Marchingontogether
TK Veteran
It looks like someone forgot to notify the Brazil’s police about the country’s so much expected online privacy legislation – it appears that the coppers simply have no idea what Internet freedom means. The local news reports that thanks to a secret lawsuit by the judiciary against the oldest independent radio station in Brazil called Radio Muda, Saravá’s key server was confiscated a week ago./font]
Sarava is known in Brazil as a research group which for the past decade has provided gratis technological infrastructure, political thinking and secure communication means to various research groups and social movements. The reports say that it is not the first time that Radio Muda has its equipment confiscated – now Prosecuting Attorney from the Public Prosecutor’s Office has signed a request for the server aiming for the radio's site information which could possibly identify its members.
As the research group pointed out, the server in question carried no record able to help identify its users as part of its Privacy Policy – but even if it didn't, who can say that the server seizure is not against the online privacy law?
It all happens when the Marco Civil Internet Bill has just passed and the country keeps basking in the attention it attracted for standing up to American spooks and setting up its own online privacy meeting. The country is even hosting a World International Internet Meeting.
Unfortunately, it seems that while Brazil is trying to introduce the state-of-the-art legislation towards privacy, freedom and security in the web, its own government is trying to steal information, undermining the privacy of research projects and free access to information. All of this reminds us of the United States who are believed to have done exactly the same.
According to Sarava, who made an official statement on its website soon after the incident, the decision of breaking the confidentiality of its communications after the Public Prosecutor’s Office lawsuit was largely disproportionate. The website demanded that the police attacks against the server of Saravá Group hosting the users’ information be brought to an immediate halt. The only question is why can’t the new Internet privacy legislation protect them if it is already in place in Brazil?..
Sarava is known in Brazil as a research group which for the past decade has provided gratis technological infrastructure, political thinking and secure communication means to various research groups and social movements. The reports say that it is not the first time that Radio Muda has its equipment confiscated – now Prosecuting Attorney from the Public Prosecutor’s Office has signed a request for the server aiming for the radio's site information which could possibly identify its members.
As the research group pointed out, the server in question carried no record able to help identify its users as part of its Privacy Policy – but even if it didn't, who can say that the server seizure is not against the online privacy law?
It all happens when the Marco Civil Internet Bill has just passed and the country keeps basking in the attention it attracted for standing up to American spooks and setting up its own online privacy meeting. The country is even hosting a World International Internet Meeting.
Unfortunately, it seems that while Brazil is trying to introduce the state-of-the-art legislation towards privacy, freedom and security in the web, its own government is trying to steal information, undermining the privacy of research projects and free access to information. All of this reminds us of the United States who are believed to have done exactly the same.
According to Sarava, who made an official statement on its website soon after the incident, the decision of breaking the confidentiality of its communications after the Public Prosecutor’s Office lawsuit was largely disproportionate. The website demanded that the police attacks against the server of Saravá Group hosting the users’ information be brought to an immediate halt. The only question is why can’t the new Internet privacy legislation protect them if it is already in place in Brazil?..