The internet must not break apart into a liberal version used by the West and an authoritarian one which China could export to developing countries, Tony Blair has said.
The former UK prime minister said rival powers should find a way to co-operate in the digital world to prevent mutually destructive cyberattacks.
He said it was in the West’s interests to be able to service the internet globally, including in emerging economies which could seek quick-build infrastructure from China.
Beijing’s Digital Silk Road initiative has seen Chinese companies export digital infrastructure around the world. Washington has pressured its allies to reject Chinese tech over fears of espionage.
Analysts have spoken of a “splinternet” in which countries increasingly try to regulate the web within their own borders.
Once rival infrastructure is set up, it could be hard to bring together because of the physical supply chains and undersea cables that support the internet, said a report by Mr Blair’s policy institute.
Mr Blair said Chinese infrastructure was appealing to many countries because it took too long to get projects approved in the US and Europe.
“If you’re an African leader and you’re trying to get some infrastructure done in your country through the West, you get locked up in committees and bureaucracy and World Bank reports and box-ticking exercises,” he said.
He said at an event hosted by his institute that world powers should try to “carve out some practical rules” on maintaining the global internet.
“I think the risk of a complete decoupling is that you get into a competition that leads to confrontation,” he said.
“The damage that we can do to each other on this is immense, incalculable.
“I think you’ve got to try and carve out, within that, some practical rules that allow us to coexist. The consequences of trying to decouple absolutely … I think are going to be very painful for both sides.”
The institute’s report said key areas of co-operation should include measures to prevent internet shutdowns. A five-hour glitch at Facebook caused widespread consternation earlier this week.
Mr Blair, who presided over the early days of the internet age, as prime minister from 1997 to 2007, said many politicians did not understand the key issues.
“For a lot of policymakers, technology and innovation is something they in principle understand the importance of, but in detail find incredibly difficult and challenging,” he said.
“I think one of the biggest problems today is that the changemakers and the policymakers are in two different rooms.”
Sting & Shaggy
44/876
(Interscope)
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Date: Sunday, November 25
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
Iran's dirty tricks to dodge sanctions
There’s increased scrutiny on the tricks being used to keep commodities flowing to and from blacklisted countries. Here’s a description of how some work.
1 Going Dark
A common method to transport Iranian oil with stealth is to turn off the Automatic Identification System, an electronic device that pinpoints a ship’s location. Known as going dark, a vessel flicks the switch before berthing and typically reappears days later, masking the location of its load or discharge port.
2. Ship-to-Ship Transfers
A first vessel will take its clandestine cargo away from the country in question before transferring it to a waiting ship, all of this happening out of sight. The vessels will then sail in different directions. For about a third of Iranian exports, more than one tanker typically handles a load before it’s delivered to its final destination, analysts say.
3. Fake Destinations
Signaling the wrong destination to load or unload is another technique. Ships that intend to take cargo from Iran may indicate their loading ports in sanction-free places like Iraq. Ships can keep changing their destinations and end up not berthing at any of them.
4. Rebranded Barrels
Iranian barrels can also be rebranded as oil from a nation free from sanctions such as Iraq. The countries share fields along their border and the crude has similar characteristics. Oil from these deposits can be trucked out to another port and documents forged to hide Iran as the origin.
* Bloomberg
Teaching in coronavirus times
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