If you’re a regular reader you’ll know that Hlaudi Motsoeneng shares certain characteristics with the Supreme Leader over in North Korea (HERE), but this time around we’re not talking about his autocratic tendencies.

Instead we’re talking about a vote that just took place at the United Nations, where South Africa sided with the likes of China and Russia to vote against a resolution on the “promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the internet”.

To break that down in simpler terms, we voted against protecting rights like freedom of expression and privacy online – as well as voting down a resolution that seeks to ensure the release of those imprisoned for the “legitimate” freedom of expression online.

Yep, it’s bad news, with more body blows coming from the Mail and Guardian:

Other key points of the resolution include investigating attacks against bloggers or other internet users, and refraining from preventing access to information online by, for example, shutting down the internet during key times such as elections or terror attacks…

…the results of the vote have put the spotlight on some nations’ commitment to internet freedoms. “We are disappointed that democracies like South Africa, Indonesia, and India voted in favour of these hostile amendments to weaken protections for freedom of expression online”, said Thomas Hughes, the executive director of global free press organisation Article 19.

At the very essence of the resolution is the notion that internet access is a basic human right, and interrupting that access is a human rights violation. Check Gizmodo with what apparently put us off voting in favour:

The issue was with the passage that “condemns unequivocally measures to intentionally prevent or disrupt access to our dissemination of information online.”

I guess the SABC can try and pull the wool over the people’s eyes, but the likes of Twitter and Facebook are a thorn in the side. Cut off those ways of disseminating information and voila, the votes keep rolling in.

[sources:mg&gizmodo]