The Free Internet Project

October 2016

Alt-R group subverts trademarks and other terms to avoid Google's censorship of hate speech and offensive terms

10/16/2016

‘Free Speech’ trolls have created a new internet language to avoid censorship. The movement, called the alt-right, is standing up against major tech firms such as Google after they announced the launch of a system called Conversation Al. Conversation Al detects and censors words which Google has determined to be offensive. Google has defended their program as a way of taking on trolling and making the internet a safer space. However, critics of Conversation Al fear this project will kill free internet speech.

As a response to Conversation Al, the alt-right movement, led by various online communities, has created a scheme called Operation Google. Operation Google replaces offensive words with more acceptable-sounding terms in an effort to force the tech giant to self-censor.

Glossary of Hate Speech

  • Black person – Google
  • Muslim – Skittle
  • Jew- Skype
  • Transgender – Durden
  • Mexican – Yahoo
  • Liberals – Car Salesman
  • Chinese – Bing
  • Conservatives – Reagans
  • Lesbian – Fishbucket
  • Libertarian – A Leppo
  • Gay man – Butterfly

The campaign is urged to target black people on Twitter or Facebook with slurs and other offensive content. A flurry of offensive memes has followed. Among them is an image of a lynching with the caption ‘Google Hangout.’

Despite Google’s efforts to create a safe space it seems the alt-righters are determined to make censorship difficult for the tech giant. [More from The Sun (UK)]

China to use Damnu to censor live comments on video streaming sites

10/14/2016

On Tuesday, internet security authorities in Shanghai, China declared they would be overseeing Damnu. Damnu, which means “barrage” or “bullet screen,” refers to real-time comments on online videos. All websites will be required to filter out words that violate laws, and must assign staff to review all online comments in real time. 

This is one part of the country’s aim to regulate Internet. Along with the Shanghai police shutting down and checking more than a million live broadcasting hosts, China has made spreading online rumors a criminal offense. China has also allowed online chatroom conversations to be accepted as legal evidence in courts.

David Bandurski, researcher for the University of Hong Kong’s China Media Project, has referred to the declaration as a “cat and mouse game.” He believes authorities want complete control of online information, but also seek to have increased internet activity to boost the economy.  Despite China’s effort to regulate internet activity and enhance cybersecurity, censoring live streaming content may prove to be difficult. [More from South China Morning Post]

US turns over DNS control to ICANN amid controversy

10/04/2016

The US Department of Commerce has given control of the Internet’s domain name server (DNS) to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). ICANN is a nonprofit organization composed of stakeholders who are technical experts, government representatives, and business representatives. The attorney generals of several states have filed a lawsuit to block the transfer. However, a federal judge has denied the request for injunctive relief.

Critics of the transfer fear that it will lead to authoritarian-level censorship. Senator Ted Cruz compared the transfer to Middle Eastern countries, as well as China and Russia, “that punish and incarcerate those who engage in political dissent.” ICANN has responded to such allegations by ensuring an open internet. The Internet Governance Coalition, a group composed of companies including Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Verizon, has announced their efforts to ensure ICANN remain accountable and transparent. 

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