I mean, what is an authoritarian regime to do? You need to to control one’s own citizens’ access to the Internet … AND you need global social media platforms to spread misinformation to foreign populations.
15 October 2021 (Rome, Italy) – – I mean, what is an authoritarian regime to do? It is important to control one’s own citizens’ access to the Internet, yet one needs global social media platforms to spread misinformation to foreign populations. Never fear, U.S. big tech is here.
Wait, what? The Conversation reports, “Russia Is Building Its Own Kind of Sovereign Internet—with Help from Apple and Google.” Writer William Partlett reveals:
“On September 17, the first day of Russia’s parliamentary elections, Apple and Google agreed to demands from the Russian government to remove a strategic voting app developed by opposition leader Alexei Navalny from the iOS and Android app stores. Apple then disabled its Private Relay feature (which enhances web browsing privacy) for users in Russia. Google also removed YouTube videos giving advice on how to vote strategically in the elections. In the past, large tech companies have generally ignored censorship requests from the Russian government. So why did the US tech giants finally cave in to pressure? The answer provides a glimpse into how Russia, a sophisticated cyber superpower, is building its sovereign internet. It is preserving control, but without isolating itself from the broader internet.”
Perhaps inspired by China’s Great Firewall, Russia has worked to digitally isolate itself. However, the government needs its connection to the World Wide Web to maintain its propaganda war on other countries.
Partlett notes two main provisions Russia is relying on to keep this balance. One involves slowing down internet access to targeted platforms. Another is requiring social media companies with more than 500,000 daily Russian visitors to maintain employees in that country. Both provisions were used to coerce the removal of Nalvany’s voting app from the iOS and Android app stores. If the companies did not comply, we learn, there would have been these consequences:
“First, the state would prosecute Russia-based employees of Google and Apple. Second, it promised to slow down internet traffic to Apple and Google platforms in Russia, and shut down the Apple Pay and Google Pay services. Facing an escalating series of threats, the tech giants eventually backed down and removed the app.”
Of course they did, because both are corporations with their bottom lines top-of-mind. The motto “don’t be evil” was shelved a long time ago. (Though, to be fair, the welfare of their Russian employees probably played a role. I hope). Partlett wonders: how can opposition movements proceed when they rely on big tech’s platforms to get the message out? Good question.
Oh, yes. Apple. One more thing …
I am not sure about the British Broadcasting Corporation. It’s a news maker, not just a news purveyor. Let’s assume that “Apple Takes Down Koran App in China” is on the money. The write up asserts:
“Quran Majeed is available across the world on the App Store – and has nearly 150,000 reviews. However, Apple removed the app at the request of Chinese officials, for hosting illegal religious texts, the company said”.
The Beeb tried its best to contact China and the iPhone outfit, saying:
“Apple declined to comment, but directed the BBC to its Human Rights Policy, which states: “We’re required to comply with local laws, and at times there are complex issues about which we may disagree with governments'”.
I find this interesting. If information is not available online, does it exist? If an entity removes content from an online service, how does one know that content has gone missing? Allegedly Microsoft faced a “China moment”. What did that company do? Disappeared the service. Just like it disappeared Linkedin which I wrote about here.
For a person without resources, is there a difference between disappearing content and services and censorship?
Oh, a bunch of stuff to contemplate at the end of a very long week in which more and more people realize they need to function as skilled, informed, and professional reference librarians.
Merci comme toujours.
Avez vous lu le dernier des rapports de l’IRSEM ?
The 650-page report, entitled “Chinese influence operations – a Machiavelli moment” digs through the layers of secret and not-so-secret institutions, actions and designs used by Beijing to manipulate western opinion.
Written by Paul Cheron, an intelligence expert and Chinese specialist with credentials from Harvard and China’s most prestigeous university Qinghua, in partnership with political scientist Jean-Baptiste Jeangène Vilmer, a security specialist, the report is probably the most extensive analysis of China’s propaganda machine ever published in French.
The report argues that for a long time China wanted more to be loved than feared, she wanted to seduce, projecting a positive image of herself in the world and so arousing admiration. Recently China has increasingly shown another side.
https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20210922-french-study-warns-of-the-massive-scale-of-chinese-influence-around-the-world
Wow. This looks like one of a read. Thanks.