huridocs-tech Alert on control of Internet in Bulgaria

Edited/Distributed by HURINet - The Human Rights Information Network
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author     : spectra@elits.rousse.bg
## date       : 07.10.99
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Dear colleagues,

The Internet Society - Bulgaria is requesting help from
International organizations like GILC, EFF, ISOC.  The issue
is concerning an executive order of the Bulgarian Committee
of Posts and Telecommunications (CPT), a ministry-level
government agency. It stated that local ISPs should become
subject to general licensing. The proposes statutes require
that ISPs apply for operators' licenses and pay fees to the
state. Based on the Telecommunications Act, it also gives to
governmental employees to enter ISPs offices at any time and
obtain any documentation, including user names and
passwords, as well as other private information.

After the first articles were published in the Bulgarian
newspapers, Antoni Slavinski, chief executive of the CPT,
said that Internet content should be scrutinised for illegal
activities, including racist appeals, child pornography and
terrorist training. "We have thought, that in the beginning,
there could be some very general restrictions," he says.

Bulgarian Internet users promptly denounced that proposal,
charging that it would bring Bulgaria closer to the
less-than-democratic Internet clubs of Russia, Iran, Iraq,
Cuba, China... In Russia, the FSB, successor to the KGB,
demanded that every ISP allow the authorities access to and
control of their servers' content.

Slavinski's comments added to fears that Bulgaria's
government is really after tighter control over local
Internet access and content, combined with an opportunity to
help fill the state coffers. Licenses are a threat because
they can be rejected at government officials' whim, the
ISOC-Bulgaria warns.

Mario Tagarinski, minister of the state administration,
envisions a "tame" Internet. In his opinion, the site
www.bulgaria.com should not be "used by, say, a few young
people, interested in sex." Local press, TV and radio
expressed fears that the government's plans for the Internet
are further proof of its ultimate goal, to control the media
as a whole.

A promise made by state officials, which pundits find
laughable, is that licensing would protect Bulgarian users
from hackers attacks. ISOC-Bulgaria believes this should be
settled down in the Criminal (Penal) code.

CPT says the Internet license would cost only 2.3 % of the
ISPs turnover. For 1999, the Bulgarian government decided
the licenses fee would be 0 % of the ISPs turnover. Noone
can say if it wouldn't be higher next year. However, even a
$ 5 increase in the current $ 20 / month rate for individual
Internet access would be cost-prohibitive for many users.

The government officials couldn't supply even ONE reason why
Internet licensing will be for the good of the people.

ISOC-Bulgaria, Alpha research, and the World of Internet
biweekly have made 3 separate surveys among users, ISPs and
in the country. More than 96% of all people are against the
proposed licensing. 100 % of the ISPs would like to see it
turned down.

ISOC-Bulgaria has filed a claim in the Supreme Court that
the decision to license ISPs violates existing telecom
legislation in Bulgaria, the Constitution and art. 10 of the
European Convention on Human rights. In response, the
Supreme court passed an interim order June 17 to suspend
lincensing for ISPs until a final decision.

In the meantime, the Commission on Monitoring (CoM) from the
Parliamentary Assembly of the European Council (PACE) has
written a report on the overall situation in Bulgaria where
it claims the proposed licensing is a step backwards in the
democratic development of Bulgaria. (Almost as a joke sounds
the story about the chief of the State Commission on
Telecommunications (STC), who has sent a letter to the CoM
stating at least 4 false points regarding the Internet
licensing. Later on he denied in writing to the Supreme
Court that he had sent this letter. However, it was clearly
written in English, was requested by the CoM, and was quoted
in its report)


ISOC-Bulgaria was supported in writing by Vinton Cerf, then
Chairman of the Internet Society; Don Heath, President of
the Internet Society, 8 west europeans chapters of the
Internet Society; the Committee of Bulgarians in Sweden; the
Center for citizens control over acts and actions of the
administration; the Bulgarian Internet Association; the
Bulgarian Association for Information Technologies; the
Gergiovden movement (a strong youth party);  and last week
the German Chancellor Shroeder had stated - during a speech
at the Technical University - that the Internet should be
free from licensing OR registration. Which is also what
article 4 of the German Law on telematic services says.

ISOC-Bulgaria is looking for support from organizations,
individuals, Internauts.

Please, send your letters to isoc@isoc.bg

We are also very much interested to hear what's the
situation in your own country, so please, let us know!

Sincerely,
Veni Markovski
Chairman of the Internet Society - Bulgaria
http://www.isoc.bg


P.S. More information about the issue in English can be found at our web
site http://www.isoc.bg/kpd/

Sincerely,
Veni Markovski
http://veni.com




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