Freedom of Expression
DMCA: Horrors of a Broad and Automated Censorship Tool
The DMCA was once drafted to protect the interests of copyright holders, allowing them to take infringing content offline. Today, however, the system is systematically abused by rights-holders as an overboard censorship tool. One third of the notices sent to Google are false, companies like Microsoft censor perfectly legal sites, and others use the DMCA [...]
Internet Opens Russia for Democracy Movement
Russia’s protest movement grew and got organized with speed that startled many in the political establishment. Russia’s uncensored Internet allows people to communicate, coordinate and raise money for rallies, all through their computers. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is running for president in elections March 4. His campaign website photos show him skiing, skating and fighting [...]
Art Censorship: Pissy Pussy Comic – ‘Getting Social’
The following comic art, story and characters are Copyright © 2012 DarkBrain, LLC. All rights reserved. Images used by permission of DarkBrain, LLC. See more awesome art and comics at DarkBrain.com Download this free edition as a PDF by clicking here.
Internet Censorship: The Wiki Blackout, One Day Later
Just What, If Anything, Did Wednesday’s Protest Achieve? Not content to leave the battle un-joined, the hacker group Anonymous stepped into the SOPA fray Thursday evening by launching a massive denial of service attack on several SOPA supporters, including Universal Music, the RIAA and MPAA. Also targeted was the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. [...]
Internet Censorship: Copyright Enforcement Vs. Censorship — Impact Of ‘Megaupload’ Case
Joss Wright, a researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, speaks to RFE/RL correspondent Ron Synovitz about the possible impact of the Megaupload copyright case on Internet freedoms around the world. RFE/RL: The U.S. government shut down the file-sharing websites of Megaupload on grounds of copyright infringement [...]
Freedom of Expression: Sharia Police Arrest ‘Punks’ in Indonesia’s Aceh
Indonesian police in the Sharia-ruled province, Aceh, have detained 25 teenagers, but it is not clear why. The youths call themselves “punks” and human rights activists call their detention an attempt to curb freedom of expression in the traditionally conservative province. After a charity music event for a local orphanage at Banda Aceh’s Budaya Park [...]
Music Censorship: North Korea Crackdown on ‘Thumb Drives’
North Koreans find new ways to access illicit South Korean pop culture. North Korean authorities are stepping up a crackdown on portable media devices in an attempt to block the spread of “Korean Wave” culture from the South, North Korean sources say. With cell phones and video players becoming more popular in the North, South [...]
SOPA / PIPA Take a Beating From Activist Groups and YOU!
We’re hearing it from Senate offices, and we’re hearing it from people who’ve been bombarding Washington with calls: The phones in the Capitol have been ringing off the hooks this week. It’s having an impact: just days ago Hollywood’s head lobbyist was bragging about the dozens of Senate cosponsors of the legislation, but now he [...]
Censorship in America: Feds Falsely Censor Popular Blog For Over A Year, Deny All Due Process, Hide All Details…
Imagine if the US government, with no notice or warning, raided a small but popular magazine’s offices over a Thanksgiving weekend, seized the company’s printing presses, and told the world that the magazine was a criminal enterprise with a giant banner on their building. Then imagine that it never arrested anyone, never let a trial [...]
Human Rights: Historic Civil Rights Ruling Marks 50 Years
16 black students cleared of wrongdoing for sit-in protests. Fifty years ago this Sunday, on Dec. 11, 1961, the United States Supreme Court reversed the convictions of 16 black college students who had been arrested in a civil rights demonstration in Louisiana. It was the high court’s first decision regarding sit-in protests throughout the southern [...]
Join the Fight Against Internet Censorship: An open letter to Senators Murray and Merkley
The following is the text of a letter sent by NPI to the offices of U.S. Senators Patty Murray of Washington and Jeff Merkley of Oregon this morning (December 5, 2011). Dear Senators Murray and Merkley: On behalf of the team at the Northwest Progressive Institute, I am writing to express our strong opposition to [...]
