A Right to Information

In the wake of the recent alleged Chinese cyber attack on Google, I've been thinking a lot about information and the rights we have to it. Technology has allowed information to become readily available, but increasingly there have been efforts by governments to censor the media that its citizens view. A 2006 Business Week article named 13 countries that heavily censored the country's internet. As expected, right near the top of the list is China. But as censorship continues in these countries, this issue violates human rights and threatens to strain foreign relations.

When President Obama entered office last year, he vowed to begin a more conciliatory era between the US and China. And to many this seemed to imply that human rights issues would be left by the wayside. But in a recent speech, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called out many nations, including China, for violating internet freedoms: “Those who disrupt the free flow of information in our society or any other pose a threat to our economy, our government and our civil society. Countries or individuals that engage in cyber-attacks should face consequences and international condemnation”. But while this threat may be a light of hope for human rights activists, taking action against China is a complicated matter. Mainly, the Chinese government holds much the United States' debt. Also, the US hopes to gain China's support on major issues such as climate change.

But while the future remains complicated, Mrs. Clinton's speech sent a clear message to the world by calling out other nations (including US allies) for violating internet freedoms. As a world superpower, the US has the responsibility and duty to fight human rights violations in all its forms. Whether or not those countries are our allies or enemies is irrelevant when liberties are being violated. Once information is placed on the internet, it becomes part of the public domain and as such belongs to each and every person. While the future of the internet is uncertain, what is certain is that the US must be a leader in fighting internet censorship.

Works Cited:

The New York Times "China Says Criticism of Its Internet Policy Harms U.S. Ties"

The New York Times "Clinton Urges Global Response to Internet Attacks"

Business Week "Nations that Censor the Net"

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