The United States officially released its 2009 report on human rights on Thursday. The report specifically emphasizes battles over the Internet.
If you have been following my posts, you will note that I have written two this week on the right to access to the internet. In a nutshell, the internet is emerging as a "prime battleground" regarding human rights, with governments in China, Iran, North Korea and other countries cracking down on access to the internet.
Mr. Posner, assistant secretary for democracy, human rights and labor, said that in places like China and Iran, "connective technologies" have proved to be double-edged. While they allow a ferment of sometimes spontaneous organizational activities by dissidents and government critics, they also give governments "greater energy in curtailing freedom of expression".
The internet definitely seems to be at the forefront these days. Though I suppose this is not much of a shock, or should not come as much of one at least, considering that we live in an age of technology. In fact, I just read an article in TIME called 'Generation Next', describing technology as the greatest difference between this generation and past generations. This generation has "learned to leverage technology to build community, tweeting and texting and friending."
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