Another Internet Kill Switch Need
March 11, 2011
Could the UK Government Shut Down the Web? signals that another country wants to have a way to control access via the Internet. This article does a good job substantiating why it is a highly improbable and nearly impossible endeavor.
In Britain the person with the power to flick the “kill switch” is Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt. The Civil Contingencies Act and the 2003 Communications Act give Hunt the ability to suspend internet services by ordering internet service providers to close their operations or by shutting off internet exchanges. Here’s a point that struck me as important:
“The problem comes down to the very nature of the internet in developed countries. It is a mesh of networks. It transcends borders and has no definable beginning or end. As a result of this structure it is almost impossible to isolate all the connections.”
While Hunt has the power to shut Britain off from the rest of the world via Internet, he cannot use the power except in times of extreme emergency should the country be threatened. Even then, due to the vast network interconnections and backup network systems, a secondary network system would quickly develop should the primary networks be shut down.
We have seen postings that indicate there are work arounds for “kill switches”. These range from dial up access to more elaborate methods. And what about search? No one seems to care. The issue appears to be Facebook-type and Twitter-like services, email, and the real time flow of information through RSS.
What is clear is that governmental authorities are nervous about what can happen when people use Internet technology to organize and disseminate information. But will turning off the Internet solve the problem or just be a temporary measure. The UK does not want to take a chance it seems. A desktop computer does not lend itself to mobility, but phones and other portable devices change some of the information dynamics due to real time messaging and interaction among one or more individuals.
Leslie Radcliff and Stephen E Arnold, March 11, 2011
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