Edward Snowden, Pussy Riot, Ai Weiwei Create Messages for World Day Against Cyber Censorship
"Without freedom of speech there is no modern world, just a barbaric one."
It's World Day Against Cyber Censorship,
an event created by Reporters Without Borders in 2008 to "rally everyone in support of a single Internet that is unrestricted and accessible to all."
Today's commemorations will feature messages from noted (and frequently beleaguered) supporters of transparency and free expression, including NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden, Russian performance artists Pussy Riot, and Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei.
The Guardian reports that Amnesty International and the "controversial online advertisement-blocking company AdBlock" will disseminate the messages "where ads would normally appear, if they were not blocked."
A press release from Amnesty previews some of the messages:
"Even if you're not doing anything wrong, you're being watched and recorded," said Edward Snowden in one of the messages.
"Without freedom of speech there is no modern world, just a barbaric one," said Ai Weiwei in his message.
"Authorities don't just use handcuffs and arrests, but also media attacks," said Pussy Riot.
Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty says, "Some states are engaged in Orwellian levels of surveillance" and that "Free speech online is under serious threat as governments seek ever greater powers—through new laws and more intrusive technologies—to control the internet."
Shetty notes that Apple's refusal to comply with the US government's request for the tech giant to create back doors in its encryption technology "shows that some companies are starting to think of the big picture."
You can watch earlier Reason TV coverage of Pussy Riot and Ai Weiwei by clicking the links, and check out the recent conversation between Reason TV's Nick Gillespie and Edward Snowden below: