Internet Quotes by Rebecca MacKinnon

I study how governments seek to stifle and control online dissent.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

Tactically, yelling at Google is unwise.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

We like to think of the Internet as a border-busting technology.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

The Internet is a politically contested space.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

One-way monologues through the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia don't have much street cred with China's Internet generation, to be…

— Rebecca MacKinnon

In a pre-Internet world, sovereignty over our physical freedoms, or lack thereof, was controlled almost entirely by nation-states.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

In Russia, they do not generally block the Internet and directly censor websites.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

What role did the Internet play in the Egyptian Revolution? People will be arguing about the answer to that question for decades…

— Rebecca MacKinnon

Laws and mechanisms originally meant to enforce copyright, protect children and fight online crime are abused to silence or intimidate political critics.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

China is building a model for how an authoritarian government can survive the Internet.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

Governments clash with each other over who should control the co-ordination of the Internet's infrastructure and critical resources.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

It is not inevitable that the Internet will evolve in a manner compatible with democracy.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

We’re at a point in history that whether the Internet is going to evolve in a way that’s compatible with democracy and…

— Rebecca MacKinnon

When Tim Berners-Lee invented the computer code that led to the creation of the World Wide Web in 1990, he did not…

— Rebecca MacKinnon

For years, members of Congress have heard from constituents who want them to protect the nation from crime, terrorism and intellectual property…

— Rebecca MacKinnon

There is clearly a constituency that appreciates the message that Google is sending, that it finds the Chinese government's attitude to the…

— Rebecca MacKinnon

Defending a free and open global Internet requires a broad-based global movement with the stamina to engage in endless - and often…

— Rebecca MacKinnon

The user in China wants the same thing that any Internet user wants - privacy in conversations, maximum access to information, and…

— Rebecca MacKinnon

Twitter is growing up, expanding into other countries, and recognizing that the Internet is contrary to what people hoped; the government does…

— Rebecca MacKinnon

It is time to stop debating whether the Internet is an effective tool for political expression and instead to address the much…

— Rebecca MacKinnon

Thanks to the Internet in general and social media in particular, the Chinese people now have a mechanism to hold authorities accountable…

— Rebecca MacKinnon

A number of countries, including Russia and China, have put forward proposals to regulate aspects of the Internet like 'crime' and 'security'…

— Rebecca MacKinnon

I don't think any foreign Internet company can effectively compete against Chinese companies in the Chinese market. The regulatory environment is so…

— Rebecca MacKinnon

It's much easier to force intermediary communications and Internet companies such as Google to police themselves and their users than the alternatives:…

— Rebecca MacKinnon

The critical question is: How do we ensure that the Internet develops in a way that is compatible with democracy?

— Rebecca MacKinnon

Nobody is forcing anybody who is uncomfortable with the terms of service to use Facebook. Executives point out that Internet users have…

— Rebecca MacKinnon

There is a widening gap between the middle-aged-to-older generation, who still read newspapers and watch CCTV news, and the Internet generation.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

In the Internet age, it is inevitable that corporations and government agencies will have access to detailed information about people's lives.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

Congress may not get the Internet, but the Internet doesn't get Congress, either.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

Internet freedom is a bit of a Rorschach test: it means different things to different people.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

The relationship between citizens and government is increasingly mediated through the Internet.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

Most people who use the Internet seem take its nature and characteristics for granted, like we take air and water for granted.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

While the Internet can't be controlled 100 percent, it's possible for governments to filter content and discourage people from organizing.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

There are a lot of people that think the Internet is going to bring information and democracy and pluralism in China just…

— Rebecca MacKinnon

The Internet is an empowering force for people who are protesting against the abuse of power.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

Microsoft, Yahoo and others are helping to institutionalize and legitimize the integration of censorship into the global IT business model.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

Human rights in cyberspace are really no different from rights in the physical world.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

Every year in China, Internet executives are officially rewarded for their 'patriotism.'

— Rebecca MacKinnon

The Chinese government clearly sees Internet and mobile innovation as a major driver of its global economic competitiveness going forward.

— Rebecca MacKinnon

The sovereigns of the Internet are acting like they have a divine right to govern.

— Rebecca MacKinnon