From the Washington Post:
Malaysia denied on Friday that a proposed Internet filter would be used to police blogs and websites, saying it would be used only to block pornography.
The denial comes after news that the Southeast Asian country was considering setting up an Internet filter similar to China’s “Green Dam” software, a move the opposition [...]
Archive of posts filed under the Internet Access category.
Malaysia denies Internet filter will curb dissent
New Net Neutrality Bill Introduced
From SLA’s Public Policy blog:
Representative Edward Markey (D-MA) has introduced H.R. 3458, The Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009, to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to establish a national broadband policy, safeguard consumer rights, spur investment and innovation, and for related purposes.
Public Knowledge Study Finds Internet Content Filtering Ineffective, Harmful
From Public Knowledge:
Public Knowledge today released a landmark analysis showing that filtering of Internet content as advocated by big media companies will not work and will be harmful to the Internet. The full paper is here.
Gigi B. Sohn, president and co-founder of Public Knowledge, said: “Our study, ‘Forcing the Net Through a Sieve: Why Copyright [...]
New questions raised about ISP disclosure
From the Financial Post:
Canada’s largest cable Internet providers want federal regulators to steer clear of crafting new rules for how carriers can manage the flow and speed of Web traffic on their networks.
Executives from both Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. argued Monday any technologies they employ to slow down certain forms of Web [...]
Washington Supreme Court Weighs Whether Library Can Refuse To Disable Internet Filter
From Library Journal:
In the first legal challenge to Internet filtering practices enacted by relatively few libraries, the Washington Supreme Court is weighing whether the North Central Regional Library (NCRL), Wenatchee, can refuse to turn off filters at the request of adult patrons seeking constitutionally protected material.
At issue in Bradburn v. North Central Regional Library, which [...]
Germany calls for ban of neo-Nazi sites abroad
From The Sydney Morning Herald:
Germany’s Justice Minister is calling for Internet service providers in the U.S. and elsewhere to remove neo-Nazi images, text and other content that can be viewed inside the country in violation of laws forbidding any Nazi symbols.
It’s doubtful, though, that Germany will have much luck persuading U.S. companies to remove material [...]
Net filtering a $33m waste: child groups
From The Australian:
Child rights groups have come out in force to criticise the Rudd Labor government’s controversial plan to censor the internet, saying the scheme will divert around $33 million away from more effective ways of tackling online child pornography.
In a joint statement with lobby group GetUp, both Save the Children Australia and the National [...]
China postpones mandatory installation of controversial filtering software
From Xinhuanet:
China will delay the mandatory installation of the controversial “Green Dam-Youth Escort” filtering software on new computers, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said here