Internet Freedom

Arizona State Restores Access to Change.org after National Outcry

Lindsy Embree — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:03:35 -0500

Full article: Fire Dog Lake
Adam Kissel
Arizona State University has restored access to the petition website Change.org after blocking it due to dubious concerns about "spam" emails coming from the site related to a petition advocating lower tuition costs at the university.

Getting 'Internet Freedom' Straight

Lindsy Embree — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:00:03 -0500

Full article: TechCrunch
Richard Fontaine
The United States should be in the lead in formulating acceptable international definitions of Internet freedom, aggression and cyber security that respect widely-recognized human rights.

Al Gore Comes Out Against SOPA/PIPA

Stevie Converse — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:23:34 -0500

Full article: TechDirt
Mike Masnick
Al Gore has come out strongly against SOPA and PIPA, angrily denouncing the bill and its supporters. In a video, Gore doesn't focus only on "foreign" sites as supporters of these bills would like everyone to do; he points out that these bills put new requirements on many domestic Internet companies.

Is Grover Norquist Breaking Up With SOPA?

Stevie Converse — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:45:59 -0500

Full article: CNet
Declan McCullagh
Rep. Lamar Smith, chairman of the House Judiciary committee, proudly announced last month that Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform had endorsed his controversial Stop Online Piracy Act. In the last few weeks, though, the famously combative conservative group, a longtime ally of copyright holders, has become noticeably less enthusiastic about the Hollywood-backed copyright bill.

Iran Clamps Down on Internet Use

Stevie Converse — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:32:34 -0500

Full article: Guardian
Saeed Kamali Dehghan
Iran is clamping down heavily on Web users before parliamentary elections in March, with draconian rules on cybercafes and preparations to launch a national Internet. The moves have prompted fears among its online community that Iran intends to withdraw from the global Internet.

News Networks Ignore Controversial SOPA Legislation

Stevie Converse — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 08:18:24 -0500

Full article: Media Matters for America
Ben Dimiero
Controversial legislation that the co-founder of Google has warned "would put us on a par with the most oppressive nations in the world" has received virtually no coverage from major American television news outlets during their evening newscasts and opinion programming.

Manager's Amendment of SOPA Doesn't Fix What's Ailing This Bill

Stevie Converse — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 08:16:02 -0500

Full article: Public Knowledge
Sherwin Siy
Monday afternoon, the House Judiciary Committee released its planned manager's amendment to SOPA, claiming that it eliminated significant concerns with the bill. While it does fix some of the current version's outrageous proposals, it leaves some of the most dangerous provisions largely intact.

What Journalists Need to Know About SOPA

Stevie Converse — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 07:20:50 -0500

Full article: Poynter Institute
Tracie Powell
The Online News Association came out strongly against sweeping federal legislation aimed at curbing illegal copying and distribution of content online, adding its voice to a growing chorus of those opposing SOPA, including the American Society of News Editors.

We Need a Political Litmus Test for Tech and SOPA Isn't It

Stevie Converse — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:13:57 -0500

Full article: GigaOM
Stacey Higginbotham
A growing problem as the web and technology becomes more central to how we share, communicate and work is that an average person doesn’t know how abstract laws can affect their lives and the media doesn’t expose how well (or poorly) politicians understand technology. As a result, certain companies with lobbyists are getting away moulding our laws and policies in their favor and in the process they are going to hinder how Internet works and thrives.

Recording Industry Dismisses Alternate Online Piracy Bill

Stevie Converse — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:09:37 -0500

Full article: The Hill
Gautham Nagesh
The Recording Industry Association of America dismissed an alternate online piracy bill from Rep. Darrell Issa and Sen. Ron Wyden, arguing it is not a "meaningful solution" to the problem of online piracy.