April 2010

BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2010

Communications-related Headlines lives online at http://bit.ly/9BpZdN

INTERNET/BROADBAND
   Your fears confirmed: "up to" broadband speeds are bogus
   ACA: Higher Pole Fees = Less Broadband
   Five billionth device about to plug into Internet

NETWORK NEUTRALITY
   After Google-Verizon fizzle, FCC should force Network Neutrality
   How Wireless Net Neutrality Could Kill Kindle Business Model
   Largent: CTIA sees no workable compromise to wireless Network Neutrality exemption

PUBLIC SAFETY
   How Far Has Interoperability Come Since 9/11?

HEALTH
   FCC's Role in the Broadband Health Care Revolution
   EHRs Can't Measure Stage 1 Meaningful Use

PRIVACY
   Judge Allows Amazon Users To Fight To Keep Identities From North Carolina Department Of Revenue
   Google's Privacy 'Fix' Evades Real Issues

DIGITAL CONTENT
   What's 'Mobile' Mean? How Apple And The iPad Are Forcing The Debate
   Google TV Is a Tough Sell Among Would-Be Partners
   See also: Google TV undergoes a trial by partisans
   US neighborhood bookstores thrive in digital age
   US advertising on social networks surges 20% to $1.68 billion, half of it on Facebook

TELEVISION
   Cable networks flying high for conglomerates

ELECTIONS AND MEDIA
   News Corp Donates $1 Million to Republicans
   Fox Won't Return Top Dem's Request To Discuss Its $1 Million GOP Donation

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
   Rep Issa: Stimulus website is 'propaganda'

POLICYMAKERS
   Meet NIST's leader for national cybersecurity education
   Bringing the Government Printing Office into the digital world

STORIES FROM ABROAD
These headlines presented in partnership with:

   Spain becomes latest country to take on Google
   Australian broadband network construction begins
   North Korea says it has joined Twitter, YouTube
   Japan's Mobile-TV Fight
   South African Firms Slam Plan to Curb Press
   Thai Groups Denounce Website Censorship

MORE ONLINE
   California exhausts film tax credit funds for the year
   Stimulus programs hobbled by regulations

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INTERNET/BROADBAND

UP TO SPEEDS ARE BOGUS
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Nate Anderson]
Broadband providers in the US have long hawked their wares in "up to" terms. You know -- "up to" 10Mbps, where "up to" sits like a tiny pebble beside the huge font size of the raw number. In reality, no one gets these speeds. That's not news to the techno-literate, of course, but a new Federal Communications Commission report shines a probing flashlight on the issue and makes a sharp conclusion: broadband users get, on average, a mere 50 percent of that "up to" speed they had hoped to achieve. After crunching the data, FCC wonks have concluded that ISPs advertised an average (mean) "up to" download speed of 6.7Mbps in 2009. That's not what broadband users got, though. "However, FCC analysis shows that the median actual speed consumers experienced in the first half of 2009 was roughly 3 Mbps, while the average (mean) actual speed was approximately 4 Mbps," says the report. "Therefore actual download speeds experienced by US consumers appear to lag advertised speeds by roughly 50 percent." The agency used metrics data from Akamai and comScore to make this determination, though a more accurate direct measurement is currently taking place under FCC auspices. The more accurate measurement will put small boxes in people's homes for weeks at a time, recording actual line speeds in thousands of US homes at all times of the day and night. But, until that data set is complete, Internet traffic data from Akamai and comScore will have to suffice.
benton.org/node/40945 | Ars Technica | FCC report | New America Foundation
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HIGHER POLE FEES = LESS BROADBAND
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The American Cable Association warned that untethered pole attachment rates could drive the cost of broadband beyond the reach of rural customers. In comments filed August 16 with the Federal Communications Commission, the ACA, which represents about 900 mostly rural cable operators with a combined 7.6 million subscribers, applauded the FCC's' efforts to promote broadband deployment through revised pole attachment regulations. But the organization said that new proposed pole attachment formulas could increase fees five-fold for some operators, which in turn would cause consumer broadband rates to rise. ACA said that pole attachment fees heavily influence broadband deployment schedules in rural markets. By allowing those fees to rise, the ACA claims the economic case for driving broadband facilities deeper into rural areas is harmed. One of the main initiatives of the Obama Administration has been to make broadband service available to all Americans.
benton.org/node/40944 | Multichannel News
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5 BILLION INTERNET DEVICES
[SOURCE: Network World, AUTHOR: John Cox]
Sometime this month, the 5 billionth device will plug into the Internet. And in 10 years, that number will grow by more than a factor of four, according to IMS Research, which tracks the installed base of equipment that can access the Internet. On the surface, this second tidal wave of growth will be driven by cell phones and new classes of consumer electronics. But an even bigger driver will be largely invisible: machine-to-machine communications in various kinds of smart grids for energy management, surveillance and public safety, traffic and parking control, and sensor networks. In 10 years, there will be 6 billion cell phones, most of them with Internet connectivity. An estimated 2.5 billion televisions today will largely be replaced by TV sets that are Internet capable, either directly or through a set-top box. More and more of the world's one billion automobiles will be replaced by newer models with integrated Internet access.
benton.org/node/40936 | Network World
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NETWORK NEUTRALITY

