Only if we ALL understand AND accept that any claims of 'protection', 'security' and 'morality' will inevitably lead to the net becoming a tool to control, surveil and keep the populace in ignorance. Coz lets be real here, with the internet being an incredibly empowering, even equalising resource, this is something you only do when all you want is a docile population and a government with the ability to identify and isolate 'undesirable elements' while curtailing and controlling peoples ability to express themselves, organise and communicate.
If we look at China, it's like the middle tier between North Korea's totally locked down internal Kwangmyong network (only elites, foreigners and military have regular access to the true world wide web) and the relatively open net access found in most of the world. After decades of gathering and analysing data, China has begun the next natural progression of this control: the Social Credit scheme. Imagine, if in addition to all your real world interactions and purchases, that joke you sent on whattsap, that post you shared, that friend request you accepted or the number of hours you spent on online gaming ALL contributed to a score/rank that affected everything from credit worthiness, getting housing assistance, promotion prospects at work or even how legible you are for medical aid. That's the reality that China is aggressively working towards and a reality some in the west are quietly bringing into fruition piece by legislative piece.
Personally, I think Zimbabweans are better off without a Great Zimbabwe Firewall. What are your thoughts about it, do you think we need filtering our online lives?
