#RSS Podcasts E-BUSINESS | TECHNOLOGY | CRM | LINUX | ECTNEWS.COM Welcome Guest | Sign In ECommerceTimes.com [240x40-ect.gif] Search ____________________ Government * Business + Boardroom + Deals + Service Providers + Tech Law + Wall Street * E-Commerce + Analytics + Entertainment + Marketing + Online Advertising + Piracy + Search * Enterprise IT + Applications + Cloud Computing + Government + Infrastructure * Mobile + BYOD + Carriers + M-Commerce + Mobile Advertising * Security + Consumer Security + Cybercrime + Enterprise Security + Privacy * SMB * Social Media + Social Media Marketing + Social Networks * Trends + Expert Advice + Hot Topics + Opinions + Trailblazers * Reader Services + Account Management + Discussion + News Alerts + Newsletters + Reader Surveys + RSS / XML Headline Feeds + Search ECT News Network + + ECT News Network Map o CRM Buyer Site Map o E-Commerce Times Site Map o LinuxInsider Site Map o TechNewsWorld Site Map * | * Software Buyers Guide January 22, 2016 01:14:59 PM PST E-Commerce Times > Enterprise IT > Government | Next Article in Government Writers Worldwide Chilled by Government Surveillance By John P. Mello Jr. Jan 6, 2015 6:46 AM PT Concern over government surveillance has been so heightened by confidential information leaked by former intelligence hand Edward Snowden that writers in free countries are as worried as those in autocratic nations, according to a report released Monday by the PEN American Center. Writers Worldwide Chilled by Government Surveillance Three-quarters of writers in countries classified as "free" by Freedom House told PEN researchers they were "worried" or "somewhat worried" by the level of surveillance in their countries. That compares to 80 percent in "not free" countries and 84 percent in "partly free" nations. Writers in free countries also are engaging in self-censorship as a result of surveillance fears, the report notes. For example, 34 percent of those writers said they avoided or considered avoiding writing or speaking on certain topics due to fear of government surveillance. "Even a moment's hesitation in writing or communication is poison for a liberal democracy," Sophia Cope, a staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told the E-Commerce Times. Deep Chill Four out of 10 writers in free countries avoided or considered avoiding interactions on social media because they feared government snoops, the report also revealed. In addition, nearly a third of the writers in free countries (31 percent) said they steered clear of certain topics in personal phone conversations or email messages for fear of surveillance, while a quarter (26 percent) acknowledged they refrained or seriously considered refraining from running certain Internet searches or visiting specific websites because those searches or websites could be considered suspicious or controversial by their governments. The research shows just how deep the chill from government surveillance has penetrated democratic nations, observed Emma Llansó, director of the Center for Democracy & Technology's Free Expression Project. "Writers weren't asked just about their reluctance in writing and speaking activities, but also social media, personal phone conversations and online searches for information," she told the E-Commerce Times. "This is where we really see just what a fundamental threat this sort of mass surveillance can pose," Llansó added. "If you have people who are just not just unwilling to speak but are feeling chilled from researching and thinking about controversial issues, then we can see how these mass surveillance programs are undermining democratic societies." Fallen Champion Revelations about mass surveillance by the U.S. government not only have put fear in the hearts of many writers, but also have harmed the reputation of the United States as a champion of free expression. In Western Europe, for example, close to half the writers (43 percent) said their native countries offered more protection of free expression than the United States, PEN researchers found. Even in "partly free" countries, a third of the writers (32 percent) felt their right to express themselves was protected locally better than it would have been by Uncle Sam. Those attitudes aren't likely to change soon, if ever. U.S. credibility as a champion of free expression "has been significantly damaged for the long term," six out of 10 writers Western European writers said. "I believe there's been permanent damage," said Richard Stiennon, chief research analyst with IT Harvest. "Sadly, there's no going back. We can't backpedal at this stage." However, the constraints writers are placing on themselves may not be entirely negative. "They're acting more realistically now than they did before," Stiennon told the E-Commerce Times. "If they acted more freely when they were ignorant of the surveillance, at least now they're being more cautious and more secure," he pointed out. Dose of Reality "This report demonstrates how much damage was done by the NSA's programs and by Snowden's revelations about those programs," Scott Borg, CEO and chief economist with the U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit, told the E-Commerce Times. However, the report is a bit misleading, he added. "Writers in democratic countries have very different standards for comparison with writers in not-free countries," Borg explained. "If you're not in a democratic country, you worry about a lot worse consequences from surveillance than you do if you live in one. The worries are not comparable." The report makes a number of recommendations: suspension of dragnet monitoring of domestic and international communications; suspension of wholesale collection of telecommunications and digital metadata; and stronger oversight over government surveillance programs. At question, though, is whether lawmakers will address what the NSA has wrought. "Whether or not there's a will, they're going to be forced to deal with the issue, because on June 1st, some of the provisions of the Patriot Act that authorize these surveillance programs are due to expire," Katy Glenn Bass, deputy director of Free Expression Programs at the PEN American Center, told the E-Commerce Times. Still, the prospects for immediate surveillance reform are dim, observed Co3 Systems CTO Bruce Schneier, a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School. "In 50 years, we will not spy on everybody," he told the E-Commerce Times, but "in the next five years, there won't be any change." [end-enn.gif] __________________________________________________________________ John Mello is a freelance technology writer and contributor to Chief Security Officer magazine. You can connect with him on Google+. __________________________________________________________________ [ccc-button.png] Get Permission to License or Reproduce this Article Print Email Reprints More by John P. Mello Jr. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Google+ [navicon-stumbleupon_32x32.png] RSS [icon_mostpop_14x14roundcorner.png] Most Popular [icon_newsletter_16x12.png] Newsletters [icon_alert_14x14.png] News Alerts How do you rate YouTube vs. TV content? (*) TV is better -- YouTube's content doesn't compare. ( ) YouTube hands down -- it's original, while TV is stale. ( ) There's no comparison -- it's an apple vs. an orange. ( ) I watch and like plenty of both. ( ) With so many content choices, there's still very little that's good. ( ) I'm not tuned into either -- there are better things to do with my time! (BUTTON) Vote or See Results TechNewsWorld Facebook Opens Sports Stadium Brave Browser Promises to Defend Users' Privacy Chrome Browser to Blaze With Brotli GM Bug Program Gets Mixed Notices Child Laborers Mine for Cobalt Used in Tech Gadgets SpaceX Finds Silver Lining in Failed Sea Landing Ukraine Mounts Investigation of Kiev Airport Cyberattack Reading, Writing and Minecraft? CRM Buyer Cloud Research Demandware Teams With eBay on Omnichannel E-Commerce Solution The Top 20 CRM Blogs of 2015: Part 1 Vendor of the Future FordPass Aims to Engage Customers on Their Terms Taxpayer Advocate Blasts IRS' Planned Customer Service Revamp Loyalty and Engagement Amazon UK Lets Customers Pay in Installments ECT News Network on Twitter Tweets about "TechNewsWorld" LinuxInsider Snap-Happy Trojan Targets Linux Servers Zero-Day Flaw Puts Millions of Linux Machines, Android Devices at Risk Deepin Takes Linux to New Depths OpenSSH Flaw Could Leak Crypto Keys Dronecode Project Gets More Wind Beneath Its Wings Black Duck Intros Container Scanning Solus Project's Virtues Begin and End With Stability Hack Lets PS4 Run Linux SPONSOR RESOURCES CRM Software Buyer's Guide This free buyer's guide compares the best CRM software systems and allows you to request a price or demo for the system that best fits your needs. Marketers - Fill Your Sales Funnel Instantly [sales-funnel_60x60.jpg] Access millions of IT and business decision makers. Our full-service global marketing program delivers sales-ready leads. Learn more. E-Commerce Times Headlines E-Commerce Times Consumer Advocates Push FCC on Broadband Privacy Rules Apple Stats Reflect Slow Slog Toward Diversification ESPN Boss Sees Significant Role for Sling TV Microsoft Cloud Rains Free Services on Nonprofits The Year of Connected and Self-Driving Cars Digital Ad Fraud Could Top $7 Billion in 2016 FTC Issues Regulatory Warning on Big Data Use Cook Slams Door on Backdoor Discussions Inside E-Commerce Times Cloud Computing * Cisco Aims to Pin Down Shadow IT * US Army Marches to the Cloud * The Cloud Complexity Challenge Enterprise IT * NASA Advances Mission to Protect Earth From Asteroids * Google's Self-Driving Cars Still Need Human Touch * EFF Urges Revival of Human Rights Case Against Cisco Exclusives * HP's Marten Mickos: Open Source Is Not a Business Model * Dan Allen and Sarah White: Documentation Dearth Dooms Open Source Projects * PredictionIO's Simon Chan on Machine Learning by Devs for Devs Expert Advice * The Lego-ization of Software, or the Rise of Snap-On SaaS * Are Your Sales Tools Turning A-Performers Into B-Performers? * Customer Engagement in the Age of the Silent Traveler Hot Topics * Uber Settles With New York AG After 'Playing God' With Data * China Levels Antitrust Allegations Against Microsoft * China's Internet Tightrope Walk Marketing * What the PC Industry Could Learn From the NRA * Zuckerberg Defends Downsized Internet for Developing World * CRM Predictions: Spotting the Critical Connections Mobile * In the Shadow of the Amazon Prime Juggernaut * IDC: There's Hope on the PC Horizon * iAd Shakeup May Be in the Works Security * Phishing Attack Could Net LastPass Credentials * Microsoft Prods Skylake Users to Take the Windows 10 Plunge * Privacy as a Service Advocates Promise Better Data Protection SMB * Hats Off to Chapeau Linux's Better Fedora Concept * Surprise Success: What to Do When Sales Go Through the Roof * Sage Live Launches on Salesforce AppExchange Social Media * WhatsApp Scraps Fee Model * Foursquare Shifts Gears * Periscope's Live Streams Now Pop Up in Tweets Spotlight Features * The Future of Deliveries Will Be Driverless * Creating Rules of War for Cyberspace * Going Big: Preparing to Grow Your E-Commerce Startup Trends * Gadget Ogling: Baring Souls, Soaking Up Sound, and Tracking Babes * Legere Steps Back After Hurling F-Word at EFF * Gadget Ogling: Fitbit's Smartwatch, Super Home Movies, and Flying Machines Publications * E-Commerce Times * TechNewsWorld * LinuxInsider * CRM Buyer ECT News Network Newsletters * E-Commerce Minute * Tech News Flash * ECT News Network Weekly * Editor's Pick * Subscribe Reader Services * Account Management * Discussion * Linking Policy * Network Map * News Alerts * RSS / XML Feeds * Search ECT News Network Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Google+ [navicon-stumbleupon_20x20-gray.png] RSS Company Info * About * Advertising * Business Development * Careers * Contact * Permissions * Reprint Information Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | How To Advertise Copyright 1998-2016 ECT News Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Quantcast