FCC SHOULD FORCE NET NEUTRALITY
[SOURCE: Boston Globe, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
The "Legislative framework proposal" on net neutrality released by Google and Verizon last week was a shock and a disappointment for those who had bought into Google's motto of "Don't be evil." It's a sad example of what happens when corporations are allowed to write regulatory rules -- and why the Federal Communications Commission needs to re-seize the reins on broadband regulation. Congress could fix this by passing a network neutrality bill, but Senator John Kerry, who chairs the communications subcommittee, said that is unlikely to happen this year. Luckily, there's another solution: the FCC can rewrite the rules and reclassify broadband Internet access as a telecommunications service for the purposes of regulation. Needless to say, there are opponents of this approach. Some activists speak of "regulatory capture," under which ideologues or industry-affiliated wonks could come to control the regulatory apparatus. And the industry giants don't want to be regulated at all. But at the moment, the choice appears to be between having major industries self-regulate their Internet behavior, and having the FCC regulate it. Given that the Google-Verizon proposal seems helpful primarily to Google and Verizon at the expense of an open, innovation-friendly Internet, it's time for the FCC to step in.
benton.org/node/40920 | Boston Globe
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NET NEUTRALITY AND THE KINDLE
[SOURCE: PCWorld, AUTHOR: John Mello Jr]
Pure Network Neutrality could have a downside. A case in point may be Amazon's highly successful electronic reader, the Kindle. Content can be delivered to the reader wirelessly, but users don't pay for the wireless service. The tradeoff is that there are strict limitations on what travels down that wireless stream to the Kindle. That is a very different business model than what AT&T is doing with the iPhone or what Verizon is doing with the Droid, argues Peter Suderman, an associate editor with Reason Magazine in Los Angeles. "It's a business model that relies, in fact, on discrimination," he said. "You can only get certain things through your Kindle." "In theory," he continued, "a very, very strict version of Net Neutrality, taken to its extreme, could, in fact, outlaw, or at least make it very difficult, to operate a business service like the Kindle."
benton.org/node/40919 | PCWorld
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CTIA ON NETWORK NEUTRALITY
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Sara Jerome]
Quotes from a recent interview with chief wireless industry lobbyist Steve Largent, the head of the CTIA.
1) On a joint net-neutrality proposal from Google and Verizon: CTIA is "very curious" about how the agreement will impact public opinion around net neutrality. Largent is wondering if there will be "opposition generated by this story that would not have been there otherwise."
2) On CTIA's role in the debate: "Our job is to say 'nothing is necessary,'" in reference to the push by some for a net neutrality framework that applies a non-discrimination rule to wireless traffic. CTIA does not see a compromise short of a wireless exemption to a non-discrimination rule that would be acceptable, he said.
3) On FCC-led net-neutrality talks: Largent said he does not think wireless carriers in FCC-led talks (Verizon, AT&T) are prepared to swallow tougher rules than those in the Verizon-Google proposal. He said if there are reports to the contrary, he thinks they are wrong. He said he understands that the concessions these companies may offer surround their wireline businesses.
4) On liberal groups lashing out against the Google-Verizon proposal: "You can't make public policy to appease agitation," said Dane Snowden, vice president for external and state affairs.
5) On the outlook for a wireless exemption to net-neutrality rules: There is a "growing recognition wireless is different," said Chris Guttman-McCabe, vice president for regulatory affairs. This policy argument is not necessarily flattering for the wireless industry: "You don't want to tell everyone how small your highway is," Largent said.
benton.org/node/40949 | Hill, The
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PUBLIC SAFETY

