This grab bag of half-baked fantasy solutions to misunderstood (or misrepresented) problems has received Royal Assent, including powers to break #encryption in messaging apps and censor content before it's even posted.
Scrutiny over how Ofcom implements the law and how the government exercises its powers is critical now that the threats to #privacy and #freedomofexpression have become law.
Age verification is coming with the Online Safety Bill. It’ll force the choice of blocking content to ensure platforms are suitable for children or make all users verify their age.
This is “a huge boon to age verification companies, for little practical benefit for child safety, and much harm to people’s privacy.”
Meta's algorithm labelling people as terrorists highlights how even seemingly straightforward automated systems can make mistakes, that invariably exacerbate racism and discrimination.
This is going to be an even bigger problem when the Online Safety Bill is implemented and tech companies are obliged to identify illegal content and prevent it from being posted.
Over-moderation will seriously harm freedom of expression.
Suella Braverman’s letter to the police on the harassment of Jewish people in the UK following Hamas' attack on Israel raises issues for freedom of expression.
We're concerned about the consequences of such a letter when the Online Safety Bill becomes law:
ORG’s investigation into the Prevent duty has uncovered shocking widespread data sharing due to finding a poorly redacted FOI, as revealed in The Observer today.
The newly passed Online Safety Bill poses "a huge threat to freedom of expression with tech companies expected to decide what is and isn't legal, and then censor content before it's even been published".
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."
This week the European Court of Human Rights found that using facial recognition to locate and arrest a protester travelling in Moscow violated the right to #freedomofexpression and #privacy.
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.
“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.
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.
"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."
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.