Digital Geneva Convention and PewDiePie

Fascism as PC - a Tool of War

While Microsoft called for a "Digital Geneva Convention" in which they intend to urge websites and organizations to remain neutral in Cyberspace warfare, it comes a few years too late - to say nothing of the fact that existing legislation already criminalizes the behavior to which MS is referring.

Further legislation may be necessary, but let us not forget how that has worked-out in the past (it hasn't for Netizens - it generally never has in any field or regard, except for large organizations such as Microsoft). In fact, Precedent for prosecutions and Civil rulings in cases involving Cybercrime already exist, and are based on current laws - The Cyberculturalist has covered many of these.

This call for a Digital Geneva Convention also comes hot on the heels of news that PewDiePie's show was canceled following a stunt in which paid detractors claim he targeted Jews in an "Anti-Semitic" prank. The timing cannot be discounted, as PewDiePie is unlikely to have faced such harsh retaliation had he "targeted" Muslims or white people, and a recently passed Congressional Bill seeks to outlaw any and all criticism of Israel on US campuses.

Targeting civilians, especially activists and activist organizations, and gangstalking them has been the defacto behavior of these paid cyberassassins for many years now, and calling for an end to this type of behavior is hardly a defensive measure. Calling for an end to legislation that allows such behavior, and protects the actors involved, is where Microsoft should start. Microsoft's request is just more politics in a world (and cyberspace) that is being increasingly politicized by companies such as Google and Microsoft.

If Microsoft is serious about deterrence, it is on the frontline of defense, as Windows remains the most-used OS on planet Earth - it certainly doesn't need users' permission to boost consumer protection, and protecting (or defending) consumers who depend on your product is not an offensive move (despite what Pro-Israeli lobbyists, Pro-Israeli organizations, and similar - if not like-minded - terrorists claim).

Digital Geneva Convention aside, responsibly providing safe software is Microsoft's job, and consumers have the right to certain expectations when it comes to using said product - such as the reasonable expectation that use of a product(s) will not invite such agents or attacks, nor compromise privacy and personal security.

Microsoft cannot deliver on such reasonable expectation, so this "Digital Geneva Convention" is really a call to organize a think tank to develop, then lobby for the passing of, US legislation which absolves corporations such as theirs of responsibility (retroactively).

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