The UN’s International Telecommunications Union (or ITU) recently approved recommendations from China that allow for more surveillance of the global Internet. Explained in this article on CNET, the new standard would allow countries to engage in, among other things, deep packet inspection – violating the privacy of all Internet users. This is the same tactic that is used by repressive regimes to spy on its citizens. Also approved are “ network operators will be able to identify ‘embedded digital watermarks in MP3 data,’ discover ‘copyright protected audio content,’ find ‘Jabber messages with Spanish text,’ or ‘identify uploading BitTorrent users.’ Jabber is also known as XMPP, an instant messaging protocol (Cnet article).” Germany voiced objections to the approval stating that the UN should not standardize any technologies that allow for great surveillance and less freedom of ideas and information. The UN chose to ignore Germany’s warning and have gone ahead with the approval.  The actual document, Y.2770, is confidential as is their latest meeting in Dubai, which began this week. The United States and many Internet companies have publicly criticized these meetings and the secrecy surrounding them. Since the doors are shut, we will have to wait and see what the UN decides is next for the fate of the Internet.

FightfortheFuture has a campaign to tell your government about your dislike for the ITU and what it could potentially do to your Internet freedoms. Please feel free to participate if you believe in this cause.

*Update 12/10: A Russian-led coalition of countries has withdrawn its support for the proposal. The committees are now meeting to redraft the treaty with the final draft being released on December 13 and a vote the next day. Read all the details from CNET’s article.

Hillary Clinton has said she will resign from the Secretary of State position in the coming months. There are rumors that Howard Bowman, a SOPA supporter, is being considered for the position.

Please go to this website and fill out the form on the right to send a letter to Obama and the Senate expressing your concern for the potential appointment. Every letter counts and through our voices, we can make a difference for internet freedom.

*Please note that the letter has been typed for you. You can just enter your information and submit or you can adjust the letter to your liking and then submit. You have the freedom to voice your opinion as you see fit.

On Tuesday, American’s voted for what they believe in and through their voting, clearly said we will not stand for those who try to take away our freedoms.

Three of the 23 remaining representatives that co-sponsored SOPA lost their re-election bids and a fourth decline to run again.  Due to California’s open primary, Berman (D) and Sherman (D) ran against each other in a newly drawn district. Bono Mack (R) lost to Ruiz (D) and Baca (D) lost to McLeod(D). When the public backlashed against SOPA, Holden (D) and Quayle (R) both withdrew their support for the bill and subsequently, were both defeated in the primaries earlier this year.

None of these losses can be attributed directly to the representatives’ support of SOPA. Nevertheless, with four less allies in the House, the motion picture industry will have a harder time finding support for a resurrection of these bills, or any like them, in the future. For further and more in depth information, please refer to this article from arstechnica.

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