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  • Amidst riots in the UK, calls to censor social media
    By: Simon Columbus
    Date: 12 Aug 2011
    Categories: United Kingdom, Europe, Arrests and legal action, Surveillance, Anonymity, Conflict and security filtering
    The suspicion that social networks such as Twitter and Facebook as well as BlackBerry Messenger helped incite riots that gripped England earlier this week has led politicians to demand their shutdown.
    0 comment(s)
  • New Data Added to ONI's Social Media Filtering Map
    By: Simon Columbus
    Date: 10 Aug 2011
    Categories: Egypt, Tunisia, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Sub-Saharan Africa, ONI, Political filtering, Social filtering
    The OpenNet Initiative is excited to announce the addition of a full year of new data to its Social Media Filtering Map. The map gives users a visual overview of where Facebook, Flickr, Orkut, Twitter, and Youtube have been blocked since 2004. This update covers the last 12 months, bringing the map up to date with the latest information on social media censorship around the world.
    0 comment(s)
  • Threats to the Open Net: August 5, 2011
    By: Simon Columbus
    Date: 05 Aug 2011
    Categories: United Kingdom, United States/Canada, Asia, Europe, Copyright, Cybercrime and security, Political filtering
    The United Kingdom abandons its plans to block illegal filesharing websites; in China, the censorship regime is probed by the anger of millions of microbloggers; a series of computer system intrusions has targeted dozens of international organizations over five years; and Europe reacts with filtering plans to attacks in Norway
    0 comment(s)
  • As Europe Responds to Norway Attacks, Calls for Internet Monitoring Emerge
    By: Simon Columbus
    Date: 03 Aug 2011
    Categories: Turkey, Germany, Europe, Legislation, Hate speech, Data retention, Political filtering
    Throughout Europe, calls for increased Internet surveillance have emerged in response to the July 22 terrorist attacks in Norway. Police and security forces hope that by keeping a closer eye on online activities, they will be able to spot any "weak signals" that indicate potential threats.
    0 comment(s)
  • France to disconnect first Internet users under three strikes regime
    By: Simon Columbus
    Date: 27 Jul 2011
    Categories: Europe, Legislation, Copyright, Human rights, IP blocking
    A high school teacher who claims not to know how to download music and movies is among the first ten people in France who face disconnection from the Internet over alleged illegal file-sharing.
    0 comment(s)
  • Italian Agency Presses On With Internet Filtering Powers
    By: Simon Columbus
    Date: 07 Jul 2011
    Categories: Italy, Europe, Legislation, Copyright, Intermediary Censorship
    Despite protests, the Italian Communications Authority (AgCom) yesterday approved a draft regulation that would give it powers to take down websites and filter the Internet over alleged copyright infringement without prior judicial oversight. The draft will now enter a 60 day period of public consultation.
    0 comment(s)
  • EU: No mandatory Internet filtering against images of child abuse
    By: Simon Columbus
    Date: 27 Jun 2011
    Categories: Europe, Legislation
    The European Commission, Council, and Parliament have come to an agreement regarding controversial plans to mandate Internet filtering as a means to fight the circulation of child abuse images. The provisional compromise backs away from mandatory Internet filters that had initially been proposed by the Commissioner of Home Affairs, Cecilia Malmström.
    0 comment(s)
  • Rwanda blocks website of independent newspaper
    By: Simon Columbus
    Date: 27 Jun 2011
    Categories: Rwanda, Sub-Saharan Africa, Political filtering
    Exactly one year after the murder of independent newspaper Umuvugizi’s deputy editor, the paper's website is again inaccessible in Rwanda. Its editor has just re-launched the paper as an online-only publication.
    0 comment(s)
  • Netherlands First European Country to Make Net Neutrality Law, Although With an Accidental Flaw
    By: Simon Columbus
    Date: 22 Jun 2011
    Categories: Netherlands, Europe, Legislation, Social filtering
    With a vote this Tuesday, the Dutch Parliament has become the second in the world to introduce the principles of net neutrality into law. A mistake by the Labour Party (PvdA), however, means that the bill includes an unintended loop hole.
    0 comment(s)
  • French Government Plans to Extend Internet Censorship
    By: Simon Columbus
    Date: 21 Jun 2011
    Categories: Europe, Legislation
    A draft executive order would give various French government agencies the power to take down or block Internet content they deem harmful. Critics see a vast censorship scheme that would allow for “arbitrary” take-downs.
    0 comment(s)
  • Netherlands becoming the first European country to adopt net neutrality
    By: Simon Columbus
    Date: 14 Jun 2011
    Categories: Netherlands, Europe, Legislation, Internet tools filtering
    The Dutch parliament has discussed an amendment to the telecommunications law that would ban network operators from discriminating against specific contents. If it is enacted, the Netherlands would become the second country worldwide to put net neutrality into law.
    0 comment(s)
  • In Germany, a new treaty on gambling might open the door to Internet filtering
    By: Simon Columbus
    Date: 09 Jun 2011
    Categories: Germany, Europe, Legislation, DNS tampering
    An inter-state treaty that will overhaul Germany’s gambling regulation could prove a threat to the open net. Should a recent draft be adopted, ISPs would be obliged to prevent users from accessing unauthorized gambling websites. Activists fear the establishment of a censorship infrastructure that would breach constitutional rights.
    0 comment(s)
  • Google defies Kazakhstan’s attempt to “create borders on the web”, will re-route its users
    By: Simon Columbus
    Date: 08 Jun 2011
    Categories: Kazakhstan, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Legislation
    As Google announced on its blog yesterday afternoon, it will start redirecting users of its customized Kazakh search engine, google.kz, to the international version. The move follows an order by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Communications and Information that all .kz domain names are to be run on local servers. Google’s reaction means that its Kazakh users will no longer have access to a customized version of the search engine.
    0 comment(s)

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