Canada: Website operator charged with libel

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced on Friday that a blogger in Calvary faces five charges related to his website. John Kelly, 53, has long been highly critical of Calgary police officers, using his site to accuse officers of “perjury, corruption and destroying evidence” according to the RCMP. Charges include four counts of publishing libellous statements on the Internet against specific police officers between November 2009 and Sept. 4, 2010. Critics of the Defamatory Libel law assert that it “violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms”.

US artists end Newport rap success

The YouTube sensation ‘Newport State of Mind’, a parody of the Jay-Z and Alicia Keys song ‘Empire State of Mind‘, has been banned. Initial reports stated that EMI music or EMI publishing were behind the ban, however, recent accounts state that it may have been following a direct request from the artists credited with the song. Videos of a live performance of  ‘Newport State of Mind’ are still available on YouTube, as are those of a rival spoof based around the same song by Newport rappers Goldie Lookin’ Chain.

FBI seeks access to private email information

The US government has introduced new legislation which would allow the FBI to demand personal information from private email accounts. The bill would enable FBI field officers to access information regarding the times and dates emails were sent, as well as the private email addresses of correspondents. The FBI would not need to possess a court order and would simply need to deem the information relevant to demand private details from internet providers. ISP’s would be forced to keep the requests secret.

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