Although EFF is taking a step back, GNI can still serve an
>> important role as a collaborative project between human
>> rights groups, companies, investors and academics," York
>> said.  "If the United States government truly supports
>> international 'Internet freedom,' it would recognize the
>> damage its policies are doing to weaken such efforts and
>> the world's confidence in American companies."
>>
>> For the text of the letter:
>> https://www.eff.org/document/gni-resignation-letter-0
>>
>> For this release:
>> https://www.eff.org/press/releases/eff-resigns-global-network-initiative
>>
>> About EFF
>>
>> The Electronic Frontier Foundation is the leading
>> organization protecting civil liberties in the digital
>> world. Founded in 1990, we defend free speech online, fight
>> illegal surveillance, promote the rights of digital
>> innovators, and work to ensure that the rights and freedoms
>> we enjoy are enhanced, rather than eroded, as our use of
>> technology grows. EFF is a member-supported organization.
>> Find out more at https://www.eff.org.
>>
>>
>>     -end-
>>
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