The Meat of the Matter

High-Five to the Person Who Asked This Question ...

... at a press conference yesterday. The press conference topic was the new Global Internet Freedom Task Force that's being formed to combat internet censorship and oppression in countries like China. UNDER SECRETARY SHINER: Last question? QUESTION: Is access a bigger problem than privacy? I mean, are there many countries in which the authorities follow the internet traffic, e-mail traffic, without court warrants? UNDER SECRETARY SHINER: Well, certainly censorship is a very old practice and we've seen it manifest throughout history on many different levels, and that's not new to the internet and it's a challenge that we face with the internet and elsewhere. The privacy piece certainly has new dimensions as we look at technology and the ability of technology to connect people, and so I would say that, you know, some of the unique policy challenges that we face are certainly in that area and that will be a major focus of our discussions. MR. CASEY: Thanks, everyone. Appreciate you coming today.