London riots haunt cybersecurity summit

In London next week, a summit on cybersecurity is convening. One of the longstanding dynamics in negotiations on the issue is the Western focus on protecting freedom of expression versus the largely Russian and Chinese emphasis on tamping down political instability channeled through the web. The battle lines would be clear–but for British prime minister ...

By , a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.

In London next week, a summit on cybersecurity is convening. One of the longstanding dynamics in negotiations on the issue is the Western focus on protecting freedom of expression versus the largely Russian and Chinese emphasis on tamping down political instability channeled through the web. The battle lines would be clear--but for British prime minister David Cameron's bid to shut down social media networks during the London riots. Via an excellent Reuters analysis:

In London next week, a summit on cybersecurity is convening. One of the longstanding dynamics in negotiations on the issue is the Western focus on protecting freedom of expression versus the largely Russian and Chinese emphasis on tamping down political instability channeled through the web. The battle lines would be clear–but for British prime minister David Cameron’s bid to shut down social media networks during the London riots. Via an excellent Reuters analysis:

[S]ome worry that message was somewhat confused by the speed with which British Prime Minister David Cameron threatened to temporarily shut down social networks following London’s August riots.

"I think that was rather an unfortunate aberration," Nigel Inkster, a former deputy chief of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), said of Cameron’s comments. "I think in this context, he might rather wish he hadn’t made them."

While officials poured cold water on suggestions the UK has any serious intentions of imposing censorship, some believe Cameron’s move confused the Western position. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one cyber security expert was blunt.

"They (the Chinese) are never going to let the UK (or)… U.S. forget it," he said. "Cameron threw us back 10 years."

David Bosco is a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies. He is the author of The Poseidon Project: The Struggle to Govern the World’s Oceans. Twitter: @multilateralist

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