Open Letter to Commissioner Kroes: Is Mr zu Guttenberg really the right Person to talk about Internet Freedom?

Posted on 2011/12/10 by | 12 Comments

Dear Commissioner Kroes
Dear Mr Heath,

i have a question regarding your Agenda, I heard that you will be doing a presentation on Internet Freedom on Monday. I also heard that you will be joined by Mr. zu Guttenberg on that occasion.

Are you aware that Mr Guttenberg as former German Minister of Commerce introduced the law on Internet Blocking in Germany? – The law that introduced a secret blocking list without any due process or any judicial oversight which just now has been overturned by the German parliament?

Are you aware what unintended message it might send if Mr zu Guttenberg (whos wife also was quite involved in the push for Blocking in Germany and the EU (as President of Innocence in Danger)) joins you and your engagement for a free and open Internet? Might it not be that you damage your goals by doing that?

Do you really think that he is the right Person to speak about Internet Freedom, a person who reacted on the criticism by ten of thousands of Germans, who fought for Internet Freedom, in the following way: youtube.com/watch?v=IR9CBl1KN8c ?

Most of the German Internet Community will not have forgotten this attempt to marginalize the efforts against Internet Blocking and in favour of free speech.[¹]

Having in mind that Mr zu Guttenberg had to step down as the Minister of Defense because of the fraudulent way he obtained his PhD, do you want to be instrumentalized by his efforts to get back into German politics, especially now that even more and new systematic copyright infringements in scientfic works by him become known? [http://www.morgenpost.de/printarchiv/politik/article1845375/Ein-Plagiat-kommt-selten-allein.html ]

I am completely aware this might be irrelevant outside of Germany, but: are you sure that this is the Impression that you want to send to the German contituents?

yours Christian Bahls

[¹]

Update:

“No-Disconnect” strategy:

PS: Der Sprecher von Kommissarin Kroes (@NeelieKroesEU) ist Ryan Heath (@ECSpokesRyan) per E-Mail: ryan.heath@ec.europa.eu

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12 Responses to Open Letter to Commissioner Kroes: Is Mr zu Guttenberg really the right Person to talk about Internet Freedom?

  1. Pingback: Guttenberg und die Internetfreiheit « Sköne Oke

  2. From Brussels | 2011/12/11 at 18:56 |

    Why is the CSIS that Mr zu Guttenberg will be representing on Monday not registered by the EU lobby registry?

    In what capacity will Mr zu Guttenberg speak there?

  3. Christian Bahls | 2011/12/12 at 00:20 |

    Because we got some requests by the press about it:

    No we haven’t received a reply by the commission.

  4. Paul Christ | 2011/12/12 at 12:32 |

    —–Ursprüngliche Nachricht—– Von: Paul Christ [paul_christ at t-online.de] Gesendet: Sonntag, 11. Dezember 2011 18:58 An: ‘Neelie.Kroes at ec.europa.eu’ Cc: ‘europabuero.schulz at spd.de’; ‘EPPGroup- Chairman at europarl.europa.eu’ Betreff: Joint Initiative with Mr zu Guttenberg

    Dear Madam Commissioner Kroes,

    According to reports in several news media you apparently are planning on promoting a new initiative on Internet freedom with former German defence minister Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg. Having worked in the telecommunications field throughout my professional life, I am most surprised by this announcement and I strongly disagree with your choice of co-host on this occasion.

    Let me briefly outline the main reasons for my concern:

    • Mr zu Guttenberg has no track record relating to either IT or freedom of information
    • He has recently been forced to resign from all political positions under fairly unfavourable circumstances
    • Finally, he has been stripped of his academic titles

    Media attention alone is hardly a substitute for professional experience or, for that matter, scientific integrity. As a longstanding advisor to the European Union scientific research programs, I regularly review the work of experts in the IT field. Rest assured – there are far worthier candidates than this former German defence minister. For instance, I could recommend Tim Berners-Lee for this purpose. He has actually contributed to the field (on account of having invented the Web). As far as I am aware, he is also still in full possession of all his academic titles.

    Your sincerely,

    Paul Christ

    University of Stuttgart (retired) Scientific Expert (EU FP7 ICT)

    PS This e-mail has been forwarded to the European Parliament

  5. Andreas Kyriacou | 2011/12/12 at 16:10 |

    Neelie Kroes also has a new post. She’s been elected as a consultant for the newly-founded Commission for the Unmasking of political riffraffs.

  6. Christian Bahls | 2011/12/12 at 18:57 |

    The is a recording of the press conference on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elWyreB2mxk

    Mr zu Guttenberg still seems to promote the idea of installing blocking infrastructure in democratic countries: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elWyreB2mxk#t=654s

  7. Christian Bahls | 2011/12/12 at 18:59 |

    The Discussion regarding the involvement of Mr zu Guttenberg in the “No Disconnect” strategy seems to happen in Commissioner Kroes’ blog: http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/neelie-kroes/no-disconnect/#comments

  8. Mike | 2011/12/13 at 12:04 |

    As I already wrote elsewhere, the nomination of Mr. zu Guttenberg is a blatant disgrace and like setting a fox to keep the geese. Most certainly decisions like these set people further against the EU …

  9. Pingback: LNP007 Politisches CARE-Paket | Logbuch:Netzpolitik

  10. Pierre-François Baudoux | 2011/12/13 at 20:13 |

    As a matter of fact, the issue of plagiarism by Mr Guttenberg spilled at least as much ink in the Belgian media (however limited this amount of ink is) as his new nomination, or the aims of this function.

    As I said, the amount of ink spilled on this was very limited in Belgium, as only the website of a public TV station mentioned it (no newspaper, no coverage). In fact, the article is titled: “A former minister accused of plagiarism hired by EU”.

    I know the axiom of communications that says “there’s no such thing as bad publicity”. I disagree with it. Strongly. If this is how it starts off, I fear this good initiative is going to fall flat because of the indelicacies of some career politician.

    I said it before on kosmopolito.org, I’ll say it again: give the job and the publicity to young cyber-heroes such as the people of Telecomix.

    Article link below (in French): http://www.rtbf.be/info/monde/detail_un-ex-ministre-allemand-accuse-de-plagiat-engage-par-l-ue?id=7231213

  11. Pingback: Neelie Kroes launched No Disconnect Strategy with Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg « Les enfants terribles – we make you stream

  12. herbert edelweiß | 2012/02/10 at 21:52 |

    [Petition: zu Guttenberg must leave the European Commission http://www.petitions24.com/petition_zu_guttenberg_muss_die_europaische_kommission_verlassen