Another threat to Freedom of Expression

Yahoo reports – UN backs Russia on internet convention, alarming rights advocates – on a new Russian and China led bid to bring about an approach to cybercrime which accords with their views as to what constitutes such.(H/T Kiwiblog)

The United Nations on Friday approved a Russian-led bid that aims to create a new convention on cybercrime, alarming rights groups and Western powers that fear a bid to restrict online freedom.

The General Assembly approved the resolution sponsored by Russia and backed by China, which would set up a committee of international experts in 2020.

The panel will work to set up “a comprehensive international convention on countering the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes,” the resolution said.

The United States, European powers and rights groups fear that the language is code for legitimizing crackdowns on expression, with numerous countries defining criticism of the government as “criminal.”

China heavily restricts internet searches to avoid topics sensitive to its communist leadership, as well as news sites with critical coverage.

This is very concerning and I will write in more depth on this another time.

One immediate point is that Russia which is heavily engaged in cyber crimes and hacking globally is spearheading a drive to restrict free speech.Hmm!

David Farrar writes

Let there be no doubt at all that if China and Russia are spearheading this, their aim is to extend their Internet censorship from their own countries to the globe. Their idea of what is cybercrime is anything that their Government deem unhelpful to them.

and

New Zealand should make very clear that it will have no part on this treaty. If democratic countries refuse to get involved, then it will fail as it is only if other countries sign up, can China and Russia get what they want – global censorship

Unfortunately I suspect that we will a number of countries sign up to this.

We see such signs already in NZ of potential support of such an approach for example with the Christchurch call, Andrew Little’s comments on free speech, university attitudes such as those shown at Massey University for example.

Furthermore countries such s UK are well done the slippery path in this direction as are some European countries.

The UN is no bastion of freedom – the ludicrous composition of several key committees makes that very clear.

This initiative will, I fear gain much traction. It is a dispiriting start to 2020 and carries ominous portents.

In NZ we need to vigorously lobby our politicians to speak out against this initiative and to pledge not to implement any such approach in NZ.