Facebook criticized for censoring pot legalization ads

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is charging that Facebook is failing to uphold the First Amendment in banning content that some “overseers” find objectionable. -db
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Commentary
August 26, 2010
By Richard Esguerra
Facebook is facing down another embarrassing episode of censorship this week after refusing to show ads submitted by the Just Say Now marijuana legalization campaign. [...]

Iran thought to ban reporting on opposition leaders

A letter from the Iranian government appearing on opposition web sites orders the media to refrain from reporting on two defeated presidential candidates, Mir Hussein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi, as well as former President Mohammad Khatami. -db
The New York Times
August 25, 2010
By William Yong and Robert F. Worth
TEHRAN — In a further clampdown [...]

Blackberry dispute: Reporters Without Borders worried national security a pretext to censorship

Reporters Without Borders is concerned that in asking BlackBerry to provide access codes to governments, it will allow them to shut down free expression. -db
MediaShift
Commentary
August 26, 2010
By Clothilde Le Coz
Next week will be decisive for BlackBerry corporate users. BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) could provide a solution to help security agencies in India [...]

Federal government seems set to appeal ruling that indecency rules unconstitutional

The Federal Communications Commission wants the 2nd circuit appeals court to put off a decision of a fine for nudity against ABC for a 2003 episode of NYPD Blue to give it time to decide whether to appeal an earlier 2nd circuit ruling that its indecency standard was unconstitutionally vague. -db
Broadcasting & Cable
August 24, 2010
[...]

How is Social Media Impacting Free Speech Rights?

While social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter increase their user base,  and search engines like Google continue to grow, many wonder if they will become the gatekeepers of information of the future. – SMD
Social Media and First Amendment
Commentary
July 6, 2010
By  Eric Kuhn, CNN Audience Interaction Producer
Aspen, Colorado (CNN) – The future of free speech [...]

Alleged First Amendment violations in the Gulf of Mexico [VIDEO]

The US Coast Guard has announced that photographers and journalists will not be allowed to film or take pictures within 65 feet of the damage caused by the BP oil spill. -SMD
BP Oil Disaster
CNN News via Natural News.tv
July 3, 2010
By Health Ranger

Middle Eastern countries censoring Internet

Last week Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey acted to block more content from the Internet. Afghanistan is installing filters on the categories of alcohol, dating and social networking, gambling and pornography. -db

Electronic Frontier Foundation
Opinion
June 26, 2010
By Shari Steele
Yet another country has decided to shut down key parts the Internet. Kathleen Reen at Internews reports that, as [...]

Chinese stop Hong Kong printing of memoirs by ex-premier

The Chinese government blocked the Hong Kong publication of ex-premier Li Peng already banned in the mainland. Li Peng brought a violent end to the Tiananmen Square protest in 1989 and reportedly had claimed in his memoir that China’s current leaders supported the military’s attack on the student demonstrators. -db

The New York Times
June [...]

China filtering rather than blocking Google

Observers are saying China is balancing its censorship policy with pragmatic needs to allow access to Google. -db

The Digital Daily Feed
June 15, 2010
By John Paczkowski
Rather than rejecting it outright, China is adapting to Google’s new approach to the country, working toward a balance that keeps access to Google.com.hk (a redirect from Google.cn) open while [...]

Iranian bloggers at great risk in using Internet

In the last year since the protests over the Iranian election, the government has arrested 170 bloggers and journalists with 22 receiving prison sentences totaling more than 135 years. Authoritarian governments are sharing technology aimed at stifling dissent and in the last two years have increased their effectiveness in silencing critics. -db

Voice of America
June 9, [...]

China reaffirms online censorship policy

While claiming to safeguard free speech, the Chinese government issued a long list of online speech it considers undesirable. -db

CNET AllThingsD
Commentary
June 9, 2010
By John Paczkowski

Though it has given no indication otherwise, China would like the world to know that it has no plans to allow free access to online content–Google’s “new approach” to the country [...]

Texas high school principal pulls newspaper for pro-marijuana editorial

A Texas high school newspaper adviser resigned after the principal pulled an issue of the school newspaper that contained an editorial advocating legalizing marijuana, saying that the censorship was supported by the community and in its best interests. The superintendent claimed the editorial conflicted with the educational goals of the district in discouraging illegal drug [...]

Charges surface that British Petroleum is limiting media access to gulf oil spill

Amid several instances in which the media has been limited in covering the gulf oil spill, authorities say they are coping as best they can with the floods of reporters. They deny that BP is calling the shots and say they are allowing access to the story with the constraints of safety and protecting the [...]

Student editors in Washington fight prior review

Although students in a Washington school district recently won a censorship ruling in federal court, they are still fighting their district’s media policy that permits the administration powers of prior review and prior restraint. -db

Student Press Law Center
May 20, 2010
By Josh Moore
PUYALLUP, Wash. — Student editors at three Puyallup School District high schools are pointing [...]

