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You know how Egypt turned off their internet?

Started by ToxicS, Jan 29 2011 02:25 PM

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50 replies to this topic

#1 ToxicS

2580 posts

Posted 29 January 2011 - 02:25 PM

Are our leaders better than Egypt's? Across the globe, governments know that the Internet is increasingly the lifeblood of democracy -- that's why Egypt's oppressive regime just shut down the Internet there.

But even as American politicians condemn Egypt for doing so, they're pushing legislation to give our government the power to do the exact same thing here at home! The so-called 'Kill Switch' would let the president turn off our Internet -- without a court even having to approve the decision.

PC Magazine has an article about it: http://www.pcmag.com...,2376888,00.asp

Sign the petition here.

http://act.demandpro...act/killswitch/

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#2 Dreww

552 posts

Posted 29 January 2011 - 02:35 PM

PC Magazine has an article about it: http://www.pcmag.com...,2376888,00.asp

Sign the petition here.

http://act.demandpro...act/killswitch/

I don't see anything wrong with the proposal. While the president can potentially do this as an executive order, it still falls within the checks and balances and would be reversed if deemed unconstitutional in a timely manner.

Do you also disagree with the constitutional wording surrounding martial law?

Edited by Dreww, 29 January 2011 - 02:36 PM.

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#3 WharfRat

11158 posts

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Posted 29 January 2011 - 02:39 PM

I actually mentioned this in the other topic about Egypt when someone claimed that the U.S. could never do that as Egypt only could due to state owned media.

I'm not a huge fan of the idea, really.

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#4 Abradix

769 posts

Posted 29 January 2011 - 07:05 PM

I doubt there would ever be a reason to shut down the internet... But if it happened, chaos would surely ensue.

With that in mind, I hope it happens.

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#5 Bone

no

3638 posts

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Posted 29 January 2011 - 07:46 PM

Signed...the internet is my only friend.
(not to mention everyone on neopets/codex)

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#6 Nunc

443 posts

Posted 29 January 2011 - 08:56 PM

This petition is against the US being able to do this!

Why would I sign it?

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#7 Connery

535 posts

Posted 29 January 2011 - 08:59 PM

This petition is against the US being able to do this!

Why would I sign it?

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#8 Mr. Hobo

8152 posts

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Posted 29 January 2011 - 09:00 PM

Meh. Internet can be/is an effective control mechanism with all the distractions it provides. I don't really see the point of a kill switch to some oppressive government. Undermining net neutrality and controlling what sites people access seems the way to go

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#9 Connery

535 posts

Posted 29 January 2011 - 09:10 PM

Meh. Internet can be/is an effective control mechanism with all the distractions it provides. I don't really see the point of a kill switch to some oppressive government. Undermining net neutrality and controlling what sites people access seems the way to go

By "turning off" the Internet, it allows a government to cease one's most effective source of information from coming in and going out. The rest of the media can be much more easily controlled than the Internet with all its anonymity and ease of getting shit out there through Facebook, Twitter, etc. (which is what happened in Egypt and Tunisia). Even if you control the sites people go on, you know you can still get on 'em; I know schools do a very mediocre job of it (and a government would put in place more extreme measures), but they're at least a small-scale example of how there can be work-arounds. If you turn it off, well, you turn it off, which would seemingly be more effective.

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#10 Dichromate

277 posts

Posted 29 January 2011 - 09:17 PM

If they turn the net off, wouldn't it result in loss in trade for the country as well? Online transaction/blog shops is a job for some people. Closing the net would be akin to bulldozing over their shops and murdering all their customers. Not to mention telecommunications companies + civilian protests + lawsuits. Only a president tired of being a president would murder their own votes like that.

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#11 Connery

535 posts

Posted 29 January 2011 - 09:22 PM

If they turn the net off, wouldn't it result in loss in trade for the country as well? Online transaction/blog shops is a job for some people. Closing the net would be akin to bulldozing over their shops and murdering all their customers. Not to mention telecommunications companies + civilian protests + lawsuits. Only a president tired of being a president would murder their own votes like that.

I don't think that applies as much in places like Egypt, but of course that would be accurate if the States were to do it. They need those e-jobs; apparently Google is hiring 6,000 people this year.

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#12 Abradix

769 posts

Posted 29 January 2011 - 10:19 PM

I don't think that applies as much in places like Egypt, but of course that would be accurate if the States were to do it. They need those e-jobs; apparently Google is hiring 6,000 people this year.

Google makes me sick.... $650 a share and they plan to never split it.

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#13 Narcissa

320 posts

Posted 30 January 2011 - 12:36 AM

I think Viacom would piss themselves if the internet was shut down. As would many of the big name conglomerates. Their fists are to far into the pockets of everything.

I can shenanigans. Shit like this is usually all fake anyways....