Libel reform under threat
Libel reform under threat
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Blog regulation: not waving, but drowning
Padraig Reidy: Blog regulation – not waving, but drowning
Brazilian football club director held before trial for journalist’s killing
A judge from the Brazilian State of Goiás has ruled that a football club director allegedly linked to the killing of a sports journalist must remain in prison while he awaits trial. Radio presenter Valério Luiz de Oliveira was gunned down at the front door of 820 AM radio station in the state capital Goiânia on 5 July 2012. Businessman Maurício Borges Sampaio, who acted as Atlético Clube Goianiense’s vice-president up to 10 days before Oliveira’s murder, was arrested in February this year accused of having ordered the killing. He denies having any link to the crime. Days before being killed, Oliveira went on air to strongly denounce Atlético’s management for the team, after poor results on the pitch led to the club’s relegation […]
Burma's art of transition
Julia Farrington: Burma’s art of transition
Why is Egypt banning porn?
Egypt is taking steps to enforce a ban on internet porn ordered by a Cairo court late last year. The ban was first ordered three years ago, but went unimplemented. This time it looks like it’s going to happen, and it won’t be cheap: the necessary filtering system will cost the country’s government 25 million Egyptian pounds (about £2.4 million). According to Sherif Hashem, deputy head of the National Telecom Regulatory Authority, Egypt has been installing the filters since January. Amr Gharbeia, civil liberties director for the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) told Index that, “there is very little information on Egypt’s censorship and deep packet inspection capabilities. So far, Egypt’s non-independent National Telecom Regulation Authority (NTRA) has claimed Egypt’s […]
Bangladesh rejects call for blasphemy law, but atheist bloggers still detained
Padraig Reidy: Bangladesh rejects call for blasphemy law, but atheist bloggers still detained
Burma: "Unstable one day, stable the next"
On 27 March, I attended Burmese comic Zarganar’s extraordinary show at People's Park, one of Rangoon's major public spaces. The elaborate...
Private daily newspapers return to Burma
Mike Harris: Private daily newspapers return to Burma
Should public servants be able to use public money to sue for libel?
Mike Harris: Should public servants be able to use public money to sue for libel?
Mexico telecoms reform hits world’s richest man
A new telecommunications reform that was presented in Mexico by the government of Enrique Peña Nieto has been heralded worldwide. The reform bill...
Threats to online free speech are a civil society defeat, says Internet Bill of Rights sponsor
Brazil’s constitution protects free speech, but antiquated local laws often threaten this fundamental right in digital spaces. The latest statistics from Google’s Transparency Report show that Brazil issues the third most court orders for content removal behind the US and Germany. Recent cases, including the arrest of a Google executive for refusing to take down a video from YouTube, highlight the growing need for reform. The Marco Civil da Internet, a draft bill that’s been in the works for several years, aims to guarantee greater freedom of expression, net neutrality, and the protection of private user data online in Brazil. I recently spoke with Alessandro Molon, a congressman from Brazil’s centre-left Workers’ Party and the bill’s rapporteur, about what many are calling the first Internet Bill of Rights. The idea […]
New Microsoft report: a step towards transparency
Brian Pellot: New Microsoft report is a step towards transparency
