The Investigatory Powers Tribunal must ensure the Police Service of Northern Ireland and other police forces are held to account for surveilling journalists. A free press is essential for an open and functioning democracy.
ORG joined with Committee to Protect Journalists, Amnesty International UK, Index on Censorship and Reporters Without Borders UK to support Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey in their case.
Seems TechDirt's take on Biden's TikTok ban is similar to mine;
"Enacting this legislation has undermined this long standing, democratic principle. It has also undermined the U.S. government’s moral authority to call out other nations for when they shut down internet access or ban social media apps and other online communications tools."
“Adults will be faced with a choice: either limit their freedom of expression by not accessing content, or expose themselves to increased security risks that will arise from data breaches and phishing sites [by having to do age assurance]."
Educational and help material, especially where it relates to sexuality, gender identity, drugs and other sensitive topics may be denied to young people by moderation systems.
Risks to children will continue with these measures. Regulators need to shift their approach to one that empowers children to understand the risks they may face.
Vancouver Island University, my employer, is now threatening to remove the encampment and have people arrested. I'm absolutely sick.
I had corresponded with our President on May 1. I sent this to our Chancellor, Chair and President today.
Dear Chancellor Sayers, Chair Anderson, and President Saucier,
I am extremely concerned by the escalatory words and actions of VIU today given the encampment’s peaceful and respectful nature and disposition to date. The President has stated to me in her response quoted below on May 1 "that VIU’s approach to the encampment is based on respect and peace for protest and freedom of expression.”
The locking of all campus buildings today and the very clear threat by VIU Security (see attached noticed link) to have peace officers remove tents and equipment under the Trespass Act under threat of arrest is completely contradictory to the President’s statement and is exactly the approach that I flagged to the President as being extremely dangerous and likely to result in harm to the protesters and deep embarrassment to the University itself. There are peaceful ways to do this.
As an institution that is supposed to be fully immersed in the spirit and action of Truth and Reconciliation, I find these statements and actions to be horrendously contradictory, misguided, colonial, and dangerous.
As an individual employee, VIUFA faculty member, and member of this community on Snuneymuxw, Coast Salish and Nuuchanulth lands I am embarrassed, and I beg the University to reconsider and reverse its actions.
"We don't have free speech in Australia. That's not part of our constitution, it's part of the American constitution, and because of that our defamation laws are such that Ben Robert Smith can sue... and it just drags all this stuff through the courts, and millions of dollars are spent, and everyone comes out of it badly."
Watching the most recent music video of #ToomajSalehi who has been sentenced to death by the government of Iran basically for protesting them and rapping.
"The lack of right of reply for groups that fall under the new definition [of extremism] shows the UK government is using it for political point scoring and playing to the populist gallery, rather than any meaningful attempt to protect public safety."
As the new extremism definition hasn't been introduced through UK legislation and Parliamentary scrutiny, there's room for confusion over its application by public bodies.
This may result in even more people being swept under the Prevent programme for surveillance and data misuse.
The redefinition of extremism adds to the authoritarian lurch of recent years in the UK, as seen in restrictions on the right to protest, sweeping new police powers and the censorship of online expression.
We're left asking whose free speech is protected and who must keep quiet under the threat of being labelled an extremist?
Curious difference between media in the UK and the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, media tend to write about William W (not William Woods) when writing about suspects and victims. The Dutch tradition is based on self-regulation by the media; not on law. #law#privacy#freedomofexpression#dataprotection#netherlands#uk
WEEK 26: PEN America, an organisation which allegedly protects free speech in journalism and writing around the world, is attempting to suppress its own staff's "political activity". Their union has gone public ✊
Writers Against The War on Gaza has issued a statement about PEN.
WEEK 26: Sydney. Shut up about your government's position on Gaza or get sacked. 🤬
Sorry I can't provide the article link, it's behind a paywall that can't be jumped by archive.
Political protest is very important in our society even though it sometimes gets messy. Political protest by youth should be encouraged whenever possible and forgiven where necessary. #FreedomOfExpression#FreedomOfPeacefulAssembly
Last week we published our response to Ofcom's Online Safety Act (UK) consultation.
We've raised concerns about the threat to free expression in requirements to proactively screen users' social media content and measures that undermine end-to-end encryption.
We've signed the open letter from Amnesty, warning of the threats to freedom of expression and protest in the UK.
The government's new protocol will "add to a chaotic patchwork of repressive legislation and policing powers that has placed undue restrictions on the right to protest."
Find out more about the open letter signed by 46 civil rights organisations ⬇️
The fact that this is non-statutory guidance means that the public are denied parliamentary scrutiny of changes that will impact freedom of expression and political engagement in the UK.
The new definition of extremism is an undemocratic attack on our rights for political point-scoring.