[LINK] Vodafone: the government made us do it

[Kim Holburn]

On 2011/Feb/04, at 8:46 PM, David Boxall wrote:

> On 4/02/2011 7:56 PM, Kim Holburn wrote:
>> What's the difference between this and Paypal, Visa and Mastercard blacklisting wikileaks?
> None.
>> The US government leads the way again.
>> ...
>> 
>> Phone companies have to obey the law don't they?  Just like credit card companies.
>> 
> Sounds to me like a variant of the "good soldier" defence.
> 
> Because a government orders it doesn't make it right.
> Because a law compels it doesn't make it right.
> Because disobedience may be punished by death doesn't make it right.

So you're saying that some laws are OK to obey and others aren't.  And you decide which is OK?

> It's easy for me, sitting here safe and secure,

Yes.

> but all Vodaphone had to 

Vodafone - f not ph

> lose was money.

Not really.  The Vodafone employees in Egypt may have had and may have considerably more to lose.

> Given what's a stake for the Egyptian people, is 
> Vodaphone's behaviour excusable?

Whatever's at stake for the Egyptian people, I'm not sure Vodafone will make that much difference.  Also making public what they are being asked to do was possible a very brave thing for them to do.  Give them some credit.

-- 
Kim Holburn
IT Network & Security Consultant
T: +61 2 61402408  M: +61 404072753
mailto:kim at holburn.net  aim://kimholburn
skype://kholburn - PGP Public Key on request