In Sptember, the NY Times published an article outlining the problem of balancing sovereign security concerns with the customers’ privacy.
The Obama administration wants a law that would help law enforcement when people use social-networking sites and other fast developing communications technologies, such as BlackBerry Messenger, Facebook or direct "peer to peer" messaging like Skype.
Opponents claim that such a law would challenge the "fundamental elements of the Internet revolution’, including its decentralized design.,.
This is not a problem unique to the United States. Cyber espionage has surged against governments and companies around the world in the past year and cyber attacks have become a staple of conflict among states.
In a New York Times article last month, the Indian government said that it would block encrypted BlackBerry corporate email and messenger services if wireless companies did not enable law enforcement authorities to monitor these messagers.
Previously the United Arab Emirates had announced that it was blocking services but losing accress to the Indian wireless market would be far more significant since India is one of the fastest growing wireless markets and has an estimated one million Blackberry users.
In the terrorist attack in Mumbai, in November 2008, some of the terrorists used internet-based phone systems to speak to their handlers in Pakistan. Since then officials have been more adamant about gaining access to encrypted commubnications.
Reasons for blocking services may be for cultural or religious reasons.
In May of this year, Facebook, was banned last week in response to publicity given to a "Everyone Draw Muhammed Day" movement. In response the Pakistan Court ordered the Pakistani Telecommunications Authority to shut down Facebook. YouTube, Flicker and Wikipedia later followed.
BBC News Technology and NY Times Business Day reported Domains recently shut down by the Libyan government "because the content of our website, in their opinion, fell outside of Libyan Islamic/Sharia Law"
According to the READ WRITE WEB, the following was reported:
Burma.....Two high ranking government officials have been sentenced to death for having emailed documents abroad. Massive filtering of websites during time of unrest are daily occurrences.
All countries, even though they resist are affected by the internet. After Hugo Chavez proclaimed that the "internet cannot be free", and after taking 6 television stations off the air, he then announced that he intended " to open his Twitter account and to wage the battle online".
In Egypt, although website blocking remains limited, authorities are striving to regain control over bloggers who are more and more organized.
Saudi Arabia is still one of the most repressive countries with regard to the Internet. However the Internet penetration rate is estimated to be about 38% and rising.
Countries friendly to the West have also taken steps to curtail civil liberties. South Korea: new censorship law allows for 5 year prison sentences for anyone found using the internet "to disseminate false news intended to damage the public interest" The same law requires online visitors to register their real name and national ID card number when visiting sites with more than 100,000 members.
In the state of South Australia, it’s now against the law to be anonymous online if it’s in the context of an election.
Xinhua, the Chinese news outlet reported (May 19) that the Chinese government will be implementing new standards that are aimed at preventing "state secrets being disclosed and uncertified maps published online"
China and US ..Tensions over currency are closely watched. Trade is essential to both countries. For instance, most of Apple Inc.’s products, including the iPhone and the iPad are made in China by Taiwanese-owned factories.
Through a U.N. working group, the U.S., China, Russia and other countries have taken initial steps to devise ground rules for cyber crime and cyber warfare.
Countries such as India and Pakistan are attacking each other in cyberspace almost daily.
In Iran a battle of a new typeof war is being waged.
CNET News reported that the "Stuxnet" worm had taken the computer world storm, inspiring talk of a top secret government sponsored cyberwar. Stuxnet is believed to be the first known malware that targets the controls at industrial facities such as power plants.
The recent computer worm dubbed Stuxnet was the first public example of cyber weapons targeting software for computer-control systems.