New Draft to Create Digital Prison, Opposition Says

The parliament commission on internet and informatics announced a 1005-page draft proposal this afternoon on cyber security provisions.

Some of the provisions included making of juridical revisions, strengthening digital infrastructures fragile to threats, founding a national coordination council against cyber crimes, creating a mechanism to intervene cyber activities and protecting Internet services provided by state and private institutions under the umbrella of a "nation wide web".

Opposition party commissioner deputy Erdal Aksünger told bianet that the draft posed a threat against personal freedoms. "It is as if the government is putting each user to a digital prison in order to protect them. The government is pushing this draft, saying that it would protect users from child pornography and terrorism."

Osman Coşkunoğlu, another opposition commissioner and professor of system engineering, said the draft would breach personal confidentiality and risk a free usage of the world wide web.

"In the EU and US, they tried to implement similar laws but the strong criticism prevented that from happening. A proposal for a worldwide practice is currently being discussed in Dubai at the World Conference on International Telecommunications. I think such proposal would be dangerous for the future of internet, too." (EA/HK)