WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following briefing:
“Internet Freedom in the Age of Dictators and Terrorists”
March 3, 2016
10:00AM
Rayburn House Office Building
Room 2255
The original promise of the internet as a mechanism for free exchange of information and greater democratization seems a dream from a distant past. Authoritarian leaders in China, Russia and around the world seek to build walls around their country’s internet and censor incoming information and online discourse, while in free societies we are grappling with the right balance between security and privacy of online information in the face of terrorist threats.
The briefing will focus on internet freedom broadly, including censorship and surveillance; and trends in how internet companies are evolving to handle increased government requests from law enforcement. In addition, panelists will discuss the role of export controls in ensuring that U.S. and European technologies do not contribute to human rights abuses.
The following panelists are scheduled to participate:
Lisl Brunner, Director of Policy and Learning, Global Network Initiative
Rebecca MacKinnon, Director, Ranking Digital Rights
Tim Maurer, Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
