Iceland MP Jonsdottir to EuroFora:Facebook worse than Twitter in US Gov. Personal Data/Wikileaks gag

While Global Competition for Best Internet Rules booms, Human Rights' respect, including on Privacy of Sensitive Personal Data, such as Political Opinions, Religious Beliefs, Sexual Orientation or Bank Accounts, etc., might soon start to be protected not only by Courts, but even by .. Global Markets, if the current attempt of U.S. Government to secretly snatch all Sensitive Data of all People who communicated via Twitter with Iceland's MP  Birgitta Jonsdottir, Modern Media Initiative's Spokesperson, isn't stopped by a Virginia Court, due to judge on Friday, given EU's and other Players' readiness to launch innovative projects Worldwide, highlighted in an EU Parliament's Resolution adopted recently in Strasbourg, particularly if Facebood and other US-based Social Media's stance on Internet Users' Human Rights might be, in fact, worse, as she told "EuroFora" : 

- I'm afraid that "Facebook" might have already given to US Authorities the Private Data they asked for, without even revealing anything to the victims, contrary to "Twitter", who, at least, initially resisted to a gag order, until it brought the issue in broad daylight, giving us a chance to react, Birgitta Josnedottir warned.

- The point is that, as an MP, I often receive from various People "a lot of Sensitive stuff", she told us : I.e. Data related to Political opinions, Religious or other Beliefs, Race, Health or Sexual life and/or judicial convictions, etc., according to CoE's International Convention for the Protection of Individuals wih regard to Personal Data). That's one of the reasons for which even IPU (the nearby Geneva-based International Parliamentarian Union) is currently examining reports on this issue, which is related to an MP's links to the controversial "Wikileaks" team.

Better Protection of Private Data in Europe, compared to the US, may become a Comparative Advantage in the Global Competition for the development of New Media at the Internet in Future, as it results, indirectly but surely, from statements to "EuroFora" by Iceland's MP Birgitta Jonsdottir who is also Board Member and Spokesperson of the IMMI : Iceland's Initiative on Modern Media, that EU Parliament  has just "Welcomed"  in a Resolution adopted recently in Strasbourg, by underlying that it "Supports the ongoing work to strengthen the legislative environment with regard to Freedom of Expression and access to information" in Iceland : "In this respect", EU Parliament "welcomes...the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative, enabling both Iceland and (all) the EU to position themselves strongly as regards legal protection of the freedoms of expression and information", the April 2011 Strasbourg's EU Resolution stresses.

- At the worst moment of the recent Global Economic Crisis, during which Iceland even faced an abrupt blockade of its Financial links to the UK, under an obviously excessive and disproportionate move by a former "Socialist" Brittish Government arguying of Suspicions for... "Terrorism" in order to suddenly "freeze" all assets belonging to the sympathetic Scandinavian Country, (by a coincidence, at the same moment that Iceland competed for non-permanent Membership to UNO's Security Council in New York vis a vis Turkey, which finally profited from Reykiavik's sufferings), as MP Jonsdottir denounced now at the CoE, "we decided to react also by creating something exceptional, of Historic importance, as the Best Legislation in the World for Freedom of Expression in Modern, Internet Media, whose capacity to interact may generate new, original contents", Birgitta Jonsdottir reminded to "EuroFora".

It's probably during that collective new effort, which necessitated a systematic Research collecting the "Best" Free Speech Legislation throughout all the Countries of the World, that she met and became familiar also with several founding members of the controversial "Wikileaks" Internet team, including Assange, that she found "really weird" and active, but with normally "good chances" to escape extradition to Sweden and/or USA thanks to the Brittish Legal System historically based on the Bill of Rights. The Icelandish MP considers that the controversial "Wikileaks" team should benefit from at least a part of Journalists' right to protect their Sources, because "they partly Pre-edit" the texts presented to the Media, as usually does an Editor in chief, she claimed.

US Authorities' have reportedly asked "Twitter" to give them, in secret, all non-content Communication Data including Thousands of Persons' I.P.s, Phone Numbers, Addresses, Bank Accounts, GeoLocalisations, Computers' characteristis and Internet Access Providers and points, etc, both for the Icelandish MP and for American ITC expert Jacob Appelbaum, Wikileaks US Representative, etc., triggering interventions to support their Appeal to the Virginia Court against US Government's order, also by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation".

