Libya, BART and tethering: Understanding the web’s weak points

If access to broadband is a human right, or even a First Amendment right, then it pays to understand where those rights can't be taken for granted. From the news over Libya’s battle to access the web to the drama over San Francisco’s public transportation agency shutting down wireless access during a protest, knowing where the web is at its weakest can help citizens and consumers agitate for change or protect their rights. We may think of Internet communication as this global network without borders, but there are still plenty of geographical borders in place thanks to how countries broadcast IP addresses and who owns the ISPs.

(Aug 22)