Cambodia cans critics of its snoopy Internet Gateway, says every nation has one
- Reference: 1644908288
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/02/15/cambodia_clarifies_internet_gateway/
- Source link:
As [2]reported yesterday in The Register , human rights organisations, big tech, and academics believe the Gateway is all about surveillance, in the service of suppressing political opposition, and perhaps with some crony capitalism thrown in for good measure.
However, a Ministry spokesperson insists the Gateway is actually an instrument to "strengthen national security and tax collection as well as to maintain social order and protect national culture."
[3]
The clarification adds that Cambodia's government conducted "an extensive study on infrastructure models from different countries around the world and found that most countries have internet gateways and respective regulations."
[4]CIA illegally harvested US citizens' data, senators assert
[5]Privacy Shield: EU citizens might get right to challenge US access to their data
[6]Internet Society condemns UK's Online Safety Bill for demonising encryption using 'think of the children' tactic
[7]Intel ‘regrets’ offending China with letter telling suppliers to avoid Xinjiang
That claim is contestible. While most nations regulate the internet in one way or another, very few funnel all traffic through a government-operated bottleneck as Cambodia proposes – China is the most prominent practitioner of such systems. As for Cambodia's claim that such a gateway is needed for tax collection, many nations around the world tax online transactions, or have imposed digital services taxes, without a gateway.
The document goes on to say the Gateway will help to stop the cybercrime of "illegal use of cross-border network connections" and prevent online scams.
[8]
But the United Nations recently [9]stated that the Gateway "permits the Cambodian Government to monitor internet activity, intercept and censor digital communications, and collect, retain and share personal data of users."
The UN further opined that the Gateway will have "a serious negative impact on internet freedom, human rights defenders and civil society in the country, further shrinking the already-restrictive civic space in Cambodia."
[10]
That's rather broader than improved tax collection. The Gateway is scheduled to go into effect tomorrow, February 16. ®
Get our [11]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.mfaic.gov.kh/posts/2022-02-15-Press-Release-Clarification-by-the-Spokesperson-of-the-Ministry-of-Foreign-Affairs-and-International-Cooperation-o-10-50-07
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/14/cambodia_national_internet_gateway/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YguH20zMk3nyaDy0mjdrPgAAAFI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/11/cia_illegal_us_citizen_data/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/03/privacy_shield_progress/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2022/01/28/internet_society_calls_out_uk_encryption_war/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2021/12/23/intel_regrets_offending_china_with_xianjing_opinion/
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YguH20zMk3nyaDy0mjdrPgAAAFI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=28077&LangID=E
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YguH20zMk3nyaDy0mjdrPgAAAFI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
When has the UN ever cared about human rights?
Let's face it, the UN is laughably lax when it comes to its members' human rights records. Piping up about "chilling effects" and "free speech" is a load of hooey for that dinosaur.
Re: When has the UN ever cared about human rights?
But my friend, you're looking at it the wrong way.
Their members human rights records are completely different to those of non-members, because it's the membership card that counts . It's part of the loyalty scheme.
But, Cambodia [1]is a member .
[1] https://www.un.org/en/about-us/member-states#gotoC
But it's not a Gold card member.
It gets the free cup of coffee a month, and that's it.
Re: When has the UN ever cared about human rights?
UN is a set of members. It has no divine means to impose things everywhere on Earth. The responsibility of UN efficiency lies on the countries being part of it.
Re: When has the UN ever cared about human rights?
As a reminder: the UN is not an all-powerful entity with a vast army that can overpower any country.
It fully depends on reaching a consensus before deciding to take action, and then on countries to provide a way to enforce that decision.
If countries don't want to, then nothing happens. And that fully applies to the US and the UK too, who routinely ignore UN decisions when human rights get in the way of their self-defined "national interests".
London internet exchange
Does the UK not funnel all internet through a government server system ?
What dis Snowden say about the US system ?
One thing is really not clear: is the Cambodian government tinkering with encryption too, as in, decrypting TLS and such? Because if not, it can block stuff, but is not actually getting much information.
“As the internet became a publicly accessible information and communication platform, there was no debate about whether it should fall under government supervision – only about how such control would be implemented in practice.”
As Rogier Creemers - a China expert said once.