Subject: Re: [hrpc] Censorship

From: Alexandre Petrescu <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2022 15:57:51 +0100

Hi,

I am a newcomer to the list.  I cant reply to an email in the archive, 
but I keep the subject line, so it hopefully gets in the right thread.

The declarations I see in pdf format on the web about internet cut are 
mainly _against_ blocking internet access to Russia, and some png seems 
to show some intention from Russia to disconnect from the Internet, if 
it is true and not fake.

The censorship is normal at times of war and one cant do anything at the 
IRTF to oppose that censorship.  News agencies in Russia and Ukraine 
already act as at war times - new news agencies are created, there are 
news every 10 minutes or so, and all are one-sided.  We here in 
countries who are not at war can discuss, but it is possible that one 
day we will no longer be able to discuss, and we will be ourselves under 
censorship.

Earlier, before the Ukr-Rus war, there were people at IETF coming from 
countries at war.  They rarely are listened to.  They spoke as if war 
was a shame for them.

The current state (Russia censors some web sites but doesnt block 
Internet, some activists use DDoS to block some gov't sites of Russia) 
could be called 'censorship', even though Internet is not blocked to Russia.

One negative side effect of this state is that I cant see the biolab 
claims of proofs on the mil.ru website.  These claims were made during 
the UN session by russian speaker.  He said that the proofs of biolabs 
are displayed on the mil.ru website.  But the mil.ru site is invisible.  
This situation does not help to find the truth.  Is it hypocrisy to 
claim that proofs are available on an under-attack site?  Is it a 
hypocrisy in response to other hypocrisies?  Is it a hidden request to 
stop cyber attacks? Is it lack of knowledge of how Internet works?  I am 
not sure what to want out of this situation.

Another aspect of this 'censorship', that I call Internet Cut (or a 
falling deck of cards), is that it invites some other people to build an 
'unkillable Internet'.   Some, including Russians, think they can build 
an 'unkillable Internet', supposedly via satellites.  It is a fallacy, 
because even that can get disconnected.  They the Russians know it, 
because they shut an own satellite in November, and they stopped 
delivery of uk oneweb payloads not long ago.

I think the organisations in charge should gracefully remove .su from 
DNS and provide an alternative like .aspiring-country to all those who 
try to become such.  Also consider the term 'Union State' used between 
Bel-Rus.

I think the DDoS attacks should not be permanent, but let some windows 
in time to see a little bit.

But, now, I think we are already within a very disconnected, foggy 
Internet. Censorship or no, it is not any longer the open 
all-encompassing Internet.

Alex