Inside Story - The Impact of Twitter's Censorship Plan
As Twitter introduces a new procedure for self-censorship, is this the end of freedom of expression on the internet?

The Worst Form of Censorship
THE SPECTATOR: A week ago, the offices of the French satirical paper Charlie Hebdo were burned down. This attack came after it advertised the founder of Islam, Muhammad, as 'editor-in-chief' of the new issue. The move was a light-hearted response to the very serious matter of the election of an Islamist party (the Ennahda party) as the leading party in Tunisia (a result which, incidentally, appears not to have greatly bothered most European media).

As the staff of Charlie Hebdo contemplated the ruins of their magazine, a much grander and richer magazine, Time, ran one of those pieces which have become familiar whenever there is an Islamist assault against free speech. As Nick Cohen has also noted, the Paris correspondent of Time magazine –- the almost too-perfectly named Bruce Crumley –- used the burning of their offices to taunt Charlie Hebdo's journalists[.]

'Do you still think the price you paid for printing an offensive, shameful, and singularly humor-deficient parody on the logic of 'because we can' was so worthwhile?' he asked before going down a related track by denouncing French politicians who had criticised the firebombing. Mr Crumley is apparently not a fan of free-expression, or even slight jokes, when it comes to Islam. In this respect he is not unique. He follows in a long and ignoble line of useless idiots.

In 2004 when Theo van Gogh was murdered on a street in Amsterdam by a Islamic fundamentalist it was Index on Censorship's turn. You would have thought that with a title like 'Index on Censorship', the reader could expect such a magazine to do what it says on the masthead. Yet in what should have been a pretty straightforward test ('for or against the murder of people who express their opinions') Index on Censorship managed to land it wrong.

They published a piece which claimed that it was not van Gogh's murderer but van Gogh himself who had been a 'fundamentalist'; not Mohammed Bouyeri (the killer), but van Gogh (the killed) who had been on a 'martyrdom operation' by having the temerity to say mean things about Islam. Index on Censorship's author went on to imply that the whole murder was some type of performance art designed to promote van Gogh's new film on the assassination of another critic of Islam, Pim Fortuyn. Read on and comment » | DOUGLAS MURRAY | Tuesday, November 08, 2011

WW2 Play Cancelled Over 'Censorship' Claims

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A playwright has cancelled a play set during the Second World War after claiming he was asked to remove references to Nazis, Jews and the invasion of Poland over fears of "offending" the audience.

Rod Tinson, whose Halloween play was due to be staged at Pendennis Castle in Falmouth, has accused English Heritage of trying to create a "Disneyfied" version of history by insisting on changes to his script.

The play featured scenes from different periods in the Tudor castle's history, including its role during the Second World War as a key coastal defence against German invasion of Britain.

Mr Tinson says the quango asked him to tone down parts of the script, including a young Jewish character expressing fears about his family in occupied Poland, over concerns that visitors would be "offended" by the material.

The playwright cancelled the play after refusing to make the requested changes. He said he could not understand why his script would be deemed offensive.

"They said it was inappropriate for an English Heritage audience. What version of history are they trying to illustrate at this place?" Mr Tinson added. Read on and comment » | Sarah Rainey | Thursday, October 27, 2011

Witness - Malta's Cry for Freedom
EU member Malta has tough censorship rules and a conservative approach to free speech, but Maltese artists and writers are fighting back

Censorship Outrage from Dhimmigogue Bloomberg & Sharia-compliant City Hall

NO MOSQUES AT GROUND ZERO: Read and comment >>> Friday, August 06, 2010

Google to Be Monitored for Anti-Islamic Content by Pakistan
THE TELEGRAPH: Google is among several high-profile websites which Pakistan is to begin monitoring in an attempt to block content it deems anti-Islamic.

Google to be monitored by Pakistan for anti-Islamic content. Photo: The Telegraph
Seven major websites, including Google and Yahoo, will be monitored and 17 lesser-known sites are being blocked outright for alleged blasphemous material under court orders.

The moves follow a temporary ban that Pakistan imposed on Facebook in May.

The sites to be monitored include Yahoo, Google, YouTube, Amazon and MSN, Hotmail and Bing from Microsoft, according to a spokesman for the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.

He added: "If any particular link with offensive content appears on these websites, the (link) shall be blocked immediately without disturbing the main website."

Scott Rubin, a spokesman for Google, responded that the company intends, in turn, to monitor how the new policies affect access to its services.

He said: "Google and YouTube are platforms for free expression, and we try to allow as much ... content as possible on our services and still ensure that we enforce our policies."

Yahoo said Pakistan's actions were disappointing. Microsoft and Amazon did not respond immediately. >>> Andy Bloxham and Asif Shahzad | Saturday, June 26, 2010

Lawyers in Egypt Call for Arabian Nights to Be Banned
THE TELEGRAPH: A group of Islamist lawyers in Egypt has called for the book Arabian Nights to be banned because they believe it is obscene.

Chinese tenor Xin Wang performs during a rehearsal of the opera Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, written by Nino Rota, at a theatre in Colmar, France. Photo: The Telegraph
The literary classic, which features characters such as Sinbad the Sailor, Aladdin and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, was described by the group as a call to "vice and sin".

Known in the original Arabic as One Thousand And One Nights, the collection of folk tales and short stories was first published in medieval times.

But a recent republication triggered controversy and calls to ban the new version on the basis of depiction of sexuality and use of offensive language, according to Al Arabiya.

"I was shocked at the offensive phrases it contains," said Ayman Abdul-Hakim, member of Lawyers without Shackles, the non-governmental group that filed a complaint with Egypt's Prosecutor General calling for the withdrawal of the new edition from the market and for banning the book altogether.

Mr Abdul-Hakim said the book was "a waste of public money" and that several references to sex in the book and were "calls to sin". >>> | Friday, May 07, 2010

Google Had 1,200 Requests for Data from British Authorities
THE TELEGRAPH: Google was asked by British authorities almost 1,200 times for information about the internet activites of individuals and companies in just six months, the search engine has disclosed.

Britons are among the most spied upon on the web, according to the figures which show only Brazil and the United States asked for more information.

The 1,166 requests for information - which relate to the second half of 2009 - came from agencies such as local and national police, and usually formed part of a criminal investigation. France asked for 846 pieces of information, and Germany for 428.

The search engine also received 59 requests from British government departments and other official sources to remove items from Google's services.

A Google spokesman said that the company regularly gets asked by governments for information relating to users’ emails or on how and where they have logged on. The company added, however, that where broad requests are made it endeavours to release as little information as is necessary by law. It complies with approximately 77 per cent of all British requests for removal.

Google has launched its Government Requests Tool to highlight the extent to which governments are using their legal systems to gather information about citizens or censor the web. However, it admitted it could not provide data for China as Beijing considers such figures as a state secret. >>> Matt Warman, Consumer Technology Editor | Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Streuth, Sheila!
THE TELEGRAPH: The US government has voiced concerned over Australia's controversial plan to implement a countrywide internet filter.

Washington is worried about the impact of proposal, which would force internet service providers to block offensive material, including child pornography, bestiality and details on how to carry out criminal activity.

Opponents of the plan claim the scope of the material that could be filtered out is too wide and that the restrictions could be applied to media organisations reporting details of criminal activity.

As part of its assault on internet censorship by governments around the world, the US government has weighed in on the debate.

"Our main message of course is that we remain committed to advancing the free flow of information which we view as vital to economic prosperity and preserving open societies globally," Michael Tran, a US State Department spokesman, said.

"We don't discuss the details of specific diplomatic exchanges, but I can say that in the context of that ongoing relationship, we have raised our concerns on this matter with Australian officials," he said.

The Australian government has refused to comment on the matter. US voices 'concerns' over Australia's internet filter >>> Bonnie Malkin in Sydney | Monday, March 29, 2010

”Reporter ohne Grenzen”: 120 Blogger sind wegen Internetzensur eingesperrt
WELT ONLINE: Das Internet ist als Plattform für Diskussionen und freie Informationen häufig nicht akzeptiert. So haben weltweit fast ein Drittel aller Staaten eine Internetzensur und rund 120 Blogger sitzen im Gefängnis. Für "Reporter ohne Grenzen" ein Grund zur Besorgnis, auch wenn die Zensur umgangen werden kann.

Das Internet kann eine politische Waffe sein: In Diktaturen bietet es die Plattform für Debatten und freie Informationen. Soziale Netzwerke wie Facebook und Twitter werden für Protest und Widerstand genutzt, You Tube-Videos stellen autoritäre Regime bloß.

Etliche Regierungen allerdings haben etwas gegen Meinungsäußerung im und freien Zugang zum Internet und reagieren mit drastischen Maßnahmen. Etwa 60 Staaten haben im vergangenen Jahr Internetzensur ausgeübt. Derzeit sitzen fast 120 Blogger im Gefängnis, im vergangenen Jahr waren es zur gleichen Zeit rund 70 kritische Internet-Nutzer.

Das ruft die die Organisation Reporter ohne Grenzen auf den Plan, sie veranstaltet zum zweiten Mal den „Welttag gegen Internetzensur“. Die Journalisten prangern zwölf Staaten als „Feinde des Internets“ an. Diese verfolgen der Organisation zufolge unliebsame Internetnutzer systematisch und zensieren unerwünschte Online-Informationen.

In Nordkorea, Birma und Turkmenistan ist ein Großteil der Bevölkerung komplett vom World Wide Web abgeschnitten. >>> Von Jan David Sutthoff | Freitag, 12. März 2020

Google Refuses Australian Government Request to Censor YouTube
THE TELEGRAPH: Google has refused to bow to a request by the Australian government to censor videos on YouTube, saying the move would stifle public debate on important issues such as euthanasia and drug use.

Stephen Conroy, the communications minister, asked the search engine to "voluntarily" censor videos that fall within the government's broad new "refused classification" category.

However, Google said blocking access to videos in the category would lead to the removal of many politically controversial, but essentially harmless, clips.

The Australian government is preparing to introduce new legislation that will force internet service providers to block a blacklist of "refused classification" websites, in an attempt to clamp down on pornography and websites used by criminals.

YouTube's own guidelines already block videos featuring sex, violence, bestiality and child pornography. But under the "refused classification" rules, videos featuring subjects as diverse as euthanasia, drug use and graffiti, would also be banned.

Google said it would not voluntarily censor videos on these subjects because exposing the topics to public debate was vital for democracy.

Iarla Flynn, Google Australia's head of policy, said the company had a bias in favour of freedom of expression. >>> Bonnie Malkin in Sydney | Thursday, February 11, 2010

Venezuela schaltet weitere TV-Sender ab: Opposition spricht von Einschränkung der Meinungsfreiheit
NZZ ONLINE: In Venezuela sind der oppositionelle Fernsehsender RCTV und fünf weitere Kabelsender nicht mehr zu empfangen. Die Kabelnetzbetreiber hätten die Sender am Sonntag ohne Vorwarnung aus dem Programm genommen, sagte eine RCTV-Sprecherin.

Die TV-Sender gehen davon aus, dass sie abgeschaltet wurden, weil sie sich einer Anordnung der Regierung widersetzten. RCTV hatte sich am Samstag zum zweiten Mal geweigert, eine Ansprache von Präsident Hugo Chávez zu übertragen. Ob die Weigerung in einem direkten Zusammenhang mit der Stilllegung stand, ist aber unklar.

Die Regierung in Venezuela hatte in der Vergangenheit bereits mehrfach Sender geschlossen. Menschenrechtsorganisationen befürchten deshalb eine ernsthafte Einschränkung der Meinungsfreiheit in Venezuela. >>> sda/afp | Sonntag, 24. Januar 2010

Google Will Quit China Unless Web Censorship Ends
THE TELEGRAPH: Google, the internet search engine, has set itself at odds with the authorities in China by declaring that it will stop censoring search results on its Chinese website.

In a surprise announcement, the group issued a veiled attack at Chinese censors and said it was prepared to shut down its operations there entirely if the authorities do not allow it to create an unfiltered search engine.

The company courted controversy in 2006 when it launched in China but, as a concession to the Communist government, agreed to filter the results available on its website for "inappropriate" content. It does not operate such filters in other major countries. >>> Edmund Conway | Tuesday, January 12, 2010

'Islam Is' Not Being Censored by Google
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOGS: It doesn’t take much to get a conspiracy theorist going. Once they’ve found one conspiracy, they start seeing them everywhere. Pretty soon, the tinfoil hat never comes off.

Conspiracy theories about Google are particularly tiresome because they so often come from people who don’t understand how the search engine works. Wondering why your story is no longer in Google News? Perhaps it got too long to be listed – that can happen. There’s usually a sensible explanation but sensible explanations just further infuriate conspiracy nuts. “This cannot be accidental,” they bluster.

Anyway, the latest Google conspiracy posits that the search giant is censoring offensive descriptions of Islam.

It works like this: if you go to the Google homepage and type the words “Christianity is” then Google will suggest possible endings for your query. When I tried it I got “Christianity is ——–”, “Christianity is not a religion” and “Christianity is a lie”, among other things.

The same applies to the other major religions. Except Islam. Type “Islam is” into Google and the great oracle is silent. >>> Shane Richmond | Monday, January 11, 2010

Iranische Justiz verschärft Internet-Zensur: Liste mit strafbaren «Vergehen» veröffentlicht
NZZ ONLINE: Die Justiz in Iran hat eine Verschärfung der Zensur im Internet verfügt und dazu eine lange Liste mit strafbaren «Vergehen» veröffentlicht.

Wie iranische Zeitungen berichteten, sind laut der von einem «Expertenaussschuss» zusammengestellten Liste nunmehr alle Websites verboten, deren Inhalte gegen die «soziale Moral», «religiöse Werte» oder «die Sicherheit und den sozialen Frieden» verstossen oder die «regierungsfeindlich» sind.

Unter das Verbot fallen auch Internetseiten, die den Gründer der Islamischen Republik Iran, Ayatollah Khomeiny, oder den obersten Geistlichen Führer, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, beleidigen. Verboten sind ferner Inhalte, die gegen die Verfassung verstossen oder für «feindliche politische Gruppen» werben. >>> sda/afp | Donnerstag, 07. Januar 2010

Barack Obama Criticises Censorship in Meeting with Chinese Students
THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama, the US president, has strongly criticised censorship in his first public appearance in China, veering directly into one of the most sensitive areas of Communist party policy.

Barack Obama: US President Barack Obama (L) shakes hands with students after answering questions at a town hall meeting at the Museum of Science and Technology in Shanghai. Photo: The Telegraph
Mr Obama told an audience of 400 Chinese students that freedom of "expression, and worship, of access to information and political participation" were "universal rights".

He said: "They should be available to all people, including ethnic and religious minorities, whether they are in the United States, China or any nation".

The Chinese government did its best to carefully choreograph Mr Obama's maiden tour, going as far as to hand-pick each student in the auditorium.

Mr Obama was allowed to open the floor to questions, but at least two of the four students he called upon were later discovered to be members of the Communist Youth League, the university arm of the party.

Nevertheless, a question selected by the US embassy gave the president an opportunity to tackle a more contentious topic. Asked for his opinion of the "Great Firewall of China", a censorship program that strips the internet of any political dissent, Mr Obama said he was a "big believer in openness".

He added: "The more freely information flows, the stronger a society becomes. Citizens can hold their own governments accountable. They can begin to think for themselves. That generates new ideas and encourages creativity. >>> Malcolm Moore in Shanghai | Monday, November 16, 2009

GLOBE AND MAIL: Obama holds town hall in China: Pressing for freedoms on China's own turf, President Barack Obama said Monday that individual expression is not an American ideal but a universal right that should be available to all. >>> AP video | Monday, November 16, 2009

Obama Welcomes Rise of China


TIMES ONLINE: China rounds up dissidents as President Obama touches down in Beijing: Chinese officials have rounded up dozens of Beijings’s tiny coterie of activists and petitioners in case any dissident tries to approach President Obama, who arrived in the city today.
The arrests continued to gather momentum even as Mr Obama told an unprecedented question-and-answer session with Shanghai students that freedom of information and expression were vital for a stronger, more creative society. >>> Jane Macartney in Beijing | Monday, November 16, 2009

LE TEMPS: En Chine, Barack Obama évoque des «droits universels» : Le président américain Barack Obama a prôné lundi à Shanghai la liberté d’expression, de culte et d’information, y compris sur l’Internet, lors de sa première visite en Chine. Il a ensuite rejoint Pékin pour des entretiens politiques avec son homologue Hu Jinato. >>> ATS | Lundi 16 Novembre 2009

Copywrong


Hat tips: Midnight Rider and Always On Watch

Blackout: The Great MPs' Expenses Cover-up
THE TELEGRAPH: MPs face universal condemnation over “disgraceful” censorship of their expenses claims.

MPs expenses: What data published by the Telegraph shows.
Party leaders struggled to explain the decision to publish heavily blacked-out versions of MPs’ claims as public anger mounted.

Despite a pledge from Gordon Brown that “transparency” was the only way to restore public faith in democracy, the files released by the Commons authorities withheld details that would have exposed the worst abuses of the expenses system.

The parliamentary expenses files do not expose MPs who have “flipped” their designated second homes and many of the most controversial claims have been completely blacked out in the documents.

Details that would have allowed the public to identify interest claimed on so-called “phantom mortgages” — such as in the case of Elliot Morley, the former environment minister — or MPs who were able to avoid paying capital gains tax on the sale of properties — such as Kitty Ussher, the Treasury minister forced to resign — were also excluded.

Controversial claims by Tory MPs for the cleaning of a moat and the purchase of a floating duck island were also omitted. >>> By Robert Winnett and James Kirkup | Thursday, June 18, 2009

MAIL Online: As the Nation Fumes at Expenses 'Blackwash' Scandal MPs Are Rewarded with £10,000 Pay Rise

Shameless MPs are set to provoke fresh public anger by pocketing a staggering £10,000-a-year pay rise.

The salary hike comes as MPs faced a backlash today over their blatant attempt to cover up expenses scams.

After weeks of public fury at leaked details, Commons officials unlocked their files yesterday - with crucial details covered in thick black ink.

It meant MPs who 'flipped' homes to claim on different properties - or charged for services such as moat-cleaning - were spared further embarrassment.

Despite growing fury among voters, it has now been revealed that they are to be rewarded for their greed with a £10,000 pay rise.

The head of the body that will now set their pay said they were underpaid by '10 to 15 per cent'.

The astonishing rise - up to five times the rate of inflation - comes as millions of workers across Britain face the threat of redundancy, salary freezes and even pay cuts. >>> By James Chapman | Friday, June 19, 2009

Spencer Talks Free Speech and Censorship on the Savage Nation

Turkey's Science Council Under Fire for Censoring Darwin
AFP: ANKARA — Turkey's main science council came under fire Wednesday after a magazine it publishes was reported to have been forced to scrap a cover article on Charles Darwin under pressure from managers.

Newspapers and academics slammed the incident as meddling by the Islamist-rooted government, which has long been accused of favouring religious-minded loyalists for senior posts at the council.

The mass-selling Hurriyet daily described the incident at the Scientific and Technological Research Council (TUBITAK) as "a typical spectacle of cosying up to the government," while the popular Vatan said it was "a scandalous example of censorship that will go down in science history." >>> | Wednesday, March 11, 2009

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