Hi Chittesh,
Please find attached our submission, hope this answers your request.
Best Wishes
Kezia
From: chittesh <chittesh_at_lsl.digital>
Date: Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 5:05 PM
To: Kojo Boakye <kojoboakye_at_fb.com>, Nomonde Gongxeka-Seopa <gongxekaseopa_at_fb.com>
Cc: "mauritius-internet-users_at_lists.elandnews.com" <mauritius-internet-users_at_lists.elandnews.com>, "discuss_at_discuss.lugm.org" <discuss_at_discuss.lugm.org>, Ebele Okobi <ebeleokobi_at_fb.com>, Kezia Anim-Addo <keziaanim_at_fb.com>
Subject: Re: Mauritius Island MitM HTTPS certificate affecting Facebook Services
Dear _at_Kojo Boakye<mailto:kojoboakye_at_fb.com> and _at_Nomonde Gongxeka-Seopa,<mailto:gongxekaseopa_at_fb.com>
We are still awaiting a response!
I believe you have been in contact with a person from ICTA mauritius. Since they have recently released a communique [1] citing a contact has been made with Facebook and both parties are working together towards a solution that wouldn't need the use of the unsafe proposed proxy tool.
If so, we (MIU) advocates of a trusted and accessible internet in Mauritius are very grateful for your response to the local Mauritian authorities regarding this situation.
However, ICTA have released only a brief statement of Facebook's submission where they've highlighted in bold the following:
"...Facebook welcomes regulation and fully supports The ICTA stated aim of keeping harmful content offline and enabling a safer online environment..."
We believe parts of the statement was intentionally selected. We have contacted ICTA for a release of the full statement but we've oddly had have no responses from them.
As so, we trust that you will do the right thing like the other international organisations (Google, Mozilla, EFF, ISOC...) and either send us or make the statement addressing the ICTA amendments public as the public who is the main concerning party, has the right to know the content of Facebook's consultation paper submission in its fullness and unbiasedness.
Cheers,
Chittesh Sham
[1]
https://www.icta.mu/documents/2021/ICTA_Communique.pdf<
https://www.icta.mu/documents/2021/ICTA_Communique.pdf>
On 21/5/2021 14:54, Chittesh Sham wrote:
Dear Ms./Mrs Anim-Addo,
Thank you for referring your colleagues to this discussion. To clarify, I haven't been contacted yet as this is my first contacting effort.
However, we would be more than delighted to hear what _at_Kojo Boakye<mailto:kojoboakye_at_fb.com> and _at_Nomonde Gongxeka-Seopa<mailto:gongxekaseopa_at_fb.com> has to say on this matter (please see my previous email).
It would very much help the Mauritian citizens, the authorities, and the various international organization following this closely.
Looking forward,
Regards,
Chittesh Sham.
On Friday, May 21, 2021 13:25 +04, Kezia Anim-Addo <keziaanim_at_fb.com><mailto:keziaanim_at_fb.com> wrote:
Adding my colleagues _at_Kojo Boakye<mailto:kojoboakye_at_fb.com> and _at_Nomonde Gongxeka-Seopa<mailto:gongxekaseopa_at_fb.com> who I believe have already been in touch with you and addressed this.
They are best placed to pick this up with you.
Many thanks
Kezia
From: chittesh <chittesh_at_lsl.digital><mailto:chittesh_at_lsl.digital>
Date: Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 6:12 PM
To: Ebele Okobi <ebeleokobi_at_fb.com><mailto:ebeleokobi_at_fb.com>, "okobi_at_yahoo.com"<mailto:okobi_at_yahoo.com> <okobi_at_yahoo.com><mailto:okobi_at_yahoo.com>, Kezia Anim-Addo <keziaanim_at_fb.com><mailto:keziaanim_at_fb.com>, "johnpinette_at_facebook.com"<mailto:johnpinette_at_facebook.com> <johnpinette_at_facebook.com><mailto:johnpinette_at_facebook.com>, "johnpinette_at_fb.com"<mailto:johnpinette_at_fb.com> <johnpinette_at_fb.com><mailto:johnpinette_at_fb.com>
Cc: "mauritius-internet-users_at_lists.elandnews.com"<mailto:mauritius-internet-users_at_lists.elandnews.com> <mauritius-internet-users_at_lists.elandnews.com><mailto:mauritius-internet-users_at_lists.elandnews.com>, "discuss_at_discuss.lugm.org"<mailto:discuss_at_discuss.lugm.org> <discuss_at_discuss.lugm.org><mailto:discuss_at_discuss.lugm.org>
Subject: Mauritius Island MitM HTTPS certificate affecting Facebook Services
Dear All,
I hope this email finds you well.