Federal law protects newspapers from liability for online comments posted by third parties

Although federal law protects newspapers and other interactive service providers from libel charges, many newspapers are devising policies to mitigate third party vitriol, profanity and defamation while considering whether to allow anonymous comment. -db

MediaShift
May 12, 2010
By Jeffrey D. Neuburger
A desperate, weeks-long search in 2007 for missing Purdue University student Wade Steffey yielded a number of [...]

Net neutrality legislation could ensnare free speech

Critics say a bill introduced in the House of Representatives to ensure net neutrality would require a news outfit such as the Wall Street Journal to carry news from all news outlets, violating their free speech rights. -db

PC World
Opinion
May 12, 2010
By Grant Gross
U.S. Representative Cliff Stearns wants so badly to stop the U.S. Federal Communications [...]

New Jersey: Free speech advocates contest school ban on gay anthology

A conservative group has succeeded in convincing the Rancocas Valley Regional High School to remove an acclaimed anthology on teenage homosexuality from the library on the grounds that the anthology was vulgar, obscene and inappropriate. -db

The Guardian
May 10, 2010
By Alison Flood
American free speech organisations are fighting a decision by a New Jersey school to remove [...]

Washington jury finds for high school newspaper in privacy case over oral sex practices

A jury ruled 10-2 that there was a degree of newsworthiness in a news story on oral sex practices in a high school so that there was no violation of students’ privacy. -db

Student Press Law Center
April 22, 2010
By Katie Maloney
WASHINGTON — A Pierce County jury found in favor of the Puyallup School District on Wednesday, [...]

Censorship: Apple’s muddy policies on apps confusing to those creating content

A commentary in Wired argues that Apple needs to clarify its policy on content allowed in the App Store as serious free speech issues emerge. -db
Wired
Commentary
April 26, 2010
By Brian X. Chen
The iTunes App Store is nearly two years old, and Apple still has not published a clear set of guidelines about what type [...]

Federal court decision on alcohol ads in college newspapers criticized

An attorney with extensive experience in free press litigation criticizes the federal appeals court decision to uphold rules prohibiting college newspapers in Virginia from running alcohol ads. He argues that in making the decision, the court  failed to adequately consider years of precedents that should have yielded a different outcome. -db

First Amendment Center
Opinion
April 22, 2010
By [...]

Free student press: Case goes to jury on parents’ claim students harmed by quotes on sexual histories

A case heard in a Washington state court may hinge on whether school officials and teachers should exercise more control over the content of student newspapers. Washington law discourages authorities from interfering with the lawful content in student newspapers. -db

Student Press Law Center
April 21, 2010
By Mike Hiestand
WASHINGTON — “This case is not about whether you [...]

Bill Ayers and student sue University of Wyoming for canceling speech

Bill Ayers, a co-founder of a radical anti-war group that claimed responsibility for bombings during the Vietnam War, and a student are suing the University of Wyoming for canceling his speech on educational theory. Ayers is now a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. -db
LaramieBoomerang.com
April 15, 2010
By Peter Baumann
After a “high noon” deadline [...]

Jefferson center announces dubious awards for stifling free expression

The Thomas Jefferson Center has made its 19th annual “Jefferson Muzzle” awards for those who demonstrated notable disregard for First Amendment last year. For the detailed list of the winners, go to Jefferson Muzzles. -db

First Amendment Center
Commentary
April 13, 2010
By David L. Hudson Jr.
An unusually diverse group of winners headlined the 19th annual “Jefferson Muzzle” awards, unveiled [...]

Media freedom developing in unique way in Dubai

A radio host in Dubai constantly balances the need to respect government restrictions on expression while bringing important topics into public debate. -db

MediaShift
April 7, 2010
By Stephen Ward

Around the world, dozens of organizations, from Freedom House to Reporters Without Borders, advance the ideal of a free press and a free citizenry. The ideal suggests there is [...]

Irag video research edges Wikileaks into investigative reporting role

Wikileaks has adopted the tools of investigative and advocacy journalism–including sending two people to Baghdad to research the story behind the Iraq video–to get leaked information out to the public.

Iraq Video Brings Notice to a Web Site
The New York Times
By NOAM COHEN and BRIAN STELTER
“Have encrypted videos of U.S. bomb strikes on [...]

Supreme Court’s much-maligned First Amendment decision will, in fact, expand freedom of speech. Prediction: The Citizens United holding dooms IRS curbs on political advocacy by “dot-org” news media and other nonprofits.

BY PETER SCHEER—Forty-six years ago, the Supreme Court announced its decision in New York Times v. Sullivan, rewriting centuries of “common law” on libel and defamation, in order to boost constitutional protection for criticism of government policies and government officials. One of the most important free speech decisions in Supreme Court history, New York [...]

