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Codebreaker

Schmidt warns against government censorship of mobile web

John Moe Mar 9, 2012


Interesting remarks from Google Executive Chairman and veteran interesting remark maker Eric Schmidt. Speaking at the National Press Foundation, Schmidt talked about emerging economies around the world and how they’re not really bothering with traditional land line phone access or even home broadband or DSL. Instead, they’re skipping right to mobile and staying there.
From Hillicon Valley:

(Schmidt said), “Imagine in the future, the poor of the world will have a supercomputer and a really smart sidekick rolled into one in their phone”

He said expanding Internet access will increase economic opportunities and will help citizens see through government propaganda.

But he also sees dangers in the road ahead because oppressive governments like China could step in pretty easily.

“Filtering technology will inevitably become more effective, and we face the very real possibility that we could end up living in a society in which software silently deletes our voices, our thoughts and our culture,” Schmidt said.

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