HighTech News

The U.S. government will test secretly in China and Iran anti-censorship technology that would allow users to circumvent the roadblocks erected by computing their governments to limit access to information on the Internet. The technique of "flow by e-mail" ( "feed over email or FOE) can receive information, subscribe to podcasts or receive files through a system that falls outside the monitoring protocols of the web pages set up by restrictive regimes, "said Ken Berman, manager of the U.S. control of broadcasting, the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which is testing the process. The flow of information are sent through e-mail accounts, open to including Google, Yahoo or Hotmail, which belongs to Microsoft. "We have people who are testing in China and Iran," said Ken Berman, whose agency also administers the international information services Voice of America and Radio Free Europe. He gave few details on a process whose tests are only just starting. He added that it was important to remain elusive to avoid detection by the authorities of both countries mentioned. Internet is ripe for a powerful tool for awareness and opinion for the citizens of those States whose governments regularly censor the news media. Young Iranians are widely used community networks such as Facebook or Twitter, as far as mobile phones, to coordinate the raising of contested presidential elections in June which saw the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In May, on the eve of 20th anniversary events of Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government blocked access to Hotmail and Twitter. A scientist who helped develop the system FOE said by e-mail that the process could easily be modified to be compatible with most mobile phones. The U.S. government also offers a free service that allows foreign residents to access virtually any website, including who criticize the policy of Washington. "We have no a priori vis-à-vis the users who use", said Ken Berman. "We try to instill the value of 'The more you know, the better. People can look for themselves." In addition to China and Iran, the FOE could also apply to the citizens of Burma, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, he added. Given the limitations of the use of American taxpayer's money, Ken Berman admits, however, that a small filter is made by the system in terms of pornography.