States move to exclude 911 recordings from public record

Noting a trend to keep 911 records from the public, Citizen Media Law Project blogger Justin Silverman argues that there is a compelling public interest in allowing access to the records in the interest of shining light on the performance of public safety officers . He says laws can guarantee access and still protect the [...]

Google strikes blow for traditional journalistic values

Google’s decision to leave China rather than to allow censorship of its service, whether it likes it or not,  puts the company in the forefront in defending the free flow of information in the global market. -db
The New York Times
Commentary
March 28, 2010
By David Carr

Should we be surprised that the biggest fight over freedom [...]

University of Chicago censors student facebook post

Continuing a practice of monitoring and censoring student posts on social media, the University of Chicago forced a student to delete comments about a professor from his private Facebook page. -db
FIRE
Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
Commentary
March 24, 2010
CHICAGO — For the second time in two years, the University of Chicago has censored a student’s post [...]

Internet censorship: China may suffer long-term economic damage from closing down Google

Experts are saying that while China may feel the need to maintain control through censorship, but it may be doing itself great harm by allowing Google to abandon China and weakening the country’s links to the global economy. -db

The New York Times
March 23, 2010
By Michael Wines
BEIJING — This is a nation that builds dams, [...]

Google leaves China over differences on censorship

As expected, Google closed its Internet search service in China and began directing its users to the as yet uncensored service in Hong Kong. -db
The New York Times
March 22, 2010
By Miguel Helft and David Barboza

SAN FRANCISCO — Just over two months after threatening to leave China because of censorship and intrusions from hackers, Google on [...]

State Department lifts ban on scholars banned from U.S. for political views

Professors Adam Habib and Tariq Ramadan are expected to travel to the U.S. for speaking engagements in the next few weeks after years of exclusion stemming from their political views critical of some government policies. -db

American Civil liberties Union
Press Release
March 22, 2010
NEW YORK – Two prominent scholars are coming to the United States after years [...]

High court refuses to hear case banning hymn at high school graduation

The Supreme Court will not consider a lower court ruling backing a Washington state high school’s decision to ban a religious song at graduation. Judge Samuel Alito dissented with the argument that the decision would open the door to censorship of student speech. -db

Courthouse News Service
March 22, 2010
By Annie Youderian
(CN) – The Supreme Court on [...]

Study of FBI documents shows censorship withheld harmless information

The Electronic Frontier Foundation argues that in the face of Freedom of Information Act requests, federal agencies hide their activities in excessive secrecy in spite of Obama administration directives to the agencies to make a “presumption of openness” in implementing FOIA requests. -db

Electronic Frontier Foundation
Commentary
March 15, 2010
By David L. Sobel

As the transparency community celebrates Sunshine [...]

Student body government at California university reinstates funding for student media

The student government of the University of California, San Diego ended its moratorium on funding student media. The student body president had unilaterally decreed a funding freeze to head off  ”hateful speech” and divisions among students after an off-campus event thought by many to be racist. -db

FIRE
Commentary
March 11, 2010
SAN DIEGO —In a victory for freedom [...]

China set to continue censorship if Google abandons country

With a Google shutdown imminent in China, the government is warning Google’s partners that they must comply with censorship laws as the price of doing business in the country. -db
The New York Times
March 14, 2010
By Sharon LaFraniere

BEIJING — The Chinese authorities have warned major partners of Google’s China-based search engine that they must comply with [...]

Google would welcome government support in challenging Chinese censorhip

Google wants the Obama administration to take China’s censorship of Google to the World Trade Organization as an unfair barrier to trade. -db

Bloomberg News
March 3, 2010
By Mark Drajem

(Bloomberg) — The Obama administration is weighing the merits of taking China’s censorship of Google Inc. to the World Trade Organization as an unfair barrier to trade, a [...]

Apple bans apps with adult content

Concerned about keeping the content of apps appropriate for the large number of children and teenagers using iPod Touch and expected to buy the new iPad due soon, Apple has responded to parents’ complaints and removed certain apps from its App Store. -db

The New York Times
February 23, 2010
By Jenna Wortham

Apple has started banning many applications [...]

YouTube removes work with artistic nudity claiming it fails to conform with community standards

The Electronic Frontier Foundation and the National Coailtion Against Censorship is asking YouTube to restore the work of renowned video artist Amy Greenfield to YouTube. YouTube removed her work with some nudity claiming it failed to satisfy YouTube Community Guidelines. -db

Electronic Frontier Foundation
Commentary
February 22, 2010
By Kurt Opsahl

Today EFF and the National Coalition Against Censorship [...]

TV cable broadcasts of city council meeting in Norwalk censored

During broadcasts of its meetings on a government access cable channel, the Norwalk City Council blacks out public comments. Legal experts says the practice is legal but express dismay that the council feels it’s necessary to censor the public. -db
The Los Angeles Times
February 20, 2010
By Jeff Gottlieb
Like most towns, Norwalk broadcasts its City Council meetings [...]

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