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Free expression in the news

#DONTSPYONME
Tell Europe’s leaders to stop mass surveillance #dontspyonme
Index on Censorship launches a petition calling on European Union Heads of Government to stop the US, UK and other governments from carrying out mass surveillance. We want to use public pressure to ensure Europe’s leaders put on the record their opposition to mass surveillance. They must place this issue firmly on the agenda for the next European Council Summit in October so action can be taken to stop this attack on the basic human right of free speech and privacy.
(Index on Censorship)

BAHRAIN
After Arresting and Disappearing of Two Journalists, ANHRI Demands Revealing their Fate
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), denounces the continuing harassments against the photographers and the journalists by the Bahraini authorities in addition to arresting them without clear reasons in addition to the denial of the authorities for its relation with some of the direct detention process, which arouse concerns related to the life of the detainees.
(ANHRI)

BRAZIL
Citizen journalists take on Brazil’s media
The Ninja media group want independent journalism and a revolution of Brazil’s media coverage. During the country’s recent unrest, the citizen journalists were hailed as an alternative to major media outlets.
(DW)

CHINA
Fear and Loathing at the China Daily
When Mitch Moxley arrived in Beijing in 2007 to work for China’s largest English-language daily, he discovered life in the Chinese media could be very strange indeed.
(The Atlantic)

IRAN
Hassan Rouhani raises Iranian hopes for free expression
During his inauguration address, Iran’s new president Hassan Rouhani promised peace and a push towards a more open dialogue with the West. Although it is far too soon to gauge whether his promises will transform into policies as he pushes against Iran’s convoluted theocracy, one thing is certain–Rouhani’s election has instilled a great feeling of hope among the Iranian people. Small Media reports
(Index on Censorship)

ITALY
Hundreds expected to protest anti-free speech ‘homophobia’ law in Rome, Paris
Up to 500 people are expected to hold a demonstration later tonight outside the Italian parliament to protest a bill that would criminalize homophobia and “transphobia,” something constitutional experts believe would shut down citizens’ right to free speech, especially for Christians.
(LifeSiteNews.com)

KENYA
Parliament Should Not Kill the Freedom of Expression
As Parliament passes the forthcoming media bill, it should remember Kenya and her development require more, not less freedom of the media.
(The Star via AllAfrica.com)

RUSSIA
Banned, unbanned – film debacle continues
“We have the greatest constitution on the planet,” tweeted a relieved Jahmil Qubeka after the Film and Publishing Board’s Appeal Tribunal unbanned his film Of Good Report over the weekend.
(Index on Censorship)

SOUTH AFRICA
Banned, unbanned – film debacle continues
“We have the greatest constitution on the planet,” tweeted a relieved Jahmil Qubeka after the Film and Publishing Board’s Appeal Tribunal unbanned his film Of Good Report over the weekend.
(Grocott’s Mail)

The futility of online censorship
Local legislators should not follow the UK prime minister’s ill-advised plan, says Andrew Verrijdt.
(TechCentral)

TUNISIA
How Censorship Stifled Us In Tunisia
During the era of former Tunisian President Ben Ali, book-shoppers were banned from buying books that have anything to do with politics. Being exposed to such books would allow both intellectuals and common people to better understand the nature of political life in Tunisia and ultimately realize that Tunisians are indeed living under the shadows of dictatorship.
(The Tunis Times)

TURKEY
Turkey sentences nearly 300 for “plotting coup”
A Turkish court on Monday sentenced a former military commander to life in prison and dozens of others including opposition members of parliament to long terms for plotting against the government, in a case that has exposed deep divisions in the country.
(Al-Akhbar)

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Journalist Held Incommunicado, Netizens Arrested, Censorship
Reporters Without Borders condemns Egyptian journalist Anas Fouda’s detention by the authorities in the United Arab Emirates for the past month. Based for many years in the UAE, Fouda has been held incommunicado ever since his arrest on 3 July.
(RSF via AllAfrica.com)

UNITED STATES
Children given lifelong ban on talking about fracking
Two Pennsylvanian children will live their lives under a gag order imposed under a $750,000 settlement
(The Guardian)

Judge Says No Speech Protection Applied To Whistleblower Cop
A Federal Judge last week dismissed a lawsuit by an NYPD officer who said he was punished when he complained about quotas in his precinct, ruling that constitutional protections on free speech do not apply because the officer was speaking as a member of the Police Department and not as a private citizen.
(The Chief)

Free expression in the news

01 Aug 13 | In the News

BAHRAIN
Prominent Bahrain blogger arrested: Activist
The massive street demonstrations that roiled Brazil last month have eased but more radical groups are coming to the fore and resorting to violence.
(Strat Risks)

BRAZIL
Brazil’s social unrest easing but turning more radical
A rights activist in Bahrain says authorities have arrested a prominent blogger just days after warning of harsher measures against anti-government protesters in the violence-wracked Gulf kingdom.
(Ahram Online)

CHINA
Singer’s Arrest in China Fires Free Speech Debate
Hours after a man with long-running grievances against officialdom set off a homemade explosive at Beijing’s airport, a singer-songwriter turned to the Internet to release her own sarcastic wish list of to-be-bombed targets.
(ABC News)

China dismisses allegations over obstruction of Google’s Gmail service
Chinese authorities say Google’s claims that they are to blame for technical problems with the Gmail are ‘unacceptable’
(The Guardian)

GERMANY
How Hollywood bowed to the wishes of Hitler
A Harvard film scholar has revealed in terrifying detail how Hollywood was at the whim of the Nazis throughout the 1930s – censoring films and dropping others in a sinister collaboration with Hitler.
(The Daily Mail)

GLOBAL
The Picket Fenced Internet: Why Free Communication Is Over…If It Ever Existed?
The most harrowing realization of Edward Snowden’s NSA leaks is that the World Wide Web is no longer free.
(Huffington Post)

PAKISTAN
‘The biggest form of blasphemy we commit is to force another to live in fear’
YouTube has been blocked in Pakistan since September 2012 for hosting the “blasphemous” Innocence of Muslims film. But now the country’s parliament has been asked to define what actually constitutes blasphemy. Here are some suggestions to get them going
(Index on Censorship)

RUSSIA
Videotaped Bullying Of Gay Russian Youths Highlights Growing Homophobia
Some show youths being forced to drink urine, or having it poured over their heads. Others show young men being taunted with phallic sex toys, threatened with axes, and forced to carry wooden crucifixes.
(Radio Free Europe)

Russia’s anti-internet piracy law faces backlash
It’s championed by some as a new weapon to defend content-makers, decried by others as a blunt tool that could extend censorship of the net.
(BBC)

SOUTH AFRICA
SA’s outdated censorship legislation
Cracks cobwebbing across the broken screen of his tablet PC seem a metaphor for the stormy greeting given film maker Jahmil XT Qubeka’s third feature, Of Good Report.
(Financial Mail)

UNITED KINGDOM
Free speech is a bitter Twitter privilege
For too long the trolls have hidden behind cowardly anonymity in a virtual world they believe to be free of consequence
(The Daily Mirror)

Cameron Looks to China to Supply Europe’s First Internet Censorship Wall in Britain
So David Cameron’s government has finally laid his cards on the table. Getting the press and the public to comply with the draconian Leveson Star Chamber’s clampdown on freedom of expression and information was a hard sell, to say the least.
(21st Century Wire)

Ex-Tory treasurer Peter Cruddas wins £180,000 libel award
Billionaire businessman also awarded interim costs of £500,000 against The Sunday Times
(The Independent)

Twitter Abuse Isn’t a Censorship or Freedom of Speech Issue, It’s a Human Issue
Imagine you’re queuing up for a coffee. You order, and pull out a £10 note with which to pay. “Wouldn’t it be great to have a woman on a banknote?” you might remark as you hand it to the barista. “F*ck you, you f***ing sl*t,” he snarls back. “I’m going to wait for you outside later and rape you.” What do you do? Cry? Run away? Look around for help? Let’s say you look around for help. You turn to the woman standing next to you.
(Huffington Post)

UNITED STATES
Keller lawsuit vs. gamer EA Sports, NCAA clears major hurdle
Free speech – at least in the world of video games – took a hit Wednesday in the ongoing battle regarding player likenesses.
(CBS Sports)

No, the IRS Did Not Target Progressives Like It Targeted Conservatives
NPR’s politics blog has published a chart — compiled from a House Ways and Means staff analysis — of the different levels of IRS targeting between conservative and progressive groups. Bottom line? Far more conservative groups faced IRS scrutiny, they faced more questions, and were approved at a much lower rate than progressives. The chart is based on the IRS’s now-discredited “BOLO” (be on the lookout) lists.
(American Center for Law and Justice)

Does chief have right to post profane gun videos?
Police Chief Mark Kessler of Gilberton, Schuylkill County, has come under fire after posting profanity-laced videos on YouTube. Some have argued it’s a free-speech issue. Others have said it’s outrageous behavior for a police chief who is also a school board member. Reporter Nicole Radzievich” talks with two people with opposing viewpoints.
(The Morning Call)

Your free speech right comes with a hefty price tag these days’
They used to say freedom of the press belongs to those who can afford to own one. Perhaps, we should now say the right to exercise your free speech rights before local government agencies belongs only to those who can afford to pay for sending out public notices.
(4th ST8)

ACLU says begging is ‘free speech’
Calling the statute an infringement on free speech, the American Civil Liberties Union wants a federal judge to block police in Arizona from enforcing a law making begging a crime.
(Maricopa Monitor)

We can make Twitter better, but never perfect

30 Jul 13 | Digital Freedom, News and features, United Kingdom

On a BBC Newsnight discussion last night, panelists were asked if they felt that a watershed moment had been reached in our attitude to misogynist abuse and threats on Twitter.

It certainly feels like a moment: The increasing pervasiveness of social media in UK public life, combined with a resurgent young feminist movement (aided by social media), has led to this tumult of voices. We all seem to agree that something should be done about threats of rape, such as the ones experienced by Labour MP Stella Creasey, but the question is what?

Twitter yesterday released a statement saying they would look into introducing a report abuse button under all tweets. This, the company pointed out, is in fact already available on the Twitter iphone app, and will soon be rolled out on Android and desktop.

But some see a danger in this: a report button, they suggest, could easily be abused. Celebrity users with a large amount of followers could, for example, get their fans to report critics.

Political opponents and human and civil rights activists could easily be marked as abusive by users. I can imagine, for example, that Index on Censorship’s account would repeatedly be reported as abusive by, say, highly co-ordinated pro-Bahraini government tweeters.

What are the alternatives? Writing for the Guardian, Index contributor Jane Fae says that the focus is too much on the potential solutions Twitter can provide and not enough on the existing laws in place. Earlier this year, the Crown Prosecution Service released guidelines on social media user prosecutions. Index greeted these as by and large sensible (interesting to note that these came about because of a feeling that there were too many prosecutions of social media users; though there is a distinction between generally offensive material and specific, direct, threats).

Jane suggests a mechanism for reporting threats to the police, rather than Twitter:

“By all means, let’s have a button – but one that delivers reports of online abuse directly to the local police force, a bit like a security alarm, and not just to Twitter.

This relatively simple solution doesn’t exist yet but I’m currently coding a mock-up of one for Everyday Victim Blaming (EVB), a not-for-profit organisation set up to help stop violence against women. Installed on your computer, the button would let you generate instant email reports, detailing online abuse and asking the police to investigate. It should also copy a report back to EVB or another campaign group. If the police really are swamped, that, in itself, is a thing – and may finally prompt politicians to ditch the soundbite and think a bit deeper on this issue.

Matt Flaherty, the prolific and interesting tweeter and blogger on free speech issues, brings the issue back to Twitter with his idea of a “panic mode” to help tweeters beleaguered by coordinated attacks:

“My solution to this problem would be for Twitter to introduce something like a panic button that would immediately but temporarily place one’s account into a state where all mentions are blocked except for those coming from the followers and following lists. Twitter could also allow the user to open a case and have mentions logged against that case to help Twitter to take action against those who violate the terms. Twitter could also perhaps warn users attempting to put the panicked account into a mention or reply. Perhaps they could ask for confirmation either within the stream or in an email. An alternative would be to actually disallow the creation of the mention or reply. A blocked account is currently not allowed to perform a reply but it can use a mention. The same rules might apply here. The mention would still not be seen.”

It’s an interesting idea, particularly for the kind of abuse Caroline Criado-Perez was subjected to: The campaigner was receiving 50 tweets an hour, suggesting a level of co-ordination. Flaherty’s proposal is a kind of advanced version of Don’t-Feed-The-Trolls, allowing a user to silence the angry mob directed at them.

The Daily Telegraph’s Marta Cooper (formerly of this parish), points out, however, that technological fixes are not the answer to societal problems:

“The offline world is still inhabited by some men who believe that women who voice an opinion must be put in their place. This is simply reflected and amplified online. Twitter did not create the misogynistic monsters that hurled grotesque tweets at Criado-Perez or send the same to other women on a regular basis; online platforms simply make it easier for these individuals to behave in appalling ways, and it is far harder to ignore published text than a hateful comment made by some Neanderthal in a pub.

“As with other societal problems, there is no quick fix – technological or otherwise – to something which has centuries’ worth of roots. It is far more valuable and worthwhile to expose hate for what it is and to debate why it occurs in the first place.”

Martin Belam makes a similar point here.

So what do we do? MPs have called Twitter executives to testify at the House of Commons: there is no doubt Twitter could have handled this better – the action of their New York based manager of journalism Mark S Luckie, blocking critical but polite UK voices, has been particularly unfortunate. No doubt the Twitter representatives will face demands from MPs to do something, and fast.

But we should be careful of quick fix solutions: the police are investigating the threats against Criado-Perez and Creasy; it is likely there will be prosecutions. This may seem frustratingly slow for some, but that is the pace of these things. The instant nature of social media means we often expect instant remedies for problems that are, as Ben Goldacre puts it, a little bit more complicated than that. Collective effort and thought on this should take precedent over the kind of kneejerk thinking about the web that too often dominates (see David Cameron’s “ban all the bad things” speech last week). We want the web to be free and diverse, but we also want the web to be, as much as possible, a positive experience for people. This is the challenge we face, and our reactions over the issues raised in the past few weeks could have consequences for years to come. Together we can make the web better, but we should be wary of attempts to make it perfect.

‘Privacy and freedom from state intrusion’

30 Jul 13 | About Index, Campaigns, Press Releases

Stephen Fry, Bianca Jagger and Anish Kapoor sign Index on Censorship petition to end mass surveillance by the NSA, GCHQ and other governments.

Celebrities, artists, activists and politicians have signed an Index on Censorship petition calling for Europe’s leaders to oppose mass surveillance by the US, UK and other governments, as revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden. Supporters of the petition include writer and actor Stephen Fry, activists Bianca Jagger and Peter Tatchell, writer AL Kennedy, artist Anish Kapoor, blogger Cory Doctorow and Icelandic politician Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir. 15 international NGOs are also backing the petition.

Actor Stephen Fry said:

‘Privacy and freedom from state intrusion is important for everyone. You can’t just scream “terrorism” and use it as an excuse for Orwellian snooping.’

Director of Campaigns and Policy, Marek Marczynski said:

‘Since the revelations about the activities of the NSA and GCHQ, Europe’s Heads of State have been slow to take action over the mass surveillance of European and other citizens. Although some have voiced concerns, there has been no commitment to taking joint action. People from around the world are signing Index’s petition because they want Europe’s leaders to say no to mass surveillance, and condemn it as both an invasion of privacy and a threat to free speech.’

As well as calling for Europe’s leaders to state on the record their opposition to mass surveillance, the petition demands that mass surveillance is on the agenda at the next European Council Summit in October.

The petition is at: http://chn.ge/1c2L7Ty and is being promoted on social media with the hashtag #dontspyonme

It is supported by Index on Censorship, English PEN, Article 19, Privacy International, Open Rights Group and Liberty, European Federation of Journalists, International Federation of Journalists, PEN International, PEN Canada, PEN Portugal, Electronic Frontier Foundation, PEN Emergency Fund, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE), the National Union of Somali Journalists and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights.

For interviews or more information, please contact [email protected]. +44 (0) 207 260 2662.

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