When Internet-driven Popular Movements for Democratic Changes spread along 3rd Mediterranean Countries, as it was observed from the outset in an International CoE Conference on "Internet Freedom" this week in Strasbourg, with a wide set of landmark participants from the U.S., Russia, EU, China, Brazil, India, Africa, Australia, etc., it can obviously look as counter-stream and/or even dangerous to keep, on the contrary, a controversial stance excessively against Internet users' Personal Data Privacy : If. f.ex. Libyan colonel Gadhafi and former Tunisian, Egyptian, or current Syrian regimes, which reportedly engaged in deadly attacks against civilian demonstrators, had been allowed to spy over the Personal Data of those who launched the first Internet calls to start organizing collective demonstrations and other protest events, the pioneers of the Democratic Spring 2011 would have been already arrested and jailed...

According to a recent (end of 2010) compilation of CoE Legal texts on Protection of Personal Data, which circulates in Strasbourg, in addition to CoE's more recent "CyberCrime" International Convention, it seems, basically, that the communication of Internet users' Personal Data to any 3rd Entity is, in principle, excluded, "unless it's absolutely necessary" f.ex. for prosecuring Crimes. Even then, concerning, in particular, "Sensitive Data" (See supra), they normally cannot be transferred to a 3rd person without the "explicit Consent of the subject", and/or, at any case (i.e. even in relation to CoE's "CyberCrime" Treaty), only if the demanding State offers "Appropriate Safeguards" and mainly an "Adequate Protection" of Human Rights and Freedom of Expression, etc.

 - "USA has an Observer status" in CoE's Personal Data Protection mechanism (already ratified by more than 48 Member States), whose Treaty we hope that Washington will also ratify, observed to "EuroFora" CoE's Director on Human Rights' and Legal standards, Hans Kleijssen, implying that the U.S. could not totally ignore all that European Legislation.

However, Josnedottir anounced to "EuroFora", shortly before the forthcoming "e-G8" for a "civilized Internet" reportedly prepared in Paris by French President Sarkozy at the eve of Deauville's Heads of State/Government G8 Summit, that she is in favor of setting for the "World-wide Web" some Global Rules :

- "I'm afraid that, if nothing is done, the Internet risks to be destroyed by hard restrictions, sooner or later". Therefore, "It's preferable" to start debating and forging some elementary Principles now, "so that People may become aware of their Rights", the Spokeswoman of the EU-welcomed Initiative for Modern Media told "EuroFora" in Strasbourg, in the sidelines of a CoE International Conference on "Internet Freedom", advising Pluralist Open Public Debates for the development of some elementary Principles, even before drafting an International "Treaty", (See DraftNews already sent to "EuroFora"s Subsrcibers and Donors earlier).

- "But Users of Internet should be treated as e-Citizens, and not mere e-Consumers", the experienced, E-pioneer Icelandish MP underlined.

- "The Internet has a Public Service Value", and "all Citizens are entitled to its delivery", with ''legitimate expectations with regards to the enjoyment of their Fundamental Rights and Freedoms at the Internet, and the Integrity and Free Flow of information over the Network". While "Free Speech on the Internet and Cyber-Security are not mutually exclusive", but "complementary values", since "Cyber Threats equally endanger Security and the individual Right to Freedom of Expression", nevertheless, "we should be striving to preserve the Internet as we know it, and as we want it to be : An Agora for Information, Commerce and Innovation that underpins Free and Democratic Societies", stressed from the outset CoE's deputy Secretary General, Mrs Maud de Boehr-Buquicchio in her introductory Speech to Strasbourg's International 2011 Conference on "Internet Freedom".

- Observing that the Conference was symbolically organized at CoE's "Agora Building", which refers to the "Ancient Greek States", where "Agora was an Open space for Assembly shared by Citizens, Politicians, Institutions and Merchands", MBB noted that "CoE's vocation is to offer this kind of Space to Various Social Actors to hold Debates and consultations that can help advance in the mission to protect and promote core-values : Huyman Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law", inviting to use it as "the Best Forum for International Cooperation" in order "to help us find he Best possible way to make sure that our shared Values will become the "Natural Forces" governing the Internet environment", as she said.

 

The 2 Days-long 2011 Strasbourg's International Conference on the Internet offered a good opportuniy for several interesting exchanges of views between various main stock-holders, including EU, Russia, USA, China, India, Brazil, African Countries, etc., as well as Telecom and ITC Companies, Legal Experts, Medias,  ICANN and even NATO officials, Human Rights NGOs, etc, that "EuroFora" is due to present in a forthcoming critical Synthesis asap.

- This will help prepare the "Next big step, which should come within September 2011 IGF (Internet Governance Forum) in Africa : at Nairobi, (Kenya)"'s UNO offices, , observed to "EuroFora" CoE's Director on Human Rights and Legal standards, Dr. Kleijssen.

(NDLR : DraftNews, as already sent to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors earlier. Watch out for a more accurate and complete Public Version asap).

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