[IRP] FW: Charter of Human Rights and Principles for the Internet

[Ben Wagner]

Hi,

a few comments here from an FoE perspective:

> Comments on the Charter from Olivier below.
> 
> Commenting on your discussion-annotated document:
> 
> L1: do we want to call it the Internet or use the broader term digital communications
> 
> I think that these principles only apply to the Internet. I just cannot see corporations running their own Global Virtual Private Network (VPN) abiding by this charter. What they do on their private network is their own choice and a lot of  articles would therefore not apply.

I consider the use of the 'Internet' rather than 'digital communications' highly problematic for several reasons. 

- Many ISPs, particularly wireless ISPs, have taken to offering 'digital communications services', which allows them to use of various proxies, filters and traffic shaping mechanisms with even more reckless abandon than otherwise. 

- Many Corporate VPNs are quasi-Internets for their employees, who to all extents and purposes believe they are accessing 'the Internet' even if through a VPN. While certain forms of censorship/filtering may be appropriate in these contexts (online gaming sites) others may not (trade union sites).

By only referring to the 'internet' we may be missing a large chunk of what currently exists and an even larger chunk of what will probably into existence in future (see Google/Verizon/NN). As a result I'd suggest using 'digital communications' in preference to the 'Internet.'

Best wishes from London,
Ben
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