CyberLaw Blog

Archive for June 19th, 2008

Congress Reaches Deal on Wiretapping Bill: “The deal would expand the government’s powers and give telephone companies some legal immunity.”

(Via NYT > Technology.)

Long-standing YouTube ban lifted only for several hours: “Long-standing YouTube ban lifted only for several hours”

A court order blocking access to popular video-sharing Web site YouTube that has been in place for one-and-a-half months was rescinded on Tuesday night; however, the Web site remained open only for several hours as it was banned again around 10 a.m. Wednesday morning.
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GROWING INTERNET CENSORSHIP IN TURKEY - Eurasia Daily Monitor

By Gareth Jenkins, Thursday, June 19, 2008

On June 18 and 19 Turkish lawyers, academics and Internet professionals met in the mountain resort of Abant in the Bolu mountains of northwest Turkey to discuss the increasing censorship of the Internet in Turkey through the use of court orders to block access to websites.

Turkey has long suffered from often draconian restrictions on freedom of expression, in which numerous books and newspapers have been banned and journalists, activists and academics imprisoned for merely expressing opinions contrary to those espoused by the authorities. But during the early years of the Internet, the authorities lacked both the legislation and the technical means to censor it. The result, at least for those with access to a computer, was a sudden exposure to a broad, unprecedented spectrum of opinion, some of which challenged long-standing taboos such as discussions of Kurdish nationalism and the legacy of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (1881-1938), who founded the modern Turkish Republic in 1923. In recent years, however, new legislation and changing technology have enabled the authorities to impose increasingly tight restrictions on Turks’ access to the Internet.
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Canadian Human Rights Commission Launches Independent Review On Hate Messaging on the Internet

(Ottawa, June 17, 2008) – The Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) has launched a comprehensive policy review of how best to address hate messages on the Internet. Leading constitutional law expert Professor Richard Moon of the University of Windsor will conduct an independent study as an important part of this review.

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Sweden approves wiretapping law: “Sweden’s parliament passes new laws on surveillance, labelled Europe’s most far-reaching eavesdropping plan.”

(Via BBC News.)

Do you know how much of your porn is extreme?: “

If you’ve got the time, ask a policeman

It seems likely that the government thought that passing a new law on extreme porn would be the last word on the matter. Recent events in Birmingham suggest that this may not quite be the case.…

“

(Via The Register - Public Sector.)

Suicide websites and internet chatrooms could be closed down - Telegraph

By Graham Tibbetts, Last Updated: 7:30AM BST 06/06/2008″

Websites that encourage people to commit suicide could be shut down under changes to the law, it was disclosed today. The sites offer users tips on taking their own life and have been linked to around 27 deaths in Britain over the last six years.

The Government is considering closing a legal loophole to outlaw the advice. Under laws introduced in 1961 aiding or encouraging suicide is illegal - but only if the offender met the victim face to face.
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ISPs: Govt porn filters ‘could cripple internet’: News - Communications - ZDNet Australia: “ISPs: Govt porn filters ‘could cripple internet’

Marcus Browne, ZDNet.com.au, 16 June 2008 03:31 PM

Broadband providers Internode and iiNet have hit out against the Federal government’s ISP-level content filtering initiative — a scheme that could cripple Australia’s high-speed internet access, according to one exec.

Mandatory filtering, one of Kevin Rudd’s election promises, is set to move the emphasis from parents onto ISPs to remove ‘inappropriate content’ from Australians’ internet experience with potential software filters currently being trialled by ACMA.

The regulator is expected to file its report on the filter tests with Communications Minister Senator Stephen Conroy by the end of this month, after the Federal government pledged a one-off AU$125.8 million subsidy for ISPs to install the required equipment as part of this year’s budget.

The plan has already attracted its critics. Security experts recently called government filters to block malware — rather than the ‘inappropriate content’ currently targeted — a suggestion backed by ISP Internode.”

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Budget provides policing for internet safety | Senator Stephen Conroy | Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today announced a targeted plan to create a safer online environment for Australian children.

‘Although the internet has opened up a world of possibilities and benefits to Australian children, it has also exposed them to continually emerging and evolving dangers that did not previously exist,’ Senator Conroy said.

‘That is why the Australian Government has committed $125.8 million to a comprehensive range of cyber-safety measures, including law enforcement, filtering and awareness, over the next four years.’

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Professors Siding With Jammie Thomas in RIAA Case: “A group of university professors is weighing in on the Jammie Thomas case, telling the trial judge he erred when instructing jurors that having an open share folder filled with copyrighted music amounts to infringement –- even absent proof that somebody else downloaded songs.

(Via Wired News.)