+1, totally support this. And if anyone wants the longer version, I wrote this awhile back but it remains accurate:
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/09/stop-the-piecemeal-export-approach On Mon, Aug 20, 2012 at 11:18 PM, John Scott-Railton < [email protected]> wrote: > Hi All, > > You're likely aware of US export restrictions intended to limit the Assad > Regime's access to monitoring and filtering gear. But there is another > side of this coin: unintended and negative effects on Syrians' access to > personal communications and security technologies. This inadvertently > compliments the regime's own filtering efforts. > > A few hours ago, an online petition* started circulating, requesting > that the Departments of Commerce and Treasury review and streamline export > licensure, guidance and review to address the problem. The petition is > hosted by Change.org, and led by Dlshad Othman, a Syrian opposition IT > expert. > > *Please consider signing, and spreading the petition link:* > www.change.org/syria > > I've written a quick summary. > > *TL;DR for Libtech:* > > -Some key software and online services, including security tools, aren't > making their way to Syrians. > - Even if the tools are exempted under the letter of the law > -Syrian digital activists don't understand why this is happening, given > official statements from the US that say these tools should be available. > - Last week, the Washington Post laid out the problem: Washington Post > Article<http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/sanctions-aimed-at-syria-and-iran-are-hindering-opposition-activists-say/2012/08/14/c4c88998-e569-11e1-936a-b801f1abab19_story.html> > -Sanctions are complicated, and the process of licensure is quite long. > It can be resource consuming, even for big players. > -Penalties for violations are severe > -Companies' risk-averse compliance regimes are partly responsible for why > many tools currently legal under the letter of current law, or whose > legality could be quickly determined, have not been made available > to Syrians. > -Companies will benefit from clearer signals and guidance from Departments > of Commerce and Treasury > -A new general license is needed: it should give clearer and more explicit > exemptions on personal communications and security technologi balancing > legitimate concerns over cryptography and financial transactions with the > need to protect the safety of at-risk populations > - For specific licenses, a more streamlined process also needs to be > implemented, giving clearer formal and informal guidance to companies, and > a faster case-by-case licensing mechanism for companies and NGOs > > > * (full disclosure, I'm involved) > > > > Best, > > John Scott-Railton > > > > John Scott-Railton > www.johnscottrailton.com > > PGP key ID: 0x3e0ccb80778fe8d7 > Fingerprint: FDBE BE29 A157 9881 34C7 8FA6 3E0C CB80 778F E8D7 > > > -- > Unsubscribe, change to digest, or change password at: > https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/liberationtech > -- *+1-857-891-4244 |** jilliancyork.com | @jilliancyork * "We must not be afraid of dreaming the seemingly impossible if we want the seemingly impossible to become a reality" - *Vaclav Havel*
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