Cybertarianism:
China and the future
of the Internet
a talk to the World Press Freedom
Committee by Rebecca MacKinnon
Open Society Fellow
Co-founder, Global Voices Online
(globalvoicesonline.org)

The Berlin “twitter” wall

The “Great Firewall” in action

Authoritarianism
has evolved.

Chinaʼs cultural loss of control: “Back dorm boys”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2HOD-nrOY8

Chinaʼs cultural loss of control: “Back dorm boys”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2HOD-nrOY8

Cyber-vigilantism
“Human flesh search engines”

Internet heroine Deng Yujiao

Guangdong Provincial Govt.
forum with “netizens” - Oct. 2009

Prime Minister Wen Jiabaoʼs
2-hour live chat with “netizens”

Glasnost?

Glasnost? Not so fast...

Glasnost? Not so fast...
Wang Xiaofeng:
people are getting too
emotional .. “...without a
proper [political] structure all
Premier Wen can do is interact
with people on an emotional
level...”

Glasnost? Not so fast...
Wang Xiaofeng: “Due to certain problems Wang Xiaofengʼs blog is
people are getting too closed temporarily (for a few days)”
emotional .. “...without a
proper [political] structure all
Premier Wen can do is interact
with people on an emotional
level...”

Imprisoned
Online political organizers
Liu Xiaobo
Huang Qi
Tan Zuoren Zeng Jinyan & Hu Jia

Censorship by Chinese blog-hosting companies
Tianya blog service:
Blog post about
“Tiananmen Mothers”

CENSORED
Your post “Tiananmen mothers organization publishes a
website” has been successfully submitted! Because it
contains sensitive words, please wait for the community
editors to approve it. Please donʼt re-post. Thank you.

Website “self discipline” awards

“Fifty Cent party”
paid & volunteer web commentators

Cyber-nationalism

Riot in Wengʼan county, Guizhou province, Julyʼ08
Summer 2008 marked a shift in
official media strategy: let
official news agencies cover
bad breaking stories to get the
official version out quickly, then
censor unofficial versions.

Networked authoritarianism:
“cyber-tarianism”
President Hu Jintao (June 2008):
“We pay great attention to
suggestions and advice from our
netizens. ...The web is an
important channel for us to
understand the concerns of the
public and assemble the wisdom
of the public.”

Networked authoritarianism:
“cyber-tarianism”
President Hu Jintao (June 2008):
“We pay great attention to
suggestions and advice from our
netizens. ...The web is an
important channel for us to
understand the concerns of the
public and assemble the wisdom
of the public.”
• “Authoritarian deliberation” (Yongnian Zheng)
Technological Empowerment: The Internet, State, and Society in China
http://video.sina.com.cn/news/c/v/2008-06-20/105617742.shtml

Internet & telecommunications: key to
Chinaʼs global competitiveness

Chinaʼs “Green Dam” filtering
software - ostensibly for child protection

...and in the UK...
"All computers should
be provided with net
filtering software loaded
- and the default
position for such filters
should be on."
--Miranda Suit, co-
founder, Mediamarch
As quoted in The Register, 11 June 2009: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/11/censorship_middle_way/print.html
Photo source: http://www.christianchoice.cpaparty.org.uk/?page=map&id=10

Security vs. Liberty
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Libra2.jpg

We are building a global layer
between citizens and government
Government
Citizen

We are building a global layer
between citizens and government
Government
Web & IT
services
Citizen

We are building a global layer
between citizens and government
Government
Web & IT
services
Citizen

We are building a global layer
between citizens and government
Government
Web & IT
services
Citizen

Global “Internet Governance” Bodies
• Law enforcement
• Child protection
• Intellectual property
• Free expression?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seiitiarata/4124482654/in/set-72157622728072417

IGF 2009: Open Net Initiativeʼs
censorship poster censored
http://twitpic.com/pmaku

Suzanne Mubarak presents
“cyber peace initiative”
"Preparing Young
Generations in the
Digital Age: A Shared
Responsibility."
MOU with Family
Online Safety Institute
(FOSI):
“demonstrates the huge
strides the Egyptian
Government has made in
creating a safer, better
Internet for its citizens” -
David Miles, FOSI
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/seiitiarata/4114084863/in/pool-1062424@N22
MOU press release: http://smwipm.cyberpeaceinitiative.org/downloads/0000/0309/Press_release_Fosi_CPI.pdf
Ministry press release: http://www.mcit.gov.eg/PressreleaseDetailes.aspx?id=8kObd0NVYzg=&scroll=Releases

Egyptʼs Internet: safe for young people who
support Mubarak..

Egyptʼs Internet: safe for young people who
support Mubarak..

Egyptʼs Internet: safe for young people who
support Mubarak..

Where are we going?
“Authoritarian “Democratic
Countries” Countries”

Where are we going?
“Authoritarian “Democratic
Countries” Countries”

Where are we going?
“Authoritarian “Democratic
Countries” Countries”

Where are we going?
“Authoritarian “Democratic
Countries” Countries”

Where are we going?
?
“Authoritarian “Democratic
Countries” Countries”

Brandenburg Gate
Nov. 9, 2009
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:U2_at_the_Brandenburg_Gate.jpg