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| Is the US about to split the internet? | |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he wants a "clean" internet. | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he wants a "clean" internet. |
| What he means by that is he wants to remove Chinese influence, and Chinese companies, from the internet in the US. | What he means by that is he wants to remove Chinese influence, and Chinese companies, from the internet in the US. |
| But critics believe this will bolster a worrying movement towards the breaking up of the global internet. | But critics believe this will bolster a worrying movement towards the breaking up of the global internet. |
| The so called "splinternet" is generally used when talking about China, and more recently Russia. | The so called "splinternet" is generally used when talking about China, and more recently Russia. |
| The idea is that there's nothing inherent or pre-ordained about the internet being global. | The idea is that there's nothing inherent or pre-ordained about the internet being global. |
| For governments that want to control what people see on the internet, it makes sense to take ownership of it. | For governments that want to control what people see on the internet, it makes sense to take ownership of it. |
| The Great Firewall of China is the best example of a nation putting up the internet equivalent of a wall around itself. You won't find a Google search engine or Facebook in China. | The Great Firewall of China is the best example of a nation putting up the internet equivalent of a wall around itself. You won't find a Google search engine or Facebook in China. |
| What people didn't expect was that the US might follow China's lead. | What people didn't expect was that the US might follow China's lead. |
| Yet critics believe that is the corollary of Mr Pompeo's statement on Thursday. | Yet critics believe that is the corollary of Mr Pompeo's statement on Thursday. |
| Mr Pompeo said he wanted to remove "untrusted" applications from US mobile app stores. | Mr Pompeo said he wanted to remove "untrusted" applications from US mobile app stores. |
| "People's Republic of China apps threaten our privacy, proliferate viruses, and spread propaganda and disinformation," he said. | "People's Republic of China apps threaten our privacy, proliferate viruses, and spread propaganda and disinformation," he said. |
| The first question that sprang to mind was: what are the Chinese apps that Mr Pompeo does trust? The assumption is very much that he's talking about ALL Chinese apps. | The first question that sprang to mind was: what are the Chinese apps that Mr Pompeo does trust? The assumption is very much that he's talking about ALL Chinese apps. |
| "It's shocking," says Alan Woodward, a security expert based at the University of Surrey. "This is the Balkanisation of the internet happening in front of our eyes. | "It's shocking," says Alan Woodward, a security expert based at the University of Surrey. "This is the Balkanisation of the internet happening in front of our eyes. |
| "The US government has for a long time criticised Russia, Iran… and now we see the Americans doing the same thing." | "The US government has for a long time criticised Russia, Iran… and now we see the Americans doing the same thing." |
| That might be a slight exaggeration. Mr Pompeo's reasons for "cleaning" the US network of Chinese companies is very different to authoritarian government's desire to control what is said online. | That might be a slight exaggeration. Mr Pompeo's reasons for "cleaning" the US network of Chinese companies is very different to authoritarian government's desire to control what is said online. |
| But it's true that if Mr Pompeo were to go down this road, it would be reversing decades of US cyber-policy. | But it's true that if Mr Pompeo were to go down this road, it would be reversing decades of US cyber-policy. |
| If there is one country that has championed a free internet, based on the constitutional tenets of free speech, it is America. | If there is one country that has championed a free internet, based on the constitutional tenets of free speech, it is America. |
| President Donald Trump's administration has taken a different approach though, in part because of the legitimate security concerns that some Chinese companies operating in the US raise. | President Donald Trump's administration has taken a different approach though, in part because of the legitimate security concerns that some Chinese companies operating in the US raise. |
| WeChat warning | WeChat warning |
| Alex Stamos, former chief security officer at Facebook, told me that much-mentioned TikTok was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of Chinese apps to worry about. | Alex Stamos, former chief security officer at Facebook, told me that much-mentioned TikTok was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of Chinese apps to worry about. |
| "TikTok isn't even in my top 10," he told me. | "TikTok isn't even in my top 10," he told me. |
| The app Mr Stamos suggests the US should be more wary of is Tencent's WeChat. | The app Mr Stamos suggests the US should be more wary of is Tencent's WeChat. |
| "WeChat is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world… people run companies on We Chat, they have incredibly sensitive information." | "WeChat is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world… people run companies on We Chat, they have incredibly sensitive information." |
| Mr Pompeo has also namechecked WeChat as a potential future target. | Mr Pompeo has also namechecked WeChat as a potential future target. |
| It's hard not to view this through the prism of the US elections in November. Mr Trump's anti-China rhetoric isn't limited to tech. | It's hard not to view this through the prism of the US elections in November. Mr Trump's anti-China rhetoric isn't limited to tech. |
| Policy or posture? | Policy or posture? |
| So is this a policy position - or simply posture? | So is this a policy position - or simply posture? |
| Mr Trump may also of course lose in November. The Democrats would probably take a more moderate position on Chinese tech. | Mr Trump may also of course lose in November. The Democrats would probably take a more moderate position on Chinese tech. |
| But, as it stands, Mr Trump's vision of the US internet - an internet in the main free of China - makes it a far more divided place. | But, as it stands, Mr Trump's vision of the US internet - an internet in the main free of China - makes it a far more divided place. |
| The great irony is that the internet would then look a lot more like China's vision. | The great irony is that the internet would then look a lot more like China's vision. |
| Just look at TikTok itself. If Microsoft does buy the US arm there will be three TikToks. | |
| A TikTok in China (called Douyin). A rest of the world TikTok. And a TikTok in the US. | A TikTok in China (called Douyin). A rest of the world TikTok. And a TikTok in the US. |
| Could that be a model for the future of the internet? | Could that be a model for the future of the internet? |