Dear Ms./Mrs Anim-Addo and Ms./Mrs Okobi,
I hope, as the esteemed Facebook representatives of the Sub Saharan region, you have been notified of/ monitoring the current political climate regarding the MITM proxy tool that the Mauritian Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) is trying to setup which would primary affect Facebook's products/services.
In case you might not have been paying attention to this small African country, please allow me to give a brief summary;
On 14th April 21, ICTA has published a consultation paper proposing a vaguely elaborated implementation that addresses the abuse and misuse of social media platforms with a MITM style proxy toolkit [1]. This type of censorship has provoked both an outcry from both local and reputable international organizations such as (Google, Mozilla, Access Now, EFF among others) [2]. You may find an extensive timeline on the matter _at_
https://www.lexpress.mu/article/393316/consultation-paper-icta-rappel-protestations<
https://www.lexpress.mu/article/393316/consultation-paper-icta-rappel-protestations>
However, we have received zero response from Facebook regarding this matter.
It is important that Facebook comment non-evasively on this matter as not only it affects the Mauritian population and ICTA but also our regional Sub Saharan Economy as many international investors look to Mauritius as an economic hub to investing in Africa.
Continuing:
ICTA published a video and justifying their MITM implementation based on what Mr. Zuckerberg said (see [3] for video and translation). We don't know to what extend that is true in application to this current situation, we have also noted that in the "Privacy-Focused Vision for Social Networking" posted by Facebook which highlighted its belief "..future of communication will increasingly shift to private, encrypted services where people can be confident what they say to each other stays secure..." [4]
Does Facebook value providing a secured encrypted services or feels indifferent to authorities breaking this internet chain of trust between Facebook and its users?
As your clients, we are also perplexed that if such amendments are approved and god-forbid there's a data leak, which institution would take responsibility ?
ICTA, the population of Mauritius and all the Sub Saharan countries (some of which who might also be considering the same censorship tactics) are looking forward to your email.
Thanks.
Best Regards,
Chittesh Sham,
System's Engineer (La Sentinelle Publications Mauritius),
P.R.O Linux User Group of Mauritius,
Member of Mauritius Internet Users,
Current President of MMR.
[1] Section 11.2.1 of
https://www.icta.mu/docs/2021/Social_Media_Public_Consultation.pdf<
https://www.icta.mu/docs/2021/Social_Media_Public_Consultation.pdf>
[2]
https://www.accessnow.org/mauritius-dangerous-ict-act-place-human-rights-at-its-core/<
https://protect-za.mimecast.com/s/UMd5CMjgKLCxmZMFJ8PIw/>
https://blog.mozilla.org/netpolicy/files/2021/05/Mozillas-Response-to-the-Mauritian-ICT-Authoritys-Consultation.pdf<
https://blog.mozilla.org/netpolicy/files/2021/05/Mozillas-Response-to-the-Mauritian-ICT-Authoritys-Consultation.pdf>
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/04/proposed-new-internet-law-mauritius-raises-serious-human-rights-concerns<
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/04/proposed-new-internet-law-mauritius-raises-serious-human-rights-concerns>
[3] _at_2:30 https://player.vimeo.com/video/546487190<https://player.vimeo.com/video/546487190>
translation:
[Creole] "Dayer CEO Facebook li mem finn dir ki sak gouvernma bizin pran so bann mezir pou kontrol bann post abizif lor facebook"
[English] "Anyways even the CEO of Facebook said himself that governments should take the necessary measures to control abusive posts on facebook"
[4]
https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/6/18253472/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-letter-privacy-encrypted-messaging<
https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/6/18253472/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-letter-privacy-encrypted-messaging>
Received on Tue May 25 2021 - 16:12:37 PST