INTEROPERABILITY PROGRESS REPORT
[SOURCE: Government Technology, AUTHOR: Chad Vander Veen]
Almost nine years after the 9/11 attacks, most people look back with admiration at the efforts of emergency responders on the scene. And rightly so -- men and women from all backgrounds risked and lost their lives trying to help minimize the death toll. Yet from the ashes arose a nagging question: Why couldn't public safety agencies communicate more effectively? In addition to setting the stage for the global war on terrorism, 9/11 also served to spotlight the inadequacies of the communications technology used by first responders. Critical information fell on deaf ears and in one case led to a fire brigade in the north World Trade Center tower being unable to hear commands to evacuate. New York City lost 121 firefighters in the north tower that day because their radios could not receive warnings issued by the city's police department. If one were to look at the huge amount of money thrown at the interoperability problem and compare that to current results, or lack thereof, an easily drawn conclusion is that technology vendors are taking grant spending but not delivering on the hardware. But few in emergency management circles believe this is simply a case of vendors jobbing the system. In fact, Harlin McEwen, chairman of the Communications and Technology Committee for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, said interoperable communications technology has progressed as expected and that vendors are simply doing what they're supposed to -- make money.
benton.org/node/40943 | Government Technology
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HEALTH

FCC AND HEALTH CARE
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Thomas Buckley]
Chairman Genachowski visited Seattle Children's Hospital August 13 to witness first-hand how broadband can help deliver quality health care efficiently to areas that lack it. Back in 2001, Seattle Children's started a telemedicine program to provide better access to specialized pediatric care throughout the Pacific Northwest. The hospital also has been a leader in telepsychiatry, which is one of the most effective ways to increase access to psychiatric care for individuals living in underserved areas, according to the American Pychiatric Association. Broadband's potentially transformative role in health care delivery was a major focus of the National Broadband Plan, and we are following through in many ways. We are in the midst of designing programs that would provide up to $400 million annually to support broadband networks capable of bringing high-quality health care to patients no matter where they live. We have gained valuable insight in how to support broadband-enabled health care through our existing Rural Health Care Pilot Program. The National Broadband Plan recommended creating a new program that will help build networks where they are lacking and provide ongoing support where there is a need for it. This is critical: up to 30 percent of rural clinics don't have adequate broadband technology, and so can't do things like offer remote video care, exchange MRIs and x-rays, or deliver health care records. We want to engage the public in our reform process, and the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing the changes is the vehicle for getting substantive comments and suggestions so we can adjust our proposals, as appropriate. Comments on these reform initiatives are due September 8th and reply comments are due September 23.
benton.org/node/40946 | Federal Communications Commission
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WHRs AND MEANINGFUL USE
[SOURCE: InformationWeek, AUTHOR: Nicole Lewis]
As hospitals gear up to meet Stage 1 of the meaningful use requirements under the federal government's electronic health record (EHR) incentives program, a new report concludes that EHRs will only be able to provide about a third of the data requirements for Stage 1 quality measures outlined in the final rule. Not only is time working against putting in place the necessary technology to meet the requirements for computerized physician order entry (CPOE), problem list, and so forth, but the quality reporting requirement adds to the duties. In short, hospitals, doctors, and other clinicians have their work cut out for them. "Much attention has been paid to some of the explicit data capture requirements for meaningful use -- computerized physician order entry in particular -- because so much work lies ahead for most U.S. hospitals to implement these functions. However, we believe that the quality reporting requirements for Stage 1, the first increment of meaningful use to be achieved, will be equally challenging," the report concludes.
benton.org/node/40938 | InformationWeek | Computer Sciences Corporation
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PRIVACY

