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Hilary Clinton's "Remarks on Internet Freedom," January 2010

Mark Frauenfelder at 2:11 pm Wed, Dec 8, 2010

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From Hilary Clinton's speech, "Remarks on Internet Freedom," delivered January 2010:
hilary-newseum.jpgWe are also supporting the development of new tools that enable citizens to exercise their rights of free expression by circumventing politically motivated censorship. We are providing funds to groups around the world to make sure that those tools get to the people who need them in local languages, and with the training they need to access the internet safely. The United States has been assisting in these efforts for some time, with a focus on implementing these programs as efficiently and effectively as possible. Both the American people and nations that censor the internet should understand that our government is committed to helping promote internet freedom.

We want to put these tools in the hands of people who will use them to advance democracy and human rights, to fight climate change and epidemics, to build global support for President Obama's goal of a world without nuclear weapons, to encourage sustainable economic development that lifts the people at the bottom up.

You can give us those tools now, Secretary Clinton, if you please.

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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  • urbanhick

    Hypocisy, thy name is Hillary.

  • DrPretto

    Looks like those “tools” are in the wrong hands.
    I ask myself how corrupt Govs. that serve the Mega-Corps will develop laws to protect the consumers and their freedom?
    The Internet was born Open, now they want to control it, and we have to pay the price they want, I disagree, I think I’m going to donate to that project:
    http://buythissatellite.org/
    I don’t want to live in a Cyberpunk world ruled by Mega-Corps.

  • Bulone

    Was she wearing FX mask?Cuz I’m quite skeptical that anyone would have audacity to show their face and say something abject hypocritical to what they’ve been doing in past few days.

  • Clayton

    This is rich coming from a woman who’s been on a years long crusade to censor video games.

    • Bulone

      May be she thought Bill bizarre idea to use cigar comes from video games and wants to have revenge. lol

  • Anonymous

    and if you believe this, I have a nice bridge to sell you…

  • awjtawjt

    all this gets is: “LULZ.”

  • Anonymous

    “We are also supporting the development of new tools that enable citizens to exercise their rights of free expression by circumventing politically motivated censorship.”

    Why does this sentence scare me?

  • Anonymous

    well that’s a lolful waffle.

  • Neon Tooth

    Do as we say, not as we do.

    I’m sure there’s probably some funny and hypocritical censorship quotes to dig up from U.S. officials while commenting on China and Iran as well.

  • ultranaut

    I love America.

  • Pablissimo

    Her podium reminds me of the “Countdown” set. Made me try to start doing anagrams out of the letters N E W S E U M rather than realizing it was actually meant to be like that…

    • imogen

      Me too!

      Actually I originally misread it as N A U S E U M.
      There. Much more appropriate.

    • Slightly Askew

      Emu News!

      • Anonymous

        Better than Fox News.

        Foxes are considered pests in our country.

  • Jimbo

    http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/01/21/internet_freedom?page=full

    Glad more people are reporting on this. The interwebs is a kind of 4th estate (combined with journalism) to keep gov’t in check.

  • Anonymous

    heres one such tool to start people off http://rapidshare.com/files/435786441/scatterchat-1.0.2.exe
    if you use irc you should be able to figure this out.

  • Ochy

    All I have to say is…

    http://torrent-finder.com/

    Oh…I’m not curing epidemics. I guess I don’t get the same internet rights?

  • mdh

    clearly, that is the other side of her mouth talking.

  • nilosream

    The hypocrisy is so juicy, I’m really enjoying the fact that the news is finally interesting again.

  • M

    Tools for OTHER countries, not ours. She forgot that part.

  • Anonymous

    I think you misunderstood what she said. The attacks are the tool. Just look at the effect its had on wikileaks. Its gone from being hosted on a single server with rather unsafe DNS etc to being mirrored over 1000 times across the world!

    Truely this government is driving the development of anti-censorship tools and increasing the power of free speech online.

    • AnthonyC

      An interesting observation. Be careful what you wish for, I suppose.

  • Anonymous

    I love the smell of hypocrisy in the morning.

  • jonr

    Hillary Clinton was perfectly clear: “We want to put these tools in the hands of people who will use them to… build global support for President Obama’s goal(s)…”

    No ambiguity there, really, nor any surprises.

  • Ernunnos

    She tried to give you the Clipper Chip, and you ingrates rejected it. See if she ever tries to do anything nice for you again!

  • SB-129

    to enable herp without derp.

  • angusm

    “We are providing funds to groups around the world to make sure that those tools get to the people who need them … and to make sure that we can always flip a switch and shut them down if they start saying something we don’t like.”

  • Blue

    Some animals are more equal than others.

  • Anonymous

    In the same hypocritical league as the World Press Freedom Day 2011 to be held in….eh…USA. Sorry all american people, this comment is not directed to you, is directed to your hypocritical politicians. But you knew that already. Oh, byw, World Press Freedom Day 2012 will be held in, you guessed it! Sweden!

    Yup, i’m from Sweden…. Well, I guess we’re sitting in the same boat..

  • Anonymous

    “What, you want these tools in English? Nope, no way.”

  • MythicalMe

    WTF???

    The tools required to access the internet: computer, browser, ISP. Even less if you’re using a smartphone.

    Freedom means that there is going to be nastiness along with the good. It’s up to the individual to decide what is right or wrong for themselves, not the governement. I don’t need a big brother to watch me, or provide me with tools to ensure that I only see what is sanctioned by whichever party is holding the government’s reins.

  • ahwoo

    at first glance, I thought I read ‘nauseoum’ on the podium. After reading the article, I felt it.

  • Anonymous

    Dear Australians on BB

    Getup is placing an advert in the ‘The Washington Times’ and ‘New York Times’ approving an ad saying fuck off to killing Australian citizens. http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/Wikileaks&id=1489

    30,000 are needed, they are 26k+ now


    Sarah Palin wants Julian Assange hunted as a terrorist, among a chorus of American politicians calling for the arrest – and even death – of the Australian chief of Wikileaks.

    If our Government won’t stand up for the rights of Australian citizens, let’s do it ourselves.

    We’re printing ads in The Washington Times and New York Times. The more Australians who support it, the stronger the message will be. Will you add your name and invite your friends to join too?

    NB – To respect your privacy, we won’t print your name, but only a tally of how many Australians signed the statement.

    23,057 have joined this campaign – help us get to 30,000.
    < \Getup>