Dear all, Sorry for any cross-posting. This initiative is absolutely important and the threats to digital rights in the Brazilian scenario are real. As a Brazilian, I fully support the initiative and also join colleagues in asking for international support in this crucial moment for the country. Best wishes, Marilia On Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 9:53 AM, <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Dear all, > > As you might know, the Brazilian political landscape is chaotic. The > Congress and the federal government are putting into risk our framework for > Internet governance. Marco Civil is under attack and deregulation is under > way in Telecom sector. > > The Coalition Direitos na Rede <https://direitosnarede.org.br/> wrote a > manifesto in Guadalajara about the Brazilian scenario and we are asking > activists and organizations to support us, if they agree with what we're > claiming. Many bad things are happening and we need people from all over > the world reacting against this. > > Please, can you read it and send the link of the Manifesto to your network > of activists in digital rights? > > https://direitosnarede.org.br/c/guadalajara-manifesto/ > > Today, at 2h40pm, we will host a lightning session at the IGF to present > the Coalition > <https://igf2016.sched.com/event/90xt/lightning-session-internet-civil-societys-tools-to-monitor-the-parliament>. > Come see us and we will explain the content of the manifesto, asking for > support of the international community. We really need this kind of support > to pressure the law-makers and the government! > > The deadline to sign the manifesto is Friday at 2pm and you can do so by > answering this email or by talking to any member of the Coalition! > > Best, > > Rafael Zanatta > > > > > *Coalizão Direitos na Rede****The Guadalajara Manifesto For Internet > Rights and Governance in Brazil > > We, as representatives of civil society organizations from all over the > world present at the 11th Internet Governance Forum in Guadalajara, Mexico, > come together to declare our concern about the policy changes related to > access, governance and use of the Internet that are taking place in Brazil > this year. > > > Since 2012, Brazil has been a key participant in the IGF, pushing for more > participation and the protection of human rights in the digital > environment. It is regrettable that, in the IGF 2016, Brazilian government > participation is rather restricted. The country that has been an example is > now at risk of weakening its most valuable institutions dedicated to > Internet Governance: the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br) and > Marco Civil da Internet. > > > The Brazilian Civil Rights Framework for the Internet - “Marco Civil da > Internet” (MCI), a Law enacted in 2014, was a result of a long and > democratic participatory process that had as its goal the creation of > fundamental rights for the use of the Internet. The Law focused on the > democratization of Internet access, universalization, net neutrality, > freedom of expression, protection of personal data and privacy. It was > based on the Decalogue Principles enacted by CGI.br in 2009, in a context > of multistakeholder governance. > > > Due to the recent political changes in the country, the Internet as we > know it is now at risk. The current government has started in a > questionable power transition and has been refractory to democratic debate, > supporting a conservative body of Congress representatives that since long > is working against the protection of fundamental rights on the internet. > Now, the Congress is about to pass a law that will represent a serious > backlash in telecommunications policies that imply the loss of sovereignty > over telecommunications networks, compromising the purpose set by MCI of > universal access and digital inclusion. > > > In addition, the Federal Government has announced that it will not develop > policies for broadband Internet access and that “the market should promote > expansion on its own”. Such new development paradigm goes against the > current legal and regulatory framework in the country, which recognizes the > key role of the State in achieving universalization and democratization of > access and knowledge. > > > In this context, the government, together with National Telecommunications > Agency, has been permissive regarding commercial discriminatory practices, > such as allowing for new plans with data caps to be offered, as well as > anticompetitive deals between large ISPs and large online platforms. > > > Since 2015, over two hundred bills proposing changes to the MCI have been > presented. Many of them weaken fundamental principles and rights such as > net neutrality, non-liability for Internet providers, personal data > protection, privacy and freedom of expression. Behind these proposed > amendments to the law, we have the heavy lobbying by conservative and > authoritarian political forces as well as industries with private interests > that go against the public ones. > > > Now, in 2016, we have witnessed political actions by the Executive branch > that threaten multistakeholder governance, more specifically the Brazilian > Internet Steering Committee (CGI). Government representatives have openly > declared that they intend to review the strength of the civil society > representativeness and participation in the committee. > > > We have also seen judicial decisions that determine the takedown of > applications such as WhatsApp, when the company is unable to provide data > and content about investigated persons by the police or investigation > authorities due to the use of cryptography. Several lawsuits related to > such takedowns are now pending before the Brazilian Supreme Court. > > > We are aware that the award-winning Brazilian coalition called “Direitos > na Rede” is fighting all these policy, legal and regulatory and > legalchanges that threaten civil rights hardly acquired over the course of > several years. We recognize the need to make these backlashes globally > known and declare our support to the coalition. > > > We also urge the Brazilian Government to take immediate measures against > these limitations of Internet rights and principles and continues to foster > a vibrant Internet ecosystem, where digital inclusion, human rights and > democratic governance are priorities. > > > Guadalajara, December 5th 2016. > > ____________________________________________________________ > You received this message as a subscriber on the list: > [log in to unmask] > To unsubscribe or change your settings, visit: > http://lists.bestbits.net/wws/info/bestbits > -- *Marília Maciel* Digital Policy Senior Researcher, DiploFoundation WMO Building *|* 7bis, Avenue de la Paix *| *1211 Geneva - Switzerland *Tel *+41 (0) 22 9073632 *| * *Email*: *[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>* *|** Twitter: * *@MariliaM* -- *Marília Maciel* Digital Policy Senior Researcher, DiploFoundation WMO Building *|* 7bis, Avenue de la Paix *| *1211 Geneva - Switzerland *Tel *+41 (0) 22 9073632 *| * *Email*: *[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>* *|** Twitter: * *@MariliaM*