'Secure, anonymous, unregulated': 'Cryptonomicon' and the transnational data haven

This essay considers how Neal Stephenson’s 1999 epic novel Cryptonomicon engages with the long-standing and complex relationship between cryptology and national/transnational identity. Cryptonomicon's layered and disjointed structure allows it to explore the impact of cryptography and cryptanalysis in the Second World War (as well as their impact on the consequent rewriting of the international political stage), to reflect on the place of technology in the recent history of cryptology, and to consider how emergent (and supposedly secure) data storage technologies not only open up planetary-wide communication traffic but also unsettle the agreed protocols of national and international law. Stephenson provides a sense of technology's global effects by offering not a straightforward narrative of the demise of the nation-state but by showing how technologies are in a process of constant negotiation with the institutions of the nation-state, drawing upon the economic, material, and intellectual resources of the nation state, while at the same time challenging notions of a bordered and coherent national identity and working to disestablish nations of their regulatory authority. The essay is informed by recent work on cryptology, data havens, globalization, transnationalism, and postcoloniality, as well as Derrida's work on archives and technology

The International Review | 2005 Fall

Interpreting the U.S. Constitution via International Law? Legal Efforts Against Terrorist Financing: Opportunities and Obstacles The United Nations in Control of the Internet Implosion of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty End of the European Union Constitution? Law School: A cure for foreign competition? While the U.S. barely passes the Central American Free Trade Agreement ... ... the outcome of ongoing WTO talks remains uncertain Undermining the Kyoto Protocol? A WTO open to the public?https://digitalcommons.nyls.edu/international_review_newsletter/1015/thumbnail.jp

The ISCIP Analyst, Volume V, Issue 10

This repository item contains a single issue of The ISCIP Analyst, an analytical review journal published from 1996 to 2010 by the Boston University Institute for the Study of Conflict, Ideology, and Policy

Spartan Daily, January 29, 2020

Volume 154, Issue 3https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartan_daily_2020/1002/thumbnail.jp

Harmful Speech and the Covid-19 Penumbra

We make two central claims in this essay. First, the themes of malinformation have remained remarkably consistent across pandemics. What has changed is only the manner of their spread through evolving technologies and globalization. Thus, as with pandemic preparedness more generally, our failure to take proactive measures reflects a failure to heed the lessons of the past. Second, we argue that the COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique opportunity to tackle online falsehoods and mitigate their impact in the future. We proceed in three parts. Part one addresses the harmful speech that inevitably follows in pandemic’s wake. We illustrate this through three historical examples: plague, the 1918-19 influenza epidemic, and AIDS.7 By turning to history, we explore how the spread of false information, while constant in every pandemic, has evolved over time with technological advancement. In part two, we cast a spotlight on harmful speech during COVID-19. We examine how the disturbing outbreak of erroneous information and hate speech in the present pandemic shares notable common features with prior contagions. What is unprecedented about the current pandemic is only the ease with which malign speech has spread, amplified, and reverberated over the internet. In part three, we discuss legal and policy measures implemented during COVID-19 to mitigate the growth of, and exposure to, online misinformation and disinformation. We focus on three prominent endeavors: the global movement to regulate internet speech; advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) as an effective content-moderation tool; and investments in closing the digital divide—the gap between those who have reliable internet access and those who do not.8 The latter is typically seen as a way to boost economic and health outcomes, but we make the novel argument that it may also prove an effective measure for suppressing harmful speech

Globalization from WHO and for Who: A Tour to Reformed Imperialism

Globalization today is at a dangerous crossroads. Although many alleged it has provided enormous benefits, but the systemic risks and growing inequality it causes necessitate urgent action. The myth of a borderless world is crashing down. Traditional pillars of open markets; the United Kingdom and United States are wobbling. This is evident in the Brexit vote which stunned European Union and the world at large, couple with the recent policies of the American government towards its fellow western allies and immigrants. Many people are beginning to feel so troubled about our economic future. The failure to arrest these global developments is likely to lead to growing nationalist policies, protectionism and xenophobia, which the world is already witnessing. Globalization has created growth, no doubt. But what kind of growth? And for who? This crisis posed by globalization has forced many to question the motive behind this phenomenon. Could this be renewed imperialism? This paper adopts rational and analytic methods in exposing this argument

The ISCIP Analyst, Volume V, Issue 13

This repository item contains a single issue of The ISCIP Analyst, an analytical review journal published from 1996 to 2010 by the Boston University Institute for the Study of Conflict, Ideology, and Policy

The Future of Speech: What the Rise of China Portends for Democracy In the Digital Age

During the protests in Hong Kong a few summers ago, celebrities on both sides of the debate aired their opinions on the matter at hand. One such celebrity was Daryl Morey-- the general manager for the Houston Rockets. In a controversial tweet, he posted his support of the pro-democracy movement in the former British colony. Backlash quickly ensued. Global online outrage directed at one individual airing his opinion on political matters on another continent underscores how interconnected the world has become. Social media has democratized important conversations but it also acts as a megaphone and as a tool that can be manipulated by unfavorable actors. At the heart of this incident is China's undemocratic government and its attitude toward dissent. In this case the dissident in question was not Chinese at all, but he faced backlash nonetheless. Such is the growing influence of China in global affairs. As more of the world goes online and China's global influence grows, what does this portend for the future of speech around the world?Plan II Honors Progra