Who is the Enemy of the Internet?

Julia Reda

European Parliament Member of Pirate Party

The biggest enemy of the internet is centralization. The internet was founded as a network through which individuals can interact each other without having a center. However, big companies like Facebook and governments try to confine internet to a specific geography. This is a threat which may collapse the foundation of the internet. Therefore, we need to have more control over the internet substructure and this is rather about net neutrality. In addition, we need to establish substructural systems, a decentralized substructure; and a democratic control mechanism over this substructure. 

Erkan Saka

İstanbul Bilgi University Communication Faculty

It is the biggest threat that governments and companies retain too much control over internet. What happened to internet media is the same with what happened to mass media in the beginning of 20^th century. This means also the loss of idea of public sphere. As the internet is commercialized and starts to be controlled by states, the possibilities to create independent media decrease as well. For this reason, web objectivity is very important.

HIVOS- Digital Defenders Partnership

We are all enemies of the internet. As my friend said, the internet was created as a technological production initially for individuals and then for universities. Governments is the last on the list. However, everybody is actually the enemy of the internet because everybody has their own interests in the internet and they all wish to control this field. Therefore, we are the actual solution. We should try to maintain decentralization of the internet, develop technologies for it, and prevent governments from centralizing the internet on the pretext of national security. 

Johann Bihr

Reporters Without Borders

Internet is an important area where the information can so quickly spread, but it is now in a critical period. Many governments try to convert the internet to a restricted national area which they can easily censor and control it. Censorship and control are very common among countries who define themselves as democratic and this situation threatens the freedom of expression. 

As to Turkey, the freedom of internet is seriously under pressure. Restrictions, preventions, and especially internet regulations in 2014 create a big threat. Some administrative institutions such as Telecommunication Authorities (TİB) were entitled to control  and censor internet. This may result in arbitrary decisions. Also Law of National Intelligence Organization (MİT) enables users to be detected and blacklisted; on the other hand it enable anyone who published a news piece on MİT to be sentenced. 

Işık Mater 

Alternative Informatics Association

The essential enemy of the internet is the oppressive powers, I.e. States and governments. In this case, no matter whether the government consists of AKP (Justice and Development Party) or CHP (Republican’s People Party). All of them intend to control the internet. The only way to struggle with it is being aware and raising awareness. Arguments such as “Why would they stalk me?”, “I have nothing to hide”, or “I can overcome censorship changing my DNS” don’t make sense. Through the simplest activity on internet, our personal data can be accessed to the 3^rd parties. We need to be aware of this. 

Geoffrey King

Committee to Protect Journalists

Internet is again its enemy in terms of many points: The arena of struggle for freedom of expression of people of is a a social control potential which results from internet itself.

Therefore, we need to be leery and legal and technological substructures need to be developed in this way. Otherwise,it would be an irremediable catastrophe if internet is blocked or restricted. We should keep internet dynamic and functional. At this point, journalist have an important responsibility. We can publish police violence and corruption probes on the internet. We can keep internet dynamic by creating an area where human rights are multiplied.