Changes between Version 4 and Version 5 of projects/server-seizure/statement

Timestamp:

Apr 20, 2012, 1:10:58 AM (12 years ago)

Author:

Daniel Kahn Gillmor

Comment:

--

projects/server-seizure/statement

@@ -1 +1 @@
 = Proposed statement =
 
-In an attack on our servers, our movement and on the use of the Internet for
-progressive purposes, the FBI yesterday seized a server from our server rack at
-a colocation facility we use.
-
-We were not informed before the seizure and were not informed by the FBI after
-it took place. We believe the seizure amounted to nothing more than theft of
-our machine.
+In an attack on our infrastructure, our movement and the democratic Internet,
+the FBI seized a server yesterday from one of our cabinets
+a colocation facility.
  
 The server is owned by our sister organization, Riseup, and is managed by ECN,
 a progressive provider in Italy.
  
-While the seizure by the government of any equipment is pernicious and
-damaging, the reason the FBI has given for this seizure actually makes it
-extraordinarily dangerous. The FBI is investigating bomb threats being made to
-facilities and people at the University of Pittsburgh and believes that one of
-the servers used to email these threats was an anonymous email server operated
-by ECN. These servers have no logs or traces of who used them and so the FBI
-will not get any useful information from them; there is no useful purpose to
-the seizure.
+While the seizure of any equipment is pernicious and
+damaging, the pointlessness of this seizure suggests an inclination toward extrajudicial
+punishment and an attempted crackdown on the very possibility of anonymous speech online.
+
+The FBI is investigating bomb threats being made to
+facilities and people at the University of Pittsburgh and appears to believe that one of
+the servers used to transmit these threats was an anonymous e-mail server operated
+by ECN. Anonymous remailers have no logs or traces of who used them, so the FBI
+will not get any useful information from the stolen machine.
+
+Seizing this machine serves no useful purpose in tracking down or stopping the bomb threats, but it
+has many serious negative implications. Anonymous e-mail is an important
+part of the Internet. One of the benefits of Internet technology is the
+ability to communicate world-wide: communication is fundamental to the
+struggles of the world's people and the continued existence of the human race.
+In a period in which our society has seen massive losses of privacy -- in
+which just about everything we do on-line can be tracked, logged, studied and
+used for all kinds of purposes -- anonymous e-mail (and other anonymous
+communication tools) provide shade from the intrusive searchlights of ubiquitous surveillance.
+
+Insiders who reveal government and military malfeasance, whistleblowers, critics within institutions,
+organizers who fear police repression, and others involved in liberatory struggle can and do use anonymous e-mail.
+Anonymous e-mail is one of the critical tools of the democracy movement unfolding
+worldwide (including the Middle East, for example).  Without anonymous communications, such movements would
+have had even greater difficulty organizing and would face greater risks
+and repression. Without anonymous communications, our already-constrained knowledge of what
+government and corporations actually do in our name and against our interests
+would be even more limited. Without anonymous communications, the Internet becomes little more than a
+caricature of its potential as a tool for building a just global society.
  
-But a lot of harm could be done. Anonymous email is one of the most important
-parts of the Internet. One of the benefits of Internet technology is the
-ability to communicate world-wide: communication that is fundamental to the
-struggles of the world's people and the continued existence of the human race.
-In a period in which we have made massive compromises in our privacy -- and in
-which just about everything we do on-line can be tracked, logged, studied and
-used for all kinds of purposes -- there is one oasis from the glaring sunlight
-of intrusion: anonymous email and communication.
-
-Government information revealers, whistleblowers, critics within institutions,
-organizers who fear police repression -- they all use anonymous email. In fact,
-anonymous email is one of the primary tools of the democracy movement unfolding
-worldwide (particularly in the Middle East). Without it, such movements would
-have had much greater difficulty organizing and would face much greater danger
-and repression. Without it, our already too limited knowledge of what
-government and corporations actually do in our name and against our interests
-would be even more limited. Without it, the Internet becomes little more than a
-caricature of its true potentical and purpose.
- 
-Anytime an anonymous computer is removed from the anonymous communications
-network, it weakens that network and sets a precedent for attack on the entire
-technology. If we lose anonymous email, we effectively lose the Internet as a
+When authorities forcibly remove a computer from an anonymous communications
+network, they weaken that network and set a precedent for attack on anonymity in general.
+If we lose anonymous email, we effectively lose the Internet as a
 tool for organizing and change.
 
-Obviously, the use of the technology made by this author of threats is
-horrible. We at MF/PL have never condoned threats of violence, terroristic
-activities or the use of Internet technology to frighten people and disrupt
-their lives. This runs counter to our vision of the reason the Internet exists
-and its proper use. And we are deeply troubled by the pain caused so many
+The use of anonymous communications for bomb threats is
+horrible. We at MF/PL have never condoned threats of violence or the use
+of Internet technology to harm people.  Such use runs counter to our vision of the reason the Internet exists
+and its proper use. We are deeply saddened by the pain caused so many
 people by these sociopathic activities.
 
-But this type of anonymous email use is very infrequent, almost microscopic,
-when compared to the legitimate, lawful and progressive use the great majority
-of users make of anonymous email. There is no positive outcome to this type of
+But we cannot stop malicious anonymous e-mail without also destroying the ability to use anonymous e-mail for beneficial purposes.
+And the bomb threats continue
+to arrive at U. of Pitt after this outrageous seizure.  There is no positive outcome to this
 action by the FBI.
  
-As we have said in the past, we will never give up information about our
-members. We will also aggressively seek the return of the computer the FBI
-stole from us and other legal rememedies against those who collaborated in the
-trouncing of our rights. And, in that context, we will assertively defend the
-use and protection of the anonymous email system world-wide and resist any
-actions that might harm it.
+We will defend our members' privacy and their data.
+We will also aggressively seek the return of the computer the FBI
+took from us and other legal remedies against those who collaborated in the
+violation of our rights. And we remain committed to defending the
+use and protection of anonymous communication world-wide, and to the advancement of the internet as a tool for liberatory change.