Hi Rafal and Libtech, I'd add that this is parallel to a joint letter that EFF, Access, and others just released last month asking companies to be more proactive in applying for licenses and reforming the controls generally: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/06/eff-signs-joint-coalition-letter-urging-companies-be-proactive-export-regulations
Though I can't say what prompted the Change.org petition specifically, I've been hearing this complaint from Syrians since 2009, when LinkedIn blocked Syrian users<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jillian-york/linkedin-alienates-syrian_b_188629.html> (they later fixed the problem). If I recall, Ethan even cited that in his chapter for *Access Controlled*. -Jillian On Tue, Aug 21, 2012 at 10:49 AM, John Scott-Railton < [email protected]> wrote: > Hi Rafal > (and Libtech) > > I'm a bit surprised. Is there a specific case where a license has been > denied, or were services are no longer offered because of export > restrictions? > > > Thanks for the question. Some of these issues are articulated in the > petition text, and James Ball writing in the Washington Post on the 16th > wrote this much more clearly than I can: > > > 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 > > To answer your question, here are two of things you can't get right now in > Syria: > > *Targeted Advertising Blocked* > *Problem*: Inability to do targeted advertising for users registered in > Syrian space. E.g. purchasing PSAs on security issues on Facebook. This > makes it difficult to do effective messaging on key issues, or for other > groups providing information to direct, say, social media users to their > content. > *Current Ad-hoc Solutions*: Information provided in higher-cost, more > labor-intensive ways (e.g. trainings to small groups, other kinds of > messaging that hit much smaller, informal pools of people etc). > * > * > *Mobile Apple App Store, Google Play both blocked* > *Problem*: Lack of access means inability to securely and > straightforwardly access a full range of tools in app stores, including > mobile security tools, connectivity solutions (e.g. VPNs) as well as news > and information. Bypassing these requires jailbreaking phones. > > *User Quote on Mobile in Conflict:** " *if an iphone user wants to stream > a protest or shelling he needs to jailbreak his phone or find a proxy that > they can use to download the app or jailbreak the iphone...then i send him > a cracked copy of the apps...[then] he then needs to upload it onto the > phone then he is able to use the vpn or streaming app" > > *Current Ad-hoc Solutions*: Unwieldy work arounds. Doesn't work for > everyone, phones must be made more vulnerable by being jailbroken.* > * > > There are many other issues, including access to Sourceforge, auto-updates > for Java, Windows Activation and so on. As the petition frames it, the > complexity of this issue stems from the roles played both by sanctions and > export licensure, and by companies own reluctance to undertake the legal > determination of whether their products are legal (e.g. under General > License #5). > > The end result is that Syrians don't have access to important tools. Both > government and private sector actors / tool developers have an imperative > to address this, we think. On the government end, we think that > encouraging better guidance and clarity and review of licensure for Syria > is a natural step, and a stronger signal to the private sector. Recent > efforts to review and ease sanctions on Iran are a good model to start with. > > > Anyway, I'm interested what prompted this petition as our organization is > about to embark on ramping up of a large-scale activity focused on Syria > and digital safety. > > > Good luck! > > Very best, > > John > > > > Many thanks > > Rafal > > Sent from my PsiPhone > > On 2012-08-21, at 2:18 AM, 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 > > > > -- > 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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