UK: FA introduces “censorship code”

The FA has brought in a code of conduct to prevent staff, board and council members talking freely to the press. The new “censorship code” insists that the press office are alerted to any media enquiries, and no FA business is to be divulged to the press. The code, which was introduced by company secretary Alistair McLean, also restricts what can be relayed by councillors to bodies they represent. The move comes after FA chairman David Bernstein called for a transparent football government against FIFA corruption at the Congress in Zurich last June.

Germany: Facebook agrees to work with government on privacy code

Facebook has agreed to work with the German government on a code of conduct aimed at privacy protection. The code, agreed at a meeting on Wednesday between German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich and Facebook’s director of policy in Europe, Richard Allen, will cover issues such as media literacy and data transmission in accordance with German law. The agreement follows discussions around Facebook’s adherence to German data protection laws. Last month, Thilo Weichert, a data protection commissioner in Northern Germany, claimed Facebook’s “Like” button violated German data protection laws.