EUROPE 00:15 08.04.2016(updated 00:22 08.04.2016) German law prohibits intentionally slandering a foreign head of state, applying a five year prison sentence if the insulted person sues. Comedian Jan Böhmermann faces up to five years imprisonment under German defamation laws… Read More ›
Censorship
NBC Censored Snowden responses during interview
Saturday, 31 May 2014 Only around a quarter of the recent NBC News interview with former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden made it to broadcast, but unaired excerpts now online show that the network “neglected” to air critical statements about… Read More ›
US judge rules Baidu has First Amendment right to block content / Political Censorship is now an editorial freedom
EEV: Political Censorship is now an editorial freedom PUBLISHED : Friday, 28 March, 2014, 11:58pm Reuters in New York The First Amendment protects Baidu’s right to advocate for systems of government other than democracy (in China or elsewhere) just as… Read More ›
AG Order No. 3420-2014 Policy Regarding Obtaining Information From, or Records of, Members of the News Media; and Regarding Questioning, Arresting, or Charging Members of the News Media
SUMMARY: This rule amends the policy of the Department of Justice regarding the use of subpoenas, certain court orders, and search warrants, to obtain information from, or records of, members of the news media. The rule also amends the Department’s… Read More ›
US gov’t not to release info on drones anymore – White House press secretary
21 February 2014, 03:20 © Photo: en.wikipedia.org White House Press Secretary Jay Carney stated Thursday that the Obama administration will not be releasing any more information about the controversial use of drones. Some of the remarks of the off-camera press… Read More ›
U.S. Newsman Says He Was Arrested for Using a Drone Camera
By CHRISTINE STUART HARTFORD (CN) – In a bizarre twist to a civil rights issue, a news photographer claims in a federal lawsuit that Hartford police wrongfully arrested him for using a drone to photograph a fatal car accident –… Read More ›
Bing censoring Chinese language search results for users in the US
English and Chinese language queries for terms such as ‘Dalai Lama’ return radically different results on Microsoft search engine Dominic Rushe in New York theguardian.com, Tuesday 11 February 2014 16.36 EST A Bing search in Chinese for Bo Xilai,… Read More ›
China blocks foreign news sites that revealed elite’s offshore holdings
• Guardian among sites blocked over reports • China Digital Times publishes details of directive Tania Branigan in Beijing and James Ball in New York theguardian.com, Thursday 23 January 2014 14.44 EST The Chinese government has recently concentrated on improving… Read More ›
Russia to block websites that call for rioting, ‘extremism’ without court ruling
Published time: December 21, 2013 09:54 Russia’s lawmakers have passed a bill authorizing prosecutors to issue emergency orders without a court ruling that block websites promoting rioting, racial hatred or extremism. Critics fear the law may infringe… Read More ›
Police Devise App to Curb Far-Right Music ( Germany )
German police have developed a Shazam-like smartphone app that allows them to identify far-right rock songs by playing just a brief sample. It could make it harder for neo-Nazis to lure under-18s with music, which is seen as a “gateway drug” into the… Read More ›
Line censoring messages in China
370 banned words found; firm mum on who’s selecting them and why Marking a milestone: Line Corp. CEO Akira Morikawa announces Monday that the number of users of the firm’s instant messaging service has topped 300 million. | KYODO by… Read More ›
Obama boycott: Major US news outlets refuse to use White House photos
Published time: November 27, 2013 21:03 US President Barack Obama is surrounded by photographers while he eats breakfast. (AFP Photo / Scott Olson) The coalition of major news outlets protesting the White House’s photo policy continues to grow, with… Read More ›
Journalists: Obama photography policy dangerous, unconstitutional
Posted By Robby Soave On 9:01 AM 11/22/2013 In | President Obama’s refusal to allow journalists to photograph him at key events has now drawn the ire of the White House Correspondents’ Association, which joined other media outlets in sending… Read More ›
