11 May 10 | News and features, Uncategorized
Please join Index on Censorship, Google, Facebook and Privacy International for a debate on the internet and free speech at the Free Word Centre on 12 May at 6.30pm
with
Richard Allan, Director of Policy EU, Facebook
Anthony House, European Policy and Communications Manager,
Google Gus Hosein, Policy Director, Privacy International
Chaired by Jo Glanville, Editor, Index on Censorship
New technology has revolutionised freedom of expression, but it’s also transformed the business of censorship. Governments can monitor and control information as never before, while filtering and punitive action is becoming the norm — whether in the name of child protection or intellectual property. So what will it take to make the internet safe for free speech?
To reserve a place email bookings[at]freewordonline.com or call 020 7324 2570. Event details here
If you can’t attend leave your questions in the comments below and we will put the best questions to the panel tomorrow night
23 Apr 10 | Uncategorized
The South Wales Evening Post today (Friday 23 April) carries a story about a sex assault on two young girls — aged three and five, in Penllergaer, Swansea.
An article headed “Pervert is guilty of sex attack on girls” (see pic below) details how former steelworker Robert Stevens admitted to the attack. The article is accompanied by a picture of Robert Stevens. Except, horrifically, it is not the same Robert Stevens as the one who appeared in court.
Two separate pages on the South Wales Evening Post website featured two different pictures of Robert William Stevens , an entirely innocent local man, rather than Robert Edward Stevens, the man who had pleaded guilty to the charges. It seems the pictures were taken directly from Facebook.
The print edition carried a picture of Robert William Stevens on the front page, with a picture of a different person on the story on page seven of the paper.
Stevens is thought to be seeking legal advice, and the newspaper has apparently committed to a front-page apology.
One of the criticisms of the Libel Reform Campaign is that it seeks to allow the media a carte blanche to say anything about anyone. This has never been the aim. In this case, not only has the South Wales Evening Post published seriously defamatory misinformation about Stevens, it has potentially endangered him. He is entitled to compensation.
21 Apr 10 | Index Index, minipost
On 20 April, Wikileaks tweeted claiming that their Facebook fan page was deleted by Facebook for violation of the Terms of Service. According to Wikileaks,the page had been disabled because it “promotes illegal acts“. A Facebook spokeswoman said the group, which had 30,000 members, could have been taken down for a number of reasons, most likely because it had received a complaint from a member about objectionable content.
23 Mar 10 | Index Index, minipost
United Arab Emirates’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has ordered ISPs to block a Facebook page supposedly authored by Allah. The TRA has also said it will ban the unnamed author, who claimed he believes in no god but himself, from holding an internet account. The author behind the page soon has over 600,000 followers and answers questions on the site.
