[Ws2-jurisdiction] FW: No more IP addresses for countries that shut down internet access

Tue Apr 25 19:53:42 UTC 2017

Thanks for that Seun.

Paul Rosenzweig

On Apr 25, 2017 3:51 PM, "Seun Ojedeji" <seun.ojedeji at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Speaking as a participant in this ccwg and NOT as the hat I wear within
> AFRINIC, I will highly recommend that people pay attention to the
> clarification comments of the CEO of AFRINIC where this article was
> published:
>
> https://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/1/2017/04/12/no_ip_ad
> dresses_for_countries/
>
> Anyone who wants to participate in the discussion can subscribe on the
> AFRINIC rpd list and you may also go through the following thread to have
> more background knowledge:
>
> It all started from here: https://lists.afrinic.net/pipe
> rmail/rpd/2017/006503.html
>
> Regards
>
> On Apr 25, 2017 20:35, "Paul Rosenzweig" <paul.rosenzweig at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Colleagues
>>
>>
>>
>> The below article may be of interest, especially as it bears on the
>> question of when /how internet freedom might be impinged upon.
>>
>>
>>
>> Paul
>>
>>
>>
>> Paul Rosenzweig
>>
>> paul.rosenzweig at gmail.com
>>
>> M: +1 (202) 329 9650 <+1%20202-329-9650>
>>
>> VOIP: +1 (202) 738-1739 <+1%20202-738-1739>
>>
>> CR: +506 7008 3964 <+506%207008%203964>
>>
>> My PGP Key: https://keys.mailvelope.com/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0x9A830
>> 097CA066684
>>
>>
>>
>> *No more IP addresses for countries that shut down internet access*
>>
>>
>>
>> Afrinic mulls punitive policy for errant governments
>>
>>
>>
>> 12 Apr 2017 at 19:54,  Kieren McCarthy
>>
>>
>>
>> Governments that cut off internet access to their citizens could find
>> themselves refused new IP addresses under a proposal put through one of the
>> five global IP allocation organizations.
>>
>>
>>
>> The suggested clampdown will be considered at the next meeting of
>> internet registry Afrinic in Kenya in June: Afrinic is in charge of
>> managing and allocating IP address blocks across Africa.
>>
>>
>>
>> Under the proposal, a new section would be added to Afrinic's official
>> rules that would allow the organization to refuse to hand over any new IP
>> address to a country for 12 months if it is found to have ordered an
>> internet shutdown.
>>
>>
>>
>> The ban would cover all government-owned entities and others that have a
>> "direct provable relationship with said government." It would also cover
>> any transfer of address space to those entities from others.
>>
>>
>>
>> That withdrawal of services would escalate if the country continued to
>> pull the plug on internet access. Under the proposal: "In the event of a
>> government performing three or more such shutdowns in a period of 10 years
>> – all resources to the aforementioned entities shall be revoked and no
>> allocations to said entities shall occur for a period of 5 years."
>>
>>
>>
>> The proposal was sparked by a recent increase in the number of complete
>> nationwide shutdowns of internet service – something that has been a cause
>> of increasing concern and ire within the internet infrastructure community.
>>
>>
>>
>> The start
>>
>>
>>
>> The trend started during the Egyptian revolution back in 2011 when
>> authorities killed the entire's country web access prior to a big protest
>> march. Employees of ISPs and mobile phone companies reported troops turning
>> up at their homes and pointing guns at their families in order to enforce
>> the shutdown.
>>
>>
>>
>> Until then, many governments had assumed it was largely impossible to
>> turn off internet access to their entire nation. Soon after, government
>> departments educated themselves about AS numbers and internet routing and
>> started using their power to set up systems that would allow them to order
>> the shutdown of all networks from a central point.
>>
>>
>>
>> While some countries only used this ability in the more dire
>> circumstances – riots or terrorist attacks – shutdowns quickly started
>> being used preemptively and for political reasons.
>>
>>
>>
>> Bangladesh switched off its entire country's net connectivity prior to
>> the sentencing of former government leaders for war crimes. Then Iraq
>> started shutting down the entire country for several hours at a time in
>> order to prevent exam cheating.
>>
>>
>>
>> While these were enormously frustrating, the shutdown typically lasted
>> only a few hours. But then Cameroon decided to cut off the internet for
>> weeks – and targeted specific communities. The country's southwest and
>> northwest provinces were taken offline following violent protests: a
>> decision that had a hugely damaging impact on its "Silicon Mountain"
>> startup zone, and also took down its banks and ATMs.
>>
>>
>>
>> In India, the number and frequency of internet shutdowns has sparked a
>> new protest movement and website that tracks them.
>>
>>
>>
>> The situation has grown so dire that the United Nations got involved and
>> officially condemned the practice at a meeting of the Human Rights Council
>> back in July. Despite opposition from a number of countries – including
>> China, Russia, India and Kenya – a resolution passed forbidding mass web
>> blockades.
>>
>>
>>
>> Plan
>>
>>
>>
>> The reality, however, is that there is nothing to prevent governments
>> from shutting down the internet and very little anyone can do in the face
>> of a determined push from the authorities.
>>
>>
>>
>> But now the techies are fighting back. The Afrinic proposal has been put
>> forward by the CTO and the Head of IP strategy for Liquid
>> Telecommunications – a large pan-African ISP – as well as the CEO of
>> Kenya's main ISP Association. As such it is a proposal that many are taking
>> seriously.
>>
>>
>>
>> "While the authors of this policy acknowledge that what is proposed is
>> draconian in nature, we feel that the time has come for action to be taken,
>> rather than just bland statements that have shown to have little or no
>> effect," they wrote, noting that "over the last few years we have seen more
>> and more governments shutting down the free and open access to the internet
>> in order to push political and other agendas."
>>
>>
>>
>> Whether governments like it or not, they are reliant on the provision of
>> IP address to expand their networks and digital economy, and Afrinic is the
>> only organization that can realistically provide them. If the policy does
>> get passed, it would almost certainly act as a strong deterrent for
>> government ministers to shutting down internet access.
>>
>>
>>
>> But there are a wealth of problems with the idea, not least of which
>> would be the determination of what represents an internet shutdown. The
>> authors put forward a suggested definition:
>>
>>
>>
>> An internet shutdown is deemed to have occurred when it can be proved
>> that there was an attempt, failed or successful, to restrict access to the
>> internet to a segment of the population irrespective of the provider or
>> access medium that they utilize.
>>
>>
>>
>> That wording is likely to be very heavily scrutinized. And it would
>> require someone or group to make a determination that it has happened –
>> which would likely become a politically charged decision. And none of that
>> considers the fact that national leaders are unlikely to accept punitive
>> terms being placed against them by a third party.
>>
>>
>>
>> In short, it is a huge political headache. But it may also be one that
>> only the internet community is capable to taking on and winning. The next
>> few months will see whether the 'net community in Africa is willing to take
>> on the challenge for the greater good. ®
>>
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>>
>>
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