Brazil's Internet-enabled activism kicks all kinds of ass

Airshowfan writes, "Over the past several years, various citizen groups in Brazil have used the power of online crowdsourcing in creative ways to tackle social problems large and small."

When pieces of historical trolleys started being stolen in the night, a webcam was set up and manned by volunteers, which stopped the thefts. When people were evicted from their homes (something that is only legal because the government gave itself special powers for "mega events") to make way for construction for the World Cup, messages on social networks summoned people with cameras from all over town, and then spread the images that the mainstream media refused to broadcast. When a bill against net neutrality almost passed, a law professor crowdsourced suggestions for legislation to ensure internet users' rights. The bill did not make much progress... until the Snowden leaks caused the people to demand it: "Side by side you had the users, the telco companies, broadcasters, and trade groups, all of them debating side by side with the general public -- something you generally do not see [...] By the time the bill was ready to go to Congress, more than 2,000 Brazilians, including librarians, LAN house owners, high school professors and bloggers, had collaboratively drafted Brazil's Internet Bill of Rights, legally guaranteeing Internet users the right to personal privacy and freedom of expression, and ensuring net neutrality".

Why Brazil Is Actually Winning The Internet [Julie Ruvolo/Buzzfeed]

(Thanks, Airshowfan!)

(Image: Comitê Popular da Copa e das Olimpíadas do Rio de Janeiro)

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