Tearing down virtual walls
By William Ide
US Government works to break down virtual walls, making free speech in cyber space a key part of American foreign policy in a fresh bid to reach out to Internet users around the world.
Experts say the push not only highlights the growing influence of the Internet and its power to pressure even the most tightly controlled governments, but it also seeks to shed light on the link between economic growth and Internet freedoms.
In a speech earlier this year on Internet Freedom, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called information networks the planet's new nervous system. "Even in authoritarian countries, information networks are helping people discover new facts and making governments more accountable," said the secretary.
A Voice for the Voiceless
The Internet often is increasingly giving voice to the voiceless.
Last June, mobile phone footage of a young Iranian woman's shooting shocked people around the world and galvanized opposition protesters as they rallied against election results in Iran.
During Burma's 2007 uprisings, amateur video and photographs of protests and the government's crackdown spread around the world over the Internet.
The Center for Democracy and Technology’s Cynthia Wong says Washington has put the world on notice that it considers freedom of expression on the Web a core value.
"We think it is really historic. It is the first time really that global Internet freedom has been elevated to that level,” says Wong. “It really showed a recognition that preserving Internet freedom is absolutely necessary for a whole range of foreign policy goals, from protecting human rights to promoting economic development."
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