This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/04/freedom-internet-protected-william-hague
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Freedom of internet must be protected by governments, says William Hague | Freedom of internet must be protected by governments, says William Hague |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Democratic governments must protect the freedom of the internet – even when it provokes crises like the recent anti-Islamic video, the foreign secretary, William Hague, has said. | Democratic governments must protect the freedom of the internet – even when it provokes crises like the recent anti-Islamic video, the foreign secretary, William Hague, has said. |
| Addressing an international cyberspace conference in Budapest, he said states should always "err on the side of freedom", even when they found online content offensive or objectionable. | Addressing an international cyberspace conference in Budapest, he said states should always "err on the side of freedom", even when they found online content offensive or objectionable. |
| Hague acknowledged the difficulties caused by postings such as the amateur trailer made in the United States which portrayed the prophet Muhammad as a womaniser and a fool. | |
| It was, he said, a "contemptible piece of work" and he deplored the deaths that occurred in the riots it provoked across the Muslim world. | |
| He warned, however, that attempts by governments to block access to such material were counterproductive and doomed to failure. | He warned, however, that attempts by governments to block access to such material were counterproductive and doomed to failure. |
| "We believe that efforts to suppress the internet are wrong and are bound to fail over time," he said. | "We believe that efforts to suppress the internet are wrong and are bound to fail over time," he said. |
| "Governments who attempt this are erecting barricades against an unstoppable tide, and acting against their own long-term economic interests and their security. | "Governments who attempt this are erecting barricades against an unstoppable tide, and acting against their own long-term economic interests and their security. |
| "Democratic governments must resist the calls to censor a wide range of content just because they or others find it offensive or objectionable. | "Democratic governments must resist the calls to censor a wide range of content just because they or others find it offensive or objectionable. |
| "If we go down that path, we begin to erode the hard-won rights of freedom of expression. We will always argue that it is necessary to err on the side of freedom." | |
| At the same time, Hague announced the UK was establishing a £2m cybersecurity centre offering advice to countries on how to protect their systems against online criminals who threaten the future economic wellbeing of states and major companies. | At the same time, Hague announced the UK was establishing a £2m cybersecurity centre offering advice to countries on how to protect their systems against online criminals who threaten the future economic wellbeing of states and major companies. |
| It will draw on the expertise of a network of eight universities currently conducting cutting-edge research on the issue and act as a forum to draw together initiatives from around the world. | |
| "Cybercriminals and terrorists should have no refuge online, just as they should have no sanctuary offline," Hague said. | "Cybercriminals and terrorists should have no refuge online, just as they should have no sanctuary offline," Hague said. |