Splinternet
Encyclopedia
Splinternet is a term used to describe the splintering and dividing of the Internet due to various factors, such as technology, commerce, politics, nationalism, and religion. "Powerful forces are threatening to balkanise it," writes the Economist weekly, and it may soon splinter along geographic and commercial boundaries. Countries such as China have erected what is termed a "Great Firewall," for political reasons, while other nations, such as Australia
, plan to create a similar firewall to block child pornography or weapon-making instructions.
s to access the Internet, as new hardware tools often come with their own "unique set of standards" for displaying information.
Journalist and author Doc Searls
, uses the term "splinternet" to describe the "growing distance between the ideals of the Internet and the realities of dysfunctional nationalisms. . . ," which contribute to the various, and sometimes incompatible standards which often make it hard for search engines to use the data. He notes that "it all works because the Web is standardized. Google works because the Web is standardized." However, as new devices incorporate their own ad networks, formats, and technology, many are able to "hide content" from search engines."
Others, including information manager Stephen Lewis, describe the causes primarily in terms of the technology "infrastructure," leading to a "conundrum" whereby the Internet could eventually be carved up into numerous geopolitical entities and borders, much as the physical world is today.
." Writer Derek Thomson explains that "in the Splinternet age, ads are more tightly controlled by platform. My old BlackBerry
defaulted to Bing search because (network operator) Verizon has a deal with Microsoft
. But my new phone that runs Google Android software serves Google ads under apps for programs like Pandora." They rationalize the new standards as possibly a result of companies wishing to increase their revenue through targeted advertising to their own proprietary user base. They add, "This is a new age, where gadgets have a 'hidden agenda' to hold you in their ecosystem of content display and advertising. There are walls going up just as the walls to mobile Internet access are falling down."
Forrester Research vice president and author Josh Bernoff also writes that “the unified Web is turning into a Splinternet,” as users of new devices risk leaving one Internet standard. He uses the term "splinternet" to refer to "a web in which content on devices other than PCs, or hidden behind passwords, makes it harder for site developers and marketers to create a unified experience." He points out, for example, that web pages "don't look the same because of the screen size and don't work the same since the iPhone
doesn't support Flash
." He adds that now, with the explosion of other phone platforms like Google Android, "we'll have yet another incompatible set of devices." However, both Android and iOS are Unix
-based platforms, and both offer WebKit
-based browsers as standard, as does leading handset manufacturer Nokia
.
, China, and Saudi Arabia
filter a wide range of topics, and also block a large amount of content related to those topics. South Korea filters and censors one topic: North Korea
.
It found that numerous countries engaged in "substantial politically-motivated filtering," including Burma
, China, Iran, Syria, Tunisia
, and Vietnam. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Tunisia, and Yemen engage in substantial social content filtering, and Burma, China, Iran, Pakistan
and South Korea have the most encompassing national security filtering, targeting the websites related to border disputes, separatists, and extremists.
Foreign Policy writer, Evgeny Morozov
, questions whether "the internet brings us closer together," and despite its early ideals, that it would "increase understanding, foster tolerance, and ultimately promote worldwide peace," the opposite may be happening. There are more attempts to keep foreign nationals off certain Web properties, for example, digital content available to U.K. citizens via the BBC
's iPlayer is "increasingly unavailable to Germans." Norwegians can access 50,000 copyrighted books online for free, but one must be in Norway to do so. As a result, many governments are actively blocking internet access to its own nationals, creating more of what Morozov calls a "Splinternet":
Organizations such as the OpenNet Initiative
were created because they recognized that "internet censorship and surveillance are growing global phenomena." Their book on the subject was reportedly "censored by the U.N." with a poster removed by U.N. security officials because it mentioned China's "Great Firewall". In March 2010, Google chose to pull its search engines and other services out of China
in protest of their censorship and the hacking of Gmail accounts belonging to Chinese activists.
Other countries, besides China, also censor internet services: Reporters Without Borders
ranks Iran
's press situation, for example, as "Very serious", the worst ranking on their five-point scale. Iran's Internet censorship policy is labeled "Pervasive" by the OpenNet Initiative
's global Internet filtering map, and the worst in the ranking. In March 2010, they added Turkey
and Russia
to their ‘under surveillance’ list regarding internet censorship, and warned other countries, such as the United Arab Emirates
, Belarus
and Thailand
, also "under surveillance" status, to avoid getting transferred into the next "Enemies of the Internet" list.
blocked the video sharing website Facebook
and YouTube
, reportedly along with search engine Google
, and Wikipedia
, to contain what it described as "blasphemous" and "un-Islamic" material.
The Church of Scientology
recommended internet censorship as a method of defending itself against what it said were a constant campaign of abuse by the group "Anonymous
," along with misinformation and misrepresentation in the media. In September 2009 it asked the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Freedom of Religion and Belief to restrict access to web sites it believes incites "religious vilification."
Internet censorship in Australia
Internet censorship in Australia currently consists of a regulatory regime under which the Australian Communications and Media Authority has the power to enforce content restrictions on Internet content hosted within Australia, and maintain a "black-list" of overseas websites which is then...
, plan to create a similar firewall to block child pornography or weapon-making instructions.
Technology
Describing the splintering of internet technology, some writers see the problem in terms of new devices using different standards. Users no longer require web browserWeb browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
s to access the Internet, as new hardware tools often come with their own "unique set of standards" for displaying information.
Journalist and author Doc Searls
Doc Searls
David "Doc" Searls , co-author of The Cluetrain Manifesto, is an American journalist, columnist, author and a widely-read blogger, a fellow at the Center for Information Technology & Society at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a fellow alumnus of the Berkman Center for Internet &...
, uses the term "splinternet" to describe the "growing distance between the ideals of the Internet and the realities of dysfunctional nationalisms. . . ," which contribute to the various, and sometimes incompatible standards which often make it hard for search engines to use the data. He notes that "it all works because the Web is standardized. Google works because the Web is standardized." However, as new devices incorporate their own ad networks, formats, and technology, many are able to "hide content" from search engines."
Others, including information manager Stephen Lewis, describe the causes primarily in terms of the technology "infrastructure," leading to a "conundrum" whereby the Internet could eventually be carved up into numerous geopolitical entities and borders, much as the physical world is today.
Commercial lock-in
The Atlantic magazine speculates that many of the new "gadgets have a 'hidden agenda' to hold you in their ecosystemVendor lock-in
In economics, vendor lock-in, also known as proprietary lock-in or customer lock-in, makes a customer dependent on a vendor for products and services, unable to use another vendor without substantial switching costs...
." Writer Derek Thomson explains that "in the Splinternet age, ads are more tightly controlled by platform. My old BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
defaulted to Bing search because (network operator) Verizon has a deal with Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
. But my new phone that runs Google Android software serves Google ads under apps for programs like Pandora." They rationalize the new standards as possibly a result of companies wishing to increase their revenue through targeted advertising to their own proprietary user base. They add, "This is a new age, where gadgets have a 'hidden agenda' to hold you in their ecosystem of content display and advertising. There are walls going up just as the walls to mobile Internet access are falling down."
Forrester Research vice president and author Josh Bernoff also writes that “the unified Web is turning into a Splinternet,” as users of new devices risk leaving one Internet standard. He uses the term "splinternet" to refer to "a web in which content on devices other than PCs, or hidden behind passwords, makes it harder for site developers and marketers to create a unified experience." He points out, for example, that web pages "don't look the same because of the screen size and don't work the same since the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
doesn't support Flash
SWF
SWF is an Adobe Flash file format used for multimedia, vector graphics and ActionScript. Originating with FutureWave Software, then transferred to Macromedia, and then coming under the control of Adobe, SWF files can contain animations or applets of varying degrees of interactivity and function.,...
." He adds that now, with the explosion of other phone platforms like Google Android, "we'll have yet another incompatible set of devices." However, both Android and iOS are Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
-based platforms, and both offer WebKit
WebKit
WebKit is a layout engine designed to allow web browsers to render web pages. WebKit powers Google Chrome and Apple Safari and by October 2011 held over 33% of the browser market share between them. It is also used as the basis for the experimental browser included with the Amazon Kindle ebook...
-based browsers as standard, as does leading handset manufacturer Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
.
Politics and nationalism
A survey conducted in 2007 by a number of large universities, found that IranInternet censorship in Iran
In the first few years of the 21st century, Iran experienced a great surge in Internet usage, and, with 20 million people on the Internet, currently has the second highest percentage of its population online in the Middle East, after Israel. When initially introduced, the Internet services...
, China, and Saudi Arabia
Censorship in Saudi Arabia
Censorship in Saudi Arabia is prevalent in the press and with Internet access.In 2008 Reporters Without Borders ranked Saudi Arabia 161st out of 173 countries for freedom of the press.-Internet:...
filter a wide range of topics, and also block a large amount of content related to those topics. South Korea filters and censors one topic: North Korea
Internet in North Korea
North Korea is almost completely isolated from the rest of the world and, while there is a public telephone network, there is no broadband data network. Satellite Internet coverage from BGAN and Thuraya is available, offering download speeds up to 492 kbit/s and upload speeds of 400 kbit/s;...
.
It found that numerous countries engaged in "substantial politically-motivated filtering," including Burma
Internet in Burma
The Internet in Burma has been available since 2000 when the first Internet connections were established. However, the military government works aggressively to limit and control Internet access through software-based censorship, infrastructure and technical constraints, and laws and regulations...
, China, Iran, Syria, Tunisia
Internet in Tunisia
The Internet in Tunisia reached 1.7 million users in 2008.-Access:Tunisia has one of the most developed telecommunications infrastructures in North Africa with broadband prices among the lowest in Africa. Internet access is available throughout the country using a fibre-optic backbone and...
, and Vietnam. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Tunisia, and Yemen engage in substantial social content filtering, and Burma, China, Iran, Pakistan
Internet censorship in Pakistan
Internet censorship in Pakistan is government control of information sent and received using the Internet.- Overview :The OpenNet Initiative listed Internet filtering in Pakistan as substantial in the social and conflict/security areas, as selective in the Internet tools area, and as suspected in...
and South Korea have the most encompassing national security filtering, targeting the websites related to border disputes, separatists, and extremists.
Foreign Policy writer, Evgeny Morozov
Evgeny Morozov
Evgeny Morozov, born 1984 in Soligorsk, Belarus, is a writer and researcher who studies political and social implications of technology.-Life:...
, questions whether "the internet brings us closer together," and despite its early ideals, that it would "increase understanding, foster tolerance, and ultimately promote worldwide peace," the opposite may be happening. There are more attempts to keep foreign nationals off certain Web properties, for example, digital content available to U.K. citizens via the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's iPlayer is "increasingly unavailable to Germans." Norwegians can access 50,000 copyrighted books online for free, but one must be in Norway to do so. As a result, many governments are actively blocking internet access to its own nationals, creating more of what Morozov calls a "Splinternet":
- GoogleGoogleGoogle Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
, TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
— are U.S. companies that other governments increasingly fear as political agents. Chinese, Cuban, Iranian, and even Turkish politicians are already talking up "information sovereignty" a euphemism for replacing services provided by Western Internet companies with their own more limited but somewhat easier to control products, further splintering the World Wide Web into numerous national Internets. The age of the Splinternet beckons.
Organizations such as the OpenNet Initiative
OpenNet Initiative
The OpenNet Initiative is a joint project whose goal is to monitor and report on internet filtering and surveillance practices by nations. The project employs a number of technical means, as well as an international network of investigators, to determine the extent and nature of government-run...
were created because they recognized that "internet censorship and surveillance are growing global phenomena." Their book on the subject was reportedly "censored by the U.N." with a poster removed by U.N. security officials because it mentioned China's "Great Firewall". In March 2010, Google chose to pull its search engines and other services out of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in protest of their censorship and the hacking of Gmail accounts belonging to Chinese activists.
Other countries, besides China, also censor internet services: Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008...
ranks Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
's press situation, for example, as "Very serious", the worst ranking on their five-point scale. Iran's Internet censorship policy is labeled "Pervasive" by the OpenNet Initiative
OpenNet Initiative
The OpenNet Initiative is a joint project whose goal is to monitor and report on internet filtering and surveillance practices by nations. The project employs a number of technical means, as well as an international network of investigators, to determine the extent and nature of government-run...
's global Internet filtering map, and the worst in the ranking. In March 2010, they added Turkey
Censorship in Turkey
Censorship in Turkey is largely focused on "insults to Turkishness" and expressions of political extremism. Censorship in Turkey is regulated by domestic and international legislation, which takes precedence over domestic law according to Article 90 of the Constitution following its amendment in...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
to their ‘under surveillance’ list regarding internet censorship, and warned other countries, such as the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
and Thailand
Internet censorship in Thailand
Internet censorship in Thailand was classified as substantial in the social area, as selective in the political and Internet tools areas, and no evidence of filtering was found in the conflict/security area by the OpenNet Initiative in May 2007. Thailand is on Reporters Without Borders list of...
, also "under surveillance" status, to avoid getting transferred into the next "Enemies of the Internet" list.
Religion
Internet access has also been blocked for reasons of religion. In 2007, and again in May 2010, PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
blocked the video sharing website Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, reportedly along with search engine Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
, and Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
, to contain what it described as "blasphemous" and "un-Islamic" material.
The Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
recommended internet censorship as a method of defending itself against what it said were a constant campaign of abuse by the group "Anonymous
Anonymous (group)
Anonymous is an international hacking group, spread through the Internet, initiating active civil disobedience, while attempting to maintain anonymity. Originating in 2003 on the imageboard 4chan, the term refers to the concept of many online community users simultaneously existing as an anarchic,...
," along with misinformation and misrepresentation in the media. In September 2009 it asked the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Freedom of Religion and Belief to restrict access to web sites it believes incites "religious vilification."