NC RESIDENTS FIGHT STATE ORDER
[SOURCE: MediaPost, AUTHOR: Wendy Davis]
US District Court Judge Marsha Pechman has ruled that residents who oppose North Carolina's attempt to learn their identities may intervene in a lawsuit to block disclosure. The residents "have demonstrated that they have significant protectable interests in this case under the First and Fourteenth Amendments," wrote Judge Pechman. She added that even though the residents are allied with Amazon, they are entitled to make their own arguments rather than rely on the online retailer's stance. Judge Pechman additionally decided that the residents can proceed in court without providing their names. The ACLU, which is representing the Amazon users, praised the ruling. "This decision allows our clients -- who the court also permitted to proceed anonymously in order to protect their privacy -- to have their own voices heard in this proceeding as the court determines their rights to privacy and free expression."
benton.org/node/40940 | MediaPost
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GOOGLE PRIVACY FIX
[SOURCE: MediaPost, AUTHOR: Wendy Davis]
Many Internet industry insiders and observers are attempting to seriously address the implications of technology on privacy. Google's CEO Eric Schmidt doesn't seem to be among them. When asked about privacy by editors of The Wall Street Journal, Schmidt predicted that in the future teens will have the option of changing their names when they become adults in order to distance themselves from material posted by their friends. The Journal says this prediction was "apparently serious." But it's hard to believe that Schmidt really was presenting this idea as a solution to very real privacy problems posed by digital media. Schmidt must know as well as anyone that pseudonyms can be easy to crack, as happened when AOL released search queries for "anonymized" users. Besides, there's nothing to stop the same people who made the initial, presumably embarrassing posts from updating them with their friends' new names.
benton.org/node/40941 | MediaPost | WSJ
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DIGITAL CONTENT

WHAT DOES MOBILE MEAN?
[SOURCE: paidContent.org, AUTHOR: Tricia Duryee]
Is the iPad a mobile device? The question is no longer just a philosophical one, rather, it is now an important business issue facing content owners and developers -- thanks in large part to Apple, which has begun requiring that all applications work across the iPhone, iPod and iPad. This new policy, which has been mostly overlooked until recently, could allow Apple to delete long-standing iPhone applications (think streaming-video services, like MobiTV, and mobile-game companies like Electronic Arts) that don't comply -- meaning that those apps could disappear from iTunes altogether. The problem is strictly about permissions, and not about the technical challenges of developing an iPad app. Developers acknowledge that regardless of Apple's policy, they would have to negotiate licenses separately for the iPad, but Apple's ultimatum is forcing developers to dramatically speed up that process. With dozens of tablets coming to market by year's end, the issue is also not exclusive to the iPad.
benton.org/node/40937 | paidContent.org
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GOOGLE TV PARTNERS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Jessica Vascellaro]
Google is launching a campaign to line up TV networks' support for its new Google TV software, but many remain reluctant to partner with a service they believe encroaches on their turf. The service will allow people to watch and search cable, satellite and Web programming—as well as access regular Web pages—through TVs and set-top boxes that incorporate new Google software. The first devices, made by Sony Corp. and Logitech International SA, are due out this fall, marking another tug-of-war between tech companies eager for new content and media companies worried about giving it away. In recent weeks, Google has met with officials of TV networks including ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC to encourage them to work with the service, according to people familiar with the matter. Content owners, though, are skeptical that Google can provide a business model that would compensate for potentially cannibalizing TV owners' existing broadcast businesses. The prospect of Google getting into television frightens many in Hollywood, who worry that Silicon Valley will upend the entertainment industry just like the Internet ravaged the music and newspaper industries. By bringing the Web directly to the living room TV, entertainment industry executives fear Google TV will encourage consumers to ditch their $70 monthly cable and satellite subscriptions in favor of watching video free via the Internet. Others believe it will fan piracy because Google refuses to block access to bootleg movies and television shows. And, perhaps most troubling to Hollywood, Google doesn't yet know how it will make money on Google TV — and whether it intends to compensate the studios and networks for the content.
benton.org/node/40953 | Wall Street Journal | Los Angeles Times
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BOOKSTORES IN THE DIGITAL AGE
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Edith Honan]
US independent bookstores are discovering how to flourish despite the growth of electronic books with some even looking to form an alliance with a formidable competitor -- Google. The New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association, which represents bookstores in the northeast, said its membership has remained steady at about 300 stores over the last decade. Closures have been offset by new stores opening and existing stores have developed new business strategies. The American Booksellers Association (ABA), an industry group for independent bookstores, has reached a deal with Google Editions -- Google's digital bookstore, due to launch this fall -- that would allow its 14,000 members to sell Google's eBooks through their websites.
benton.org/node/40939 | Reuters
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SOCIAL AD SPENDING
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Kristena Hansen]
Just after Facebook hit 500 million users last month, some analysts increased their 2010 forecasts for spending on social media advertising. US advertising is expected to increase 20% over last year to $1.68 billion, up from December's forecast of $1.3 billion, according to a study by digital research group EMarketer. "That's primarily due to the strong performance of Facebook and somewhat due to the fact that we started adding Twitter to our analysis," said Debra Aho Williamson, an analyst. The study, conducted every six months, also measures sites such as MySpace, LinkedIn and Classmates.com as well as popular sites in China, Japan and Russia for worldwide figures. Half of that $1.68 billion spent by U.S. advertisers will go to Facebook, according to the study. By 2011, advertisers will spend $1.06 billion on the San Francisco company -- a 112% increase from 2009.
benton.org/node/40950 | Los Angeles Times
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TELEVISION