Thousands protest against tough new official secrets law ( Japan )
By Kiyoshi Takenaka Politics Nov. 22, 2013 – 06:42AM JST ( 23 ) TOKYO — Thousands of people protested in Tokyo on Thursday against a proposed secrets act that critics say would stifle information on issues such as the Fukushima… Read More ›
French court orders Google to block Max Mosley orgy pictures
Ian Burrell Wednesday, 6 November 2013 Former F1 president Max Mosley has won a ruling in a French court that Google must prevent its search engine from providing links to nine images showing his involvement in a sadomasochist orgy…. Read More ›
China says will stamp out Dalai Lama’s voice in Tibet
Source: Reuters – Sat, 2 Nov 2013 05:19 AM Author: Reuters By Ben Blanchard BEIJING, Nov 2 (Reuters) – China aims to stamp out the voice of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in his restive and remote… Read More ›
Russian News Agency Shut Due to Swears
By Benjamin Bidder Russia’s media watchdog agency has forced the closure of the Rosbalt news organization because of two YouTube videos containing swear words. Russian journalists are furious, calling it the latest attack on freedom of the press. Russia’s media… Read More ›
Thousands of protesters demand answers on HKTV decision
Leung declines to address rally on government decision to reject HKTV PUBLISHED : Friday, 25 October, 2013, 9:45pm UPDATED : Saturday, 26 October, 2013, 3:34am Vivienne Chow, Amy Nip and Tanna Chong Black-clad protesters at government HQ last night. Photo:… Read More ›
Chinese journalists obliged to take refresher course in Marxist reporting techniques
Kuchikomi Oct. 25, 2013 – 07:00AM JST ( 15 ) TOKYO — Journalists and reporters employed by the media in the People’s Republic of China are said to number about 250,000. The Chinese government recently announced that in order to… Read More ›
Btitain’s Monarchy will now regulate the country’s Press
Press curbs ‘will damage Queen’s standing’ Politicians’ “repressive” plans to regulate press will undermine country’s international standing, free speech groups warn Culture Secretary Maria Miller has unveiled her plans to regulate the press Photo: STEFAN ROUSSEAU/PA By James Kirkup, Political Editor… Read More ›
China’s influence over the media growing globally, says US think tank
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 22 October, 2013, 9:00pm UPDATED : Tuesday, 22 October, 2013, 9:36pm Patrick Boehler patrick.boehler@scmp.com Africa Live presenter Beatrice Marshall says that through her news show Africans “are telling the story from our perspective”. Photo: AFP China’s government… Read More ›
China to restrict satellite TV stations to one foreign programme to push “morality-building”
Source: Reuters – Mon, 21 Oct 2013 03:18 AM Author: Reuters SHANGHAI, Oct 21 (Reuters) – China will allow satellite television stations to buy the right to broadcast only one foreign programme each year from 2014 as part of… Read More ›
How foreign authors are willing to bow to China’s censors
Foreign writers who allow their books to be altered find results can be frustrating and time-consuming but extremely profitable PUBLISHED : Monday, 21 October, 2013, 4:09am UPDATED : Monday, 21 October, 2013, 8:41am The New York… Read More ›
All Chinese journalists ordered to censor supportive stances toward Japan
Kyodo Oct 20, 2013 BEIJING – China’s Communist Party has begun ordering all Chinese journalists not to take supportive stances toward Japan when writing about territorial and historical issues between the two countries, participants of a mandatory training program revealed… Read More ›
Suppress the press: The Obama administration’s history of targeting the media
Posted By Jeff Poor and Vince Coglianese On 2:13 AM 05/20/2013 In Politics | The usually-cocksure Jay Carney has rarely appeared so uncomfortable. “What I can tell you is that this president believes strongly in the First Amendment and is… Read More ›
Book by whistleblower at center of ‘Fast and Furious’ blocked by the ATF
Published time: October 08, 2013 00:20 Edited time: October 09, 2013 09:47 AFP Photo / Pedro Pardo A book authored by an agent at the center of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ “Fast and Furious” gun running… Read More ›
