The authors are studying Internet filtering in countries worldwide, and current investigations focus on restrictions on web access in China. Using a web-based system to test web filtering in China, the authors previously determined and confirmed that Google was inaccessible from at least one testing location in China; initially, in testing beginning August 29, a request for Google led to the error “host not found,” consistent with requests for other inaccessible or blocked sites. However, using related methods, the authors have now confirmed and documented reports that Chinese Internet access currently provides pages other than the ordinary Google home page in response to requests for google.com; such behavior is believed to have begun on September 8. The screen shots in this article document six instances of this replacement. Full article.
Documentation of Internet Filtering in Saudi Arabia with Jonathan Zittrain
Jonathan Zittrain and Benjamin Edelman. “Documentation of Internet Filtering in Saudi Arabia.” September 12, 2002.
Abstract: The authors connected to the Internet through proxy servers in Saudi Arabia and attempted to access approximately 60,000 Web pages as a means of empirically determining the scope and pervasiveness of Internet filtering there. Saudi-installed filtering systems prevented access to certain requested Web pages; the authors tracked 2,038 blocked pages. Such pages contained information about religion, health, education, reference, humor, and entertainment. The authors conclude (1) that the Saudi government maintains an active interest in filtering non-sexually explicit Web content for users within the Kingdom; (2) that substantial amounts of non-sexually explicit Web content is in fact effectively inaccessible to most Saudi Arabians; and (3) that much of this content consists of sites that are popular elsewhere in the world.
Qualified as expert in Internet filtering over objections from US Department of Justice
In Multnomah County Public Library et al., vs. United States of America, et al. (an ACLU challenge to the Children’s Internet Protection Act), I prepared an expert report, then was offered as an expert for oral testimony. Counsel for the United States of America challenged my credentials, remarking on my youth and lack of relevant credentials. The United States’ challenge was overruled.
The voir dire challenge of my designation as an expert:
Q Mr. Edelman, the highest academic degree that currently hold is a high school diploma, isn’t that correct?
A That’s correct.
Q The undergraduate degree that you expect to receive in June of this year is the only undergraduate degree that you will hold when you receive it, isn’t that right?
A That’s correct.
Q And that undergraduate degree that you have yet to receive that you will receive in June of 200 will be in economics, is that correct?
A I will in June of 2002 receive a undergraduate degree in economics, that’s correct.
Q And you will not receive any degree in computer sciences, is that correct?
A That’s correct.
Q You don’t belong to any professional associations currently, is that right?
A That’s correct.
Q And you currently hold no professional licenses, is that correct?
A That’s correct.
Q You have not published any articles in any scholarly journals, is that correct?
A That’s correct.
Q And you have not published any peer reviewed articles of any kind is that correct?
A That’s correct.
JUDGE BARTLE: He may have no peers.
Q You testified that you spent nine years doing consulting for various organizations, is that right?
A Yes.
Q And you began that consulting while you were still in junior high school, isn’t that right?
A That’s correct.
Q You currently other than the teaching responsibilities that you have at Harvard College you don’t hold as formal teaching appointment, do you?
A I do not.
Q You also testified that you previously given testimony in Federal Court, is that right?
A Yes.
Q On one occasion you testified before an Federal District Court, is that correct?
A That’s correct.
Q You were not deposed for purposes of that testimony were you?
A I was not.
BHATTACHARYYA: I render my objection, Your Honors, to the qualifications of this witness as an expert under the Federal Rules of Evidence.
Remarks by the three-judge panel in qualifying me as an expert:
JUDGE BECKER: Well, I would observe that some of the great figures in history have been autodidacts could spend a half a morning listening to all of the autodidacts.
[Rule] 702 says that it’s scientific technical or otherwise specialized knowledge, assist in the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue. In other words the helpfulness standard. A witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training or education may testify thereto in the form of an opinion. That’s the applicable standard.
I know how I’m prepared to rule. Judge Fullam?
JUDGE FULLAM: I have two reasons for ruling the same way. One is that we waited just so we could hear this witness, and I think that would be a terrible waste.
The other is that I happen to on occasion rely upon my six year old grandchild for advice on the internet and computer.
JUDGE BECKER: Okay. Ms. Bhattacharyya, your objection is overruled. Mr. Edelman is qualified to give expert testimony.
Expert Report and Appendices for Multnomah County Public Library et al., vs. United States of America, et al.
I had the honor of testifying, in writing and orally, in Multnomah County Public Library et al., vs. United States of America, et al., an ACLU challenge to the Children’s Internet Protection Act. My expert report, rebuttal report, and supplemental report include documentation of specific pages wrongly blocked by adult filters.
See also my oral testimony including the United States’ attempt to prevent me from being qualified as an expert.
Real-Time Testing of Internet Filtering in China with Jonathan Zittrain
My Real-Time Testing of Internet Filtering in China tool (no longer available) let users check what web sites China was blocking. All test results were logged for research, extending Internet Filtering in China (IEEE Internet Computing 2003).