Censorship is inseparable from surveillance

In this news article Cory Doctorow discusses surveillance on the Internet, with reference to laws such as the Digital Economy Act, which aim to identify downloaders of illegal content. I recommend ITGS students read this article as it clearly explains why censorship is not only an issue of freedom, but also one of privacy and surveillance. The article uses the censorship of a physical product as an analogy: in order to ensure the product is not being imported or distributed, in theory all letters and parcels need to be intercepted and inspected, even though most are likely to be innocent – a major breach of privacy.

In the online world, how else do ISPs determine that you have been accessing illegal content, other than by inspecting all transactions?

Source: Guardian article via ITGS Online

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