JRL NEWSWATCH: “Don’t be evil; Vladimir Putin wants to stifle the internet; Google should not help him” – The Economist Editorial

File Image of Laptop Computer, Tables and Mobile Device, adapted from image at energy.gov

“Sometimes it seems as if … Putin’s presidency has been made for television. … bare-chested exploits on horseback, microlight flights with cranes and the fighting in Ukraine and Syria were planned with the cameras in mind. Having helped turn a little-known kgb officer into a patriotic icon, television has sustained him in power. But … ever more Russians look to the internet for their news. … Putin’s government is attempting to gain control over social media through legislation, intimidation and new surveillance infrastructure. … this needs the co-operation of Western internet platforms …. Increasingly, the government is ordering them to take down politically objectionable material or demanding private data …. Internet companies should resist collaborating in state oppression ….”

Click here for: “Don’t be evil; Vladimir Putin wants to stifle the internet; Google should not help him” – The Economist Editorial

 

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