A coalition of digital rights groups and Internet companies has launched a campaign called Reset the Net to encourage Web users and Internet companies to take measures to use surveillance-resistant privacy tools.
The launch of the campaign comes during the anniversary week of the first news stories on surveillance programs at the US National Security Agency, based on leaks from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
Snowden, through his lawyer, voiced support for the campaign, coordinated by digital rights group Fight for the Future. “Today, we can begin the work of effectively shutting down the collection of our online communications, even if the US Congress fails to do the same,” Snowden said in his statement. Through Reset the Net, “people and companies all over the world will come together to implement the technological solutions that can put an end to the mass surveillance programs of any government”.
Snowden encouraged Web users to adopt encryption technologies. Reset the Net “will mark the moment when we turn political expression into practical action, and protect ourselves on a large scale,” he said.
In addition to raising awareness about privacy tools, supporters of Reset the Net are promoting the Privacy Pack, a set of free, open-source tools focused on protecting the privacy of Web users.
Several companies have joined the campaign:
– Earlier this week, Google announced an end-to-end encrypted e-mail project
– Reddit is offering free ads to promote privacy tools
– The Electronic Frontier Foundation is encouraging its members to run Tor relays that route Internet traffic on the secure Tor network
– CodePink and other groups are planning a protest Thursday at the San Francisco office of Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat and chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Feinstein has defended the NSA surveillance programs during the past year
– Domain name registrar Namecheap is selling discounted SSL domains
– Internet blog BoingBoing will add SSL by default to protect user privacy and will make the Privacy Pack available on the site permanently
Grant Gross, IDG News Service
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