From the Guardian:
Chinese authorities appear to have stopped blocking the BBC News website, making the English-language version of the site fully accessible throughout the country.
The Chinese government has never officially confirmed that it blocked traffic to the site, but for years web users in China have been served an error message when attempting to access [...]
Archive of entries posted on March 2008
China ‘unblocks’ BBC News site
Google in trouble over data security
From Information World Review:
Organisations and individuals using Google’s applications suite have no right to data privacy, a case in arbitration has shown.
Lakehead University in Canada was one of the first large-scale adopters of Google applications, but a storm has broken out after staff were told not to use it for personal or sensitive information.
The problem [...]
Film Maker and PK Submit Testimony on Orphan Works
From Public Knowledge:
PK and a group of film makers told the House Judiciary Committee last week what we would like to see as key elements of orphan works legislation. The testimony was submitted by PK and the following group of independent film maker organizations: Doculink, Film Independent, International Documentary Association, Independent Feature Project, National Alliance [...]
New Congressional Research Service Report on the Homeland Security Council
New Congressional Research Service Report : “Organizing for Homeland Security: The Homeland Security Council Reconsidered,” March 19, 2008. Posted on Secrecy News:
In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush established the Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Council (HSC). In his June 2002 proposal [...]
Russia Weighs Restrictions on Internet
From Secrecy News:
Legislation pending in the Russian Duma [parliament] would impose new Russian government controls on online content, according to an analysis of Russian news reports from the DNI Open Source Center.
See “Russia–Increased Attempts to Regulate Internet,” DNI Open Source Center, March 24, 2008.
Google shareholders to vote on censorship, human rights
From News.com:
For the second year in a row, Google shareholders will be asked to hold the Web search giant accountable for protecting free speech, regardless of international borders.
One of the proposals to be submitted at the annual shareholder meeting scheduled for May 8, would require Google to create policies to protect freedom of access to [...]
Footnote.com and the National Archives Launch an Interactive Vietnam War Memorial
From NARA:
Footnote.com and the National Archives and Records Administration held a press conference at the Archives in Washington, DC, to announce the release of an online interactive photo of the Vietnam War Memorial. In addition to releasing this unique version of the Wall, Footnote.com enables visitors to search the Wall for people they know and [...]
From the UK – Online campaigns to publish bills
From the Telegraph:
As campaigning slogans go, it isn’t exactly blood and thunder. The “Free Our Bills” campaign has as its logo a duck-billed platypus scrambling out under the Westminster portcullis, and as its subtitle: “The Nice Polite Campaign to Gently Encourage Parliament to Publish Bills in a 21st-Century Way, Please. Now.”
I can’t help feeling that [...]
Yet another digitization contract limits free access to public records
From Free Government information:
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has announced a draft “non-exclusive agreement with The Generations Network, Inc. (TGN) to digitize and further expand public access to archival holdings in NARA’s custody.” The contract restricts free public access for five years.
DRAFT PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
Posted for comment: March 10, 2008
Comments [...]
Cuba blocks access to top Cuban blog
From Yahoo! News:
The Cuban authorities have blocked access from Cuba to the country’s most-read blogger, Yoani Sanchez, she said on Monday.
Sanchez, whose critical “Generacion Y” blog received 1.2 million hits in February, said Cubans can no longer visit her Web page (http://www.desdecuba.com/generaciony/) and two other home-grown bloggers on the Web site on a server in [...]