South Africa: Malema found guilty of hate speech

12 Sep 11 | Index Index, minipost

A South African court has today found Julius Malema, leader of the youth brigade of the country’s ruling African National Congress (ANC), guilty of hate speech. He was ordered to pay costs for singing an apartheid-era song that advocated the killing of white farmers. The civil case was brought against Malema by the Afrikaner civil rights group, Afriforum, who claimed white farmers felt vulnerable due to the song’s lyrics, which translate to “shoot the white farmer“.

 

UK: FA introduces “censorship code”

12 Sep 11 | Index Index, minipost, News and features

The FA has brought in a code of conduct to prevent staff, board and council members talking freely to the press. The new “censorship code” insists that the press office are alerted to any media enquiries, and no FA business is to be divulged to the press. The code, which was introduced by company secretary Alistair McLean, also restricts what can be relayed by councillors to bodies they represent. The move comes after FA chairman David Bernstein called for a transparent football government against FIFA corruption at the Congress in Zurich last June.

Germany: Facebook agrees to work with government on privacy code

12 Sep 11 | Index Index, minipost, News and features

Facebook has agreed to work with the German government on a code of conduct aimed at privacy protection. The code, agreed at a meeting on Wednesday between German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich and Facebook’s director of policy in Europe, Richard Allen, will cover issues such as media literacy and data transmission in accordance with German law. The agreement follows discussions around Facebook’s adherence to German data protection laws. Last month, Thilo Weichert, a data protection commissioner in Northern Germany, claimed Facebook’s “Like” button violated German data protection laws.

USA: LA Councillor motions for ID requests to buy spray paint

09 Sep 11 | Index Index, minipost, News and features

Stores may be required to request ID for those buying spray paint under new motions.  LA Councilman Dennis Zine has made calls for a motion which would require stores to keep record of the name and address of anyone buying spray paint and “graffiti paraphernalia” including spray paint nozzles, paint pens, glass cutting, and etching tools.  Stores will be required to keep a record of these purchases for two years. Zine believes this will encourage the public to participate in the fight against graffiti.