Bates says he was attracted to the Internet venture because of his past involvement in pirate radio. He works in a circular control room that is reached by a U-boat style ladder below sea level. The company has quietly started work, with a full-scale launch scheduled for Sept. 1. Scannell says HavenCo hopes to attract financial institutions and other electronic-commerce groups, including gambling businesses, which may want to avoid regulations, tax requirements and government eavesdropping. The loose rules shouldn't attract a flood of interest from criminal gangs or terrorists, he insists.
Free communication can never be a crime, and by itself can never hurt anyone.
Some groups, such as Tibet Online, the Internet base for the Tibetans' government in exile, will be offered free assistance as a community service. But he says he remains unconvinced it will work - or that the Internet should be completely free of regulation. There are laws online, and we agree that there should be laws online. Akdeniz also says he is puzzled by HavenCo's effort to seek publicity for its venture. Scannell says HavenCo is prepared for trouble and will route its data on the Internet to avoid censorship.