VOA慢速英语2021--数百万非洲互联网IP被盗

Millions of Africa’s Internet Addresses Stolen

Industrialized nations have long used Africa to make money, enslaving its people and mining its gold and diamonds.

Digital resources are proving no different. Millions of internet IP addresses given to Africa have been taken, sometimes illegally.

An IP address, or internet protocol¹, is a one-of-a-kind address on the internet that belongs to an individual's internet connection. IP addresses are assigned to parts of the world by the organization IANA, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority.

Instead of serving Africa's internet development, many of the IP addresses have been taken by criminals. Other addresses are being used for Chinese gambling² and pornography websites.

Within Africa, the nonprofit AFRINIC gives out IP addresses. A top employee appears to have given out addresses illegally in a major fraud³ case. New leadership at AFRINIC, which is based in Mauritius, is working to take back the stolen addresses.

But a legal fight by a rich Chinese businessman is threatening AFRINIC's existence.

The businessman is Lu Heng, from Hong Kong. It is unclear how he received 6.2 million African addresses from 2013 to 2016. That is about 5 percent of the continent's total and more than all of Kenya. Now, those addresses are worth $150 million.

When AFRINIC took back the addresses, Lu fought back. In late July, his lawyers persuaded a judge in Mauritius to freeze the group's bank accounts. His company also announced an $80 million defamation⁴ claim against AFRINIC and its new leadership.

Lu's action is a shock to internet freedom supporters, who see the internet as a tool for advancing society. Some worry it could weaken the entire address system that makes the internet work.

The inside workings of the internet are little understood and rarely face public examination. Five nonprofit groups around the world decide who owns and operates the internet's first-generation IP addresses. Created in 2003, AFRINIC was the last of the five groups to be created.

Lu told The Associated Press that he is honest and did not get the African addresses illegally. He also said that groups like AFRINIC should not decide where IP addresses are used.

"AFRINIC is supposed to serve the internet, it's not supposed to serve Africa," Lu said.

In taking back Lu's addresses, AFRINIC is trying to reclaim⁵ internet space that is important for Africa's development. The continent is behind the rest of the world in using internet resources to raise living conditions and improve health and education.

Africa has been given just 3 percent of the world's first-generation IP addresses.

AFRINIC's former number two official, Ernest Byaruhanga, was removed from the organization in 2019. He was accused of the theft of millions of AFRINIC IP addresses.

Byahuranga is believed to be living in his home country of Uganda, but could not be found for comment.

An Israeli business man also controls some AFRINIC IP addresses. He has also brought legal action against the organization for trying to reclaim the addresses.

Words in This Story

gamble⁶ — v. to play a game in which you can win or lose money or possessions : to bet money or other valuable things

pornography — n. movies, pictures, magazines, etc., that show or describe naked people or sex in a very open and direct way in order to cause sexual⁷ excitement

fraud — n. the crime of using dishonest methods to take something valuable from another person

defamation — n. the act of saying false things in order to make people have a bad opinion of someone or something : the act of defaming someone or something

misappropriate — v. to take (something, such as money) dishonestly for your own use : to appropriate (something) wrongly

1 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

2 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

3 fraud   

n.骗子，欺骗，欺诈，诡计

参考例句：

• We will introduce legal safeguards against fraud.我们将推行防止欺诈的法律条款。
• The prosecutor accused the defendant of fraud.原告控告被告犯有欺诈罪。

4 defamation   

n.诽谤；中伤

参考例句：

• Character defamation can be either oral or written.人格诽谤既可以是口头的也可以是书面的。
• The company sued for defamation.这个公司因受到诽谤而提起诉讼。

5 reclaim   

v.要求归还，收回；开垦

参考例句：

• I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
• You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时，必须出示这张票子。

6 gamble   

n.冒险；v.赌博，孤注一掷

参考例句：

• Setting up this business was a bit of a gamble.开办这样的公司有点冒险。
• Drive carefully and don't gamble with your life.小心驾驶，别拿你的生命冒险。

7 sexual   

adj.性的，两性的，性别的

参考例句：

• He was a person of gross sexual appetites.他是个性欲旺盛的人。
• It is socially irresponsible to refuse young people advice on sexual matters.拒绝向年轻人提供性方面的建议是对社会不负责任。