CABLE CASH COW
[SOURCE: MarketWatch, AUTHOR: David Wilkerson]
At Time warner, Walt Disney, NBC Universal, Cablevision, Scripps, Viacom, and News Corp, cable networks were their companies' biggest cash cows in the second quarter, a trend that will only become magnified in the years to come. While advertising climates change depending on the economy, fees paid to these companies by cable, satellite and fiber video providers (known as affiliate fees) are much more predictable. "The affiliate fees have good growth characteristics and good visibility going forward," said David Bank, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets. "And on the advertising side, I think cable will continue to gain share from broadcast. When you add those two things together, you have a pretty good secular profile." Disney, NBC Universal, Viacom and News own television production studios that provide much of their programming. Disney, NBCU and News Corp. also own three of the Big Four broadcast networks. Not only have they been able to charge higher fees to video providers for their cable networks, but each is increasingly determined to get cash compensation for the right to retransmit the signals of broadcast network stations in most of the nation's biggest markets. While all of this adds up to a bonanza for the largest media conglomerates, it has set the stage for contentiousness.
benton.org/node/40916 | MarketWatch
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ELECTIONS AND MEDIA

NEWS CORP BACKS GOP
[SOURCE: Bloomberg, AUTHOR: Jonathan Salant]
Unlike the national political parties and federal candidates, the Republican Governors Association can take in unlimited amounts from corporations, and companies are showing their interest. News Corp., the media company controlled by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rupert Murdoch, gave the RGA $1 million in June. News Corp. opposes proposed federal rule changes that would weaken the position of its Fox network in negotiations with cable companies. Governors may have a stake in the issue. In March, for example, New York Governor David Paterson stepped in with a call for binding arbitration in a dispute over fees between Bethpage, New York-based Cablevision Systems Corp. and Burbank, California-based Walt Disney Co.'s ABC. [much more at the URL below]
benton.org/node/40918
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GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS

RECOVERY.GOV PROPAGANDA?
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Gautham Nagesh]
On August 16, Rep Darrell Issa (R-CA) accused the White House of using the stimulus tracking website Recovery.gov to disseminate propaganda. He released a 37-page report documenting alleged misconduct by the Obama administration in several of its new-media projects. The report documents several instances in which government agencies allegedly promoted administration policies using federal resources. Rep Issa called on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the allegations and determine if the administration violated federal law by using taxpayers' dollars for political purposes. Specifically, the report points to websites it claims contain false or misleading information, such as Recovery DOT gov and HealthReform DOT gov, as well as to a conference call during which a White House staff member urged artists and entertainers to support President Obama's agenda.
benton.org/node/40947 | Hill, The | Rep Issa
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STORIES FROM ABROAD
These headlines presented in partnership with:

SPAIN BECOMES LATEST COUNTRY TO TAKE ON GOOGLE
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR:]
Spain is investigating Google over its "Street View" mapping feature, becoming the latest country to tangle with the Internet search giant over concerns it violated people's privacy while taking shots of city streets. Madrid Judge Raquel Fernandino has issued a subpoena for an Oct. 4 appearance by a Google representative, Google Spain spokeswoman Marisa Toro said Tuesday, adding that the company will cooperate with Spanish authorities. The judge is acting on a complaint filed in June by a private Internet watchdog and technology consultancy called APEDANICA. In an order released August 16, the judge said she is probing whether Google committed a "computer crime," according to APEDANICA attorney Valentin Playa.
benton.org/node/40935 | Associated Press
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NBN BUILDOUT UPDATE
[SOURCE: ZDNet, AUTHOR: Suzanne Tindal]
On August 17, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard launched the start of construction in Townsville for the mainland National Broadband Network (NBN). Townsville was one of the five first release sites chosen to receive the NBN on the mainland. Those sites will see around 3000 premises each connected to the new high-speed network, which will now be capable of speeds up to 1Gbps, 10 times more than the 100Mbps originally thought. Four schools, and a significant commercial area, will be connected in the roll-out, which was contracted to Ergon Energy. The local construction work will employ up to 100 workers in civil, electrical and telecommunications engineering, according to the government. Houses will see online services next year. NBN Co head of construction Patrick Flannigan said that mainland construction was set to start at the end of last month; however, the company only formally announced the contract for the Brunswick build in Melbourne, for which Telstra has been contracted. Construction in Townsville will take about 12 weeks and the city will be one of five sites around Australia to get first access to the network.
benton.org/node/40917 | ZDNet
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NORTH KOREA SAYS IT HAS JOINED TWITTER, YOUTUBE
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Sangwon Yoon]
North Korea appears to have ramped up its propaganda war against South Korea and the U.S. by turning to Twitter and YouTube - websites that most citizens of the reclusive communist country are banned from viewing. The North's government-run Uriminzokkiri website posted an announcement last week saying it has a Twitter account and a YouTube channel. More than 80 videos have been uploaded since July to the global video-sharing site under the user name uriminzokkiri. The series of clips include condemnation of "warmongers" South Korea and the U.S. for blaming North Korea for the sinking of a South Korean warship in March.
benton.org/node/40934 | Associated Press
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JAPAN'S MOBILE-TV FIGHT
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Juro Osawa]
A battle between Japan's two biggest wireless carriers over mobile-television technology has raised a dilemma in the country: continue to choose home-grown innovations that may isolate Japan or risk backing a standard based on nascent technology from the U.S. As early as this month, Japan's telecommunications ministry plans to choose just one operator to run a new platform for delivering TV shows and other multimedia content to cellphones and other portable devices from 2012. KDDI Corp., Japan's No. 2 mobile carrier by subscribers, wants to use Qualcomm Inc.'s MediaFlo mobile-broadcast technology, which is already in use in the U.S. The country's biggest carrier, NTT DoCoMo Inc., supports a format called ISDB-Tmm that is based on Japan's existing digital-TV standard.
benton.org/node/40933 | Wall Street Journal
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BUSINESS RESPONDS TO SOUTH AFRICA PRESS PROPOSAL
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Peter Wonacott]
South Africa's business community, which rarely confronts the powerful ruling political party, took aim at the African National Congress-controlled government and proposals to clamp down on the print media, saying such efforts threatened to tarnish the country's image and undermine a wave of investor interest after hosting the World Cup. "We just dispelled so many stupid ideas about our country," said Bobby Godsell, chairman of Business Leadership South Africa, a group made up of chief executives of the nation's 80 largest companies. "Now we've got people raising questions about whether our government believes in press freedom," he said. Business Leadership South Africa called press freedom "the lifeblood of both markets and democracies." And while the group said the quality of the country's journalism needed to improve, it criticized a proposed parliamentary watchdog for the media and a separate bill that casts a wide net over what information is classified.
benton.org/node/40955 | Wall Street Journal
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WEB CENSORSHIP IN THAILAND
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Patrick Barta]
Criticism over Thailand's efforts to curb political debate online is mounting as the government restricts thousands of websites following deadly protest clashes earlier this year. Thai authorities say they have blocked at least 40,000 Web pages this year, according to the government's Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, which monitors the Internet. Free-speech activists say authorities are blocking at least 110,000 sites, based on government disclosures and spot checks online. Many of the sites feature criticism of the government or debates about Thailand's revered monarchy, a taboo subject here. As a result, some advocates say Thailand -- long seen as a relative haven of free speech in Asia -- is becoming one of the least-free states in a region that includes China and Myanmar, when it comes to discourse online. Censorship of the media has reached "an unprecedented level" in Thailand, says Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a Thailand expert at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. He says his research, which includes discussions with government officials, supports the 110,000 figure for blocked sites. "The government has been using this partly to defend national security but also to protect its own regime as well," he says.
benton.org/node/40954 | Wall Street Journal
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