Teenager becomes first victim of China’s new ‘anti-gossip’ law after blog
Boy publicly questioned police investigation into death of local businessman Internet censors have ordered bloggers to ‘keep social order’ By Anna Edwards PUBLISHED: 04:16 EST, 20 September 2013 | UPDATED: 06:07 EST, 20 September 2013 A draconian measure… Read More ›
Say fromage! Agency denies censorship after withdrawing ‘gormless’ picture of Francois Hollande
Agence France Presse transmitted the unflattering picture to clients on Tuesday, then quickly issued a ‘Mandatory Kill’ order Rob Williams Thursday, 5 September 2013 Agence France Presse (AFP), the French press agency, has been forced to deny charges of self-censorship… Read More ›
Federal court order prohibits Brown from talking to the media in what critics say is latest in crackdown on investigative journalism
US stops jailed activist Barrett Brown from discussing leaks prosecution Ed Pilkington in New York theguardian.com, Wednesday 4 September 2013 17.50 EDT Brown’s lawyer says the gagging order is a breach of Brown’s first amendment rights. Photograph: Nikki Loehr A… Read More ›
Painting of Vladimir Putin in women’s underwear seized by Russian police for breaking unspecified laws
Picture displayed in St Petersburg gallery portrayed president in tight-fitting slip brushing Dmitry Medvedev’s hair Reuters in St Petersburg theguardian.com, Tuesday 27 August 2013 14.26 EDT Vladimir Putin in his work attire. Photograph: Itar-Tass/Barcroft Media Russian police seized a… Read More ›
China orders all the nation’s journalists to take Marxism classes
Tuesday, 27 August, 2013, 6:05pm News›China Insider Class struggle Patrick Boehler patrick.boehler@scmp.com China has ordered its entire press corps back to school in an effort to shore up ideological unity. The nation’s 307,000 reporters, producers and editors will soon have… Read More ›
Popular China bloggers should ‘promote virtues’
Published: 11 Aug 2013 at 12.49 Online news: Computer Chinese Internet celebrities have been told to “promote virtues” by a leading official, state media said Sunday, after a singer sparked a free speech debate by venting about bombing government offices…. Read More ›
The UK Bans Two Prominent American Bloggers From Entering the Country
Jun. 26, 2013 11:59pm Mike Opelka (This story has been updated.) On Wednesday, two American citizens were told that their opinions were a danger to the UK and as such, they were banned from visiting the country. Pamela Geller and… Read More ›
Turkish PM’s treason claims against BBC reporter chills other journalists
Turkish journalists see Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s attack on presenter for BBC’s Turkish service as a warning to them all Constanze Letsch in Istanbul guardian.co.uk, Thursday 27 June 2013 14.00 EDT Erdogan took offence at the BBC’s coverage of anti-government protests…. Read More ›
Kentucky middle school student,14, faces up to 1 year in jail over NRA t-shirt
The 14-year-old student has no prior criminal record Insists he was only exercising his right to freedom of speech Logan Middle School, where the incident occurred, has a statue of a gun holding man out front By Daily Mail Reporter… Read More ›
Parents outrage as school cuts off valedictorian’s microphone as he makes unauthorised remarks about the value of freedom of speech
Remington Reimer was to make the Valedictory speech All speeches had to be pre-approved by the school Reimer deviated from the script and his mic was pulled Continued speak even after being muted although nobody could hear him By James… Read More ›
Web firms will be told to block terror sites and pornography
Culture Secretary orders internet crackdown in wake of Woolwich attack and April Jones killing Andrew Grice Thursday, 6 June 2013 Internet and telecom companies will be ordered by the Government to block “harmful” content such as extremist material and pornography … Read More ›
Tiananmen Square online searches censored by Chinese authorities
Banned search terms include ‘today’, ‘tomorrow’ and date references in attempt to quell protest Jonathan Kaiman in Beijing guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 4 June 2013 08.55 EDT Twitter image mocking Chinese censorship of Tiananmen Square, adapted from AP’s 1989 photograph (the search… Read More ›
US government orders Cody Wilson and Defense Distributed to remove blueprint for 3D-printed handgun from the web
Last week Wilson printed and fired the “Liberator” handgun James Legge Friday, 10 May 2013 The US government has demanded the removal of online files which allow users to 3D-print their own unregistered gun at home. The blueprint has so… Read More ›
New York Times says Royal Charter harms free speech
Small publishers and websites under threat, says paper that helped expose hacking scandal IAN BURRELL Wednesday, 20 March 2013 The New York Times has warned that British proposals to regulate the press through a Royal Charter will “chill free speech… Read More ›
MEPs to vote on EU ‘ban on all forms of pornography’
MEPs will next week vote on a “ban on all forms of pornography” including censorship of the internet in a bid to “eliminate gender stereotypes” that demean women. MEPs will next week vote on a “ban on all forms of… Read More ›
Wal-Mart’s Nude Child Photo Policy Hits 9th : Lost Custody of daughters over photos developed at Wal Mart
By TIM HULL (CN) – A couple who briefly lost custody of their children after developing bath-time photos told the 9th Circuit that Wal-Mart should have disclosed its “unsuitable print policy.” Lisa and A.J. Demaree say they photographed their daughters,… Read More ›
FOIA Dismissed
WASHINGTON – The National Archives and Records Administration should not face a lawsuit over its refusal to give the group Cause of Action records from the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, a federal judge ruled. – See more at: Courthouse News
Foreigners arrested for trying to spread Christianity in Libya: ” We are a 100 percent Muslim country and this kind of action affects our national security”
Feb 17, 2013 01:43 Moscow Time Photo: EPA Four foreigners have been arrested in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on suspicion of being Christian missionaries and printing books about Christianity, a security official said on Saturday. “They were arrested on… Read More ›
Egypt bans YouTube over Innocence of Muslims video
Published: 9 February, 2013, 20:01 Edited: 9 February, 2013, 20:01 An Egyptian court has ruled to ban video sharing portal YouTube for one month among the other websites hosting the controversial film trailer that mocked Islam and Prophet Mohammed…. Read More ›
University of Michigan ‘Catfished’ its own players to teach them dangers of social media (and, guess what, they received ‘wholly inappropriate’ replies)
By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 14:20 EST, 1 February 2013 | UPDATED: 16:51 EST, 1 February 2013 The University of Michigan has revealed it ‘catfished’ its own athletes to teach them the dangers of social media. Michigan athletics director David… Read More ›
Two million government employees will take to Weibo and other websites in an effort to drown out dissenting voices with party-approved propaganda.
Benjamin CarlsonJanuary 28, 2013 06:00 Party Trolls: Meet China’s answer to the internet A woman views the Chinese social media website Weibo at a cafe in Beijing on Apr. 2, 2012. In an effort to minimize the influence… Read More ›
California Declares War on Freedom of the Press
Press Groups Attack Public Access Shell Game by Court Bureaucrats By BILL GIRDNER California court administrators are trying to create a new definition for public documents that appears aimed at limiting press access. News and First… Read More ›
Press Groups Attack Public Access Shell Game by Court Bureaucrats ” No more freedom of the press? “
By BILL GIRDNER California court administrators are trying to create a new definition for public documents that appears aimed at limiting press access. News groups submitted comments Friday calling the change a “semantic sleight of hand” that undermines fundamental press… Read More ›
Plans for the Privy Council to regulate Britain’s newspapers
It was set up in 1231 by Henry III. It met every day under Elizabeth I. But under Elizabeth II it hasn’t been convened for 25 years. So why does David Cameron think this centuries-old club can regulate the press?… Read More ›
Engineering Evil 