The US is reportedly initiating a duplicate Web world, which would be used to circumvent censorship of the Internet by repressive regimes.
The New York Times reported that the Obama administration is leading a global effort to help dissidents fight repressive regimes by deploying a "shadow" Internet and mobile phone systems.
Among the plans are building of independent cellphone networks inside foreign countries and development of a mobile Internet set-up dubbed as "Internet in a suitcase", which could be smuggled across borders and used to set up a wireless communications with a global link to the Internet, said the report. It also said that the government has sanctioned $2m for the covert project.
In March this year, the US had said that it is working on a new policy on global Internet freedom.
US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said the policy is designed to help people overcome barriers in the Web world while making it difficult for autocracies to use technology to suppress dissent.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported that hackers have obtained a study which details how private computer experts advised US officials on how cyberattacks could damage Libya’s oil and gas infrastructure and stop the flow of crucial oil revenue to Moammar Gadhafi’s regime.
According to the report, ‘Project Cyber Dawn’ was commissioned to find out ways to attack the coastal refinery at Ras Lanouf with a Stuxnet worm-like computer virus.
The people behind the commissioning of the study are unknown.
