ARHIVA Power&Politics World

Global Chilling: The Impact of Mass Surveillance on International Writers

January 6, 2015

There is a new report by PEN American Center demonstrating the damaging impact of surveillance by the United States and other governments on free expression and creative freedom around the world.

The report’s revelations, based on a survey of nearly 800 writers worldwide, are alarming. Concern about surveillance is now nearly as high among writers living in democracies (75%) as among those living in non-democracies (80%).

The levels of self-censorship reported by writers living in democratic countries are approaching the levels reported by writers living in authoritarian or semi-democratic countries. And writers around the world think that mass surveillance has significantly damaged U.S. credibility as a global champion of free expression for the long term.

On the basis of the survey findings, PEN AMERICA urges the newly seated U.S. Congress to put reform of mass surveillance programs that violate constitutional and international human rights at the top of its to-do list. The Pen document ends with recommendations that the US government stops dragnet monitoring and the collection of US citizen’s communications. It also advises that collection of digital metadata be suspended and advises greater judicial, legislative and executive oversight of US intelligence agency programs.

It also pointed out that the US has to respect the privacy and rights to free expression of foreign citizens either in or out of the US.

“As the United Nations has repeatedly stated, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the US is a party, requires it to respect the human rights to privacy and free expression of all individuals affected by its surveillance programs,” the report says.

What about ?

From August 28 to October 15, 2014, PEN American Center carried out an international survey of writers, to investigate how government surveillance influences their thinking, research, and writing, as well as their views of government surveillance by the U.S. and its impact around the world. The survey instrument was developed and overseen by the nonpartisan expert survey research firm The FDR Group. The survey yielded 772 responses from writers living in 50 countries. This report summarizes the survey findings that are most relevant to the current debate in the U.S. on the future of mass surveillance programs.

A similar report published in November 2013 found that writers were “worried about mass surveillance, and were engaged in multiple forms of self-censorship as a result.”

A full report from writers around the world will be issued in the spring of 2015. As writers are considered to be the “canaries in the coalmine” therefore they are likely to give an accurate picture of the impact of surveillance on privacy and freedom of expression.

Full Report – download

PEN American Center is the largest branch of PEN International. PEN works in more than 100 countries to protect free expression and to defend writers and journalists who are imprisoned, threatened, persecuted, or attacked in the course of their profession.

Evenimente

MOSCOW – ARMY 2018

The exposition of the Russian Army-2018 international military and technical forum will showcase about 600 pieces of armament, military and special hardware, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry.

International military-technical forum «ARMY» is organized and fully supported by the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation and combines the exhibition and dynamic demonstration of military equipment capabilities with extensive congress program and strong participation of international audience represented by foreign exhibitors, delegations and visitors. In just three years, the event has turned into the world’s leading exhibition of arms and military equipment, the authoritative platform for discussing innovative ideas and developments for the armed forces.

Adress: Patriot ExpoCenter, Moscow, Times: 21 – 26 August 2018, 9.00 – 17.00

PARIS – EUROSATORY 2018

Eurosatory – the international land and airland Defence and Security exhibition, takes place every two years in order to gather the whole offer and demand of the domains. It was created in its original form in 1967 and has never stopped evolving. Attendees’ number always increased, visitors as well as exhibitors.

<span style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" data-mce-type="bookmark" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>
Adress: Parc des Expositions de Paris Nord Villepinte, Hall 6 – 5A et 5B

Times: Monday 11th to Thursday 14th of June 2018; 9:00 – 17:00, Friday 15th of June 2018; 9:00 – 16:00

DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA (DSA) 2018

DSA is the most important defense and security exhibition in the Asian Region. The edition 2018 of DSA will take place from 16 to 19 April, 2018 in the new Malaysian International Trade and Exhibition Center MITEC. DSA exhibition it’s more than 1,000 companies from the global defence and security sector from more than 50 countries and regions. More than 26 International Pavilions are expected to participate to engage with more than 300 VIP Delegations from more than 44 countries.