What do they do with your data?
“Who controls the web? On whose behalf? Is there anyone that makes sure that every citizen has access to affordable high speed internet connection? How free are we really to access content? To express ourselves? To keep our privacy?”
These are questions that are being asked and answered by a global, crowd-sourced film project. Instituto Nupef, APC member in Brazil, has launched a collaborative documentary film project with three other civil society organisations, IDEC (Instituto Brasileiro de Defesa do Consumidor), CTS/FGV (Centro de Tecnologia e Sociedade da Fundação Getúlio Vargas) and Intervozes. The project is called "Freenet?", encouraging citizens to think about internet freedom and rights. Freenet? addresses five main issues: Access to connectivity, Net neutrality, Access to content, Freedom of expression and Privacy. Although it aims to reach a global audience, the Freenet? project has among its main objectives presenting a perspective from the Global South to these issues.
Since February 2013, citizens around the world have been encouraged to respond to threats to their rights and freedom on the internet by sending videos through a web platform, which may be used in a full documentary, to be launched in 2014.
In addition to promoting user content, advocating online for internet freedom and rights and producing a documentary film, the Freenet? film is providing audiovisual and multimedia trainings in Brazil, Keyna and India.
One clip (below) produced for the film project, “Do you care about your privacy in the web?” is available on YouTube as well as on the Freenet? website and is a stunning example of the ways that issues related to freedom online are being presented to a global audience.
“We'd like to invite the APC community to take part in this initiative. Anyone can tell stories and submit videos. We're pretty sure that within the APC network there are rich and useful stories that can inspire a wider audience on the need and possibilities of defending human rights on the internet and through the internet,” says Graciela Selaimen from Nupef.
Interested in more information? Freenet has a FAQ to help potential collaborators.