It’s kind of ironic – Julian Assange, the man behind Wikileaks, has been quoted today as saying that the Internet “is not a technology that favours freedom of speech”, when it was the internet that allowed him to both access and distribute the millions of cables that have made Wikileaks a household name.
Assange was speaking at Cambridge University when he made the claim, and was making a point that the Internet isn’t all rosy and flowers and open information, but a tool governments and oppressive regimes use to spy on people. Or, in Assange’s words, “”greatest spying machine the world has ever seen”.
While that’s a valid assessment, the thing is that you can’t have it both ways. if you want the internet to be open and transparent, then you can’t restrict who can access that information, whether they be the lowliest housewife or the harshest African dictator.
Regardless, the Internet is here to stay. How it plays its role in the future of the world is going to change and adapt just as quickly as we do. What do you think?
[News]
BenDTU
Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 10:39 AMAssange also announced his own personal line of tin-foil hats.
TestaRossa
Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 10:50 AMWhat he did basically was leak info from say your personal HDD/Gov Server, then tell the world about it under the assumption, everything on the Net is supposed to be accompanied by “Freedom of Speach”, but what he still doesn’t want to give in is that he was invading privacy lest it be the government or people files, he is still oblivious to that fact…
Like they say: Curiosity Killed The Cat !
Blake
Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 12:48 PMIt’s spelt ‘speech’.
Callie Rasmussen
Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 10:28 PMAs Blake said…maaaaaybe don’t discuss things unless you learn to spell them first. Crawl before you walk, big guy.
Andrew Champ
Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 10:53 AMthats a very good point. just as it can be used by the people against a government, it can be used a government against its people.
Daniel
Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 11:14 AMThis idiot needs to go away, not in a way that makes him a martyr that he’s trying to be.
Iain
Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 12:31 PMCould we get some context of this comment within the scope of what was probably a much larger speech. Either Julian is a strong, vocal and at the moment very visible, advocate of first-ammendment rights or free-speech, or he simply wishes to promote his product and wants the right to do as he pleases with it.
In this modern age with so much of the legal ramifications of internet usage and viewing so unclear it would be nice to think he is the first.
boc
Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 2:30 PMHe was pointing out that there is a flipside to the internet that not as many people pay attention about.
Open free internet is good. Spying, invasion of privacy, media manipulation is bad. Both are traits of the internet.
Spock
Friday, March 18, 2011 at 2:35 AMI truly am sick of this repugnant little rodent. Everything that comes out of his mouth is laden with self-interest. Privacy only matters when it’s HIS privacy, apparently.
Dorian
Friday, March 18, 2011 at 5:34 PMI think you might be missing his point, it allows people to speak but you arent necessarily free to do it…
Cole
Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 5:52 AMGreatest spying machine the world’s ever seen? Wake up fools he’s right its already here.
http://digg.com/news/politics/Obama_demands_internet_records_in_secret_no_court_review