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CPSR Calls on Internet Community to Protest Malicious Hacking of Arab and Foreign News Web Sites

Contact:
Susan Evoy
Managing Director
650.322.3778
sevoy(a)cpsr.org

Hans Klein
Chairman
404.894.2258
hans.klein(a)pubpolicy.gatech.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 4, 2003

Palo Alto, California — Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR) today called on Internet users worldwide to protest the recent hacking episodes that have affected the Web site of Arab television network Al Jazeera. Earlier this week, unidentified hackers took down the Al Jazeera Web site and replaced it with patriotic American images and text, and the site was also hit by a coordinated denial of service attack rendering it unavailable at all for several days. While the Al Jazeera site is now back up and available,http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,58313,00.html, CPSR called the malicious intrusion into the news organization's Web site an unjustifiable effort to censor foreign news organizations during this time of war and international crisis.

"Whether you are a supporter or critic of the Bush Administration's foreign policy," said Hans Klein, CPSR's Chairman, "all Americans should decry any attempt to restrict the ability of our citizens to have free access to news and information from around the globe." Calling such actions reminiscent of "cyber-terrorism," Klein noted that that Americans are visiting foreign sites in huge numbers for news on the war, according to a study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project released Tuesday. "Technologists should be especially concerned when some entities try to impose their own political views on the Internet by interfering with the right of both private and public press agencies around the world to speak on the vital issues affecting the world peace."

CPSR is a public-interest alliance of computer scientists and others concerned about the impact of computer technology on society. CPSR is the oldest public interest organization of computer professionals worldwide, formed in 1981. CPSR's members work to influence decisions regarding the development and use of computers and the Internet because those decisions have far-reaching consequences and reflect society's basic values and priorities. CPSR's Web site is at http://www.cpsr.org

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Last modified September 29, 2004 07:45 PM
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