Public trust in the Web 'eroded' says global cyber commission
Public trust in the Web 'eroded' says global cyber commission
AFP 16 hours ago
The Hague (AFP) - The public's trust in the Internet has
been severely eroded by a cloak-and-dagger approach to collecting private data
online leaving it open to abuse, the Global Commission on Internet Governance
said on Wednesday.
"Confidence must be restored in the Internet because
trust is eroding," commission head Carl Bildt told a press conference in
The Hague, ahead of a two-day conference on cyber freedom, safety and security.
Around 1,500 delegates from almost 100 countries are to
gather in The Hague on Thursday and Friday at the fourth annual Global
Conference on Cyberspace (GCCS), which will discuss how to keep the Internet
safe and free and how to use it to boost economic growth.
Bildt, a former Swedish prime minister, said distrust was
brought about by "the non-transparent market in collecting, centralising,
integrating and analysing enormous quantities of private information about
individuals and enterprises."
Once collected, the information is targeted by
governments for surveillance "in ways that have a chilling effect on
fundamental human rights, in particular freedom of expression and legitimate
dissent and protest," the Global Commission said in an 18-page report
released on Wednesday.
Criminals too abused personal data including on the
"Dark Web" -- the hidden part of the Internet protected by powerful
encryption software.
Law enforcement should be allowed to gather data for
their investigations but should be "specified in advance, authorised by
law and consistent with the principles of necessity and proportionality,"
the commission added.
"Oversight is required to assure citizens that their
rights are not infringed upon in the pursuit of a range of bad actors,"
recommended the independent commission, set up last year to probe how best the
Web should be governed in future.
"Individuals and businesses must be protected from
both the misuse of the Internet by terrorists, cyber groups and the overreach
of governments and businesses that collect and use private data," it said.
Comments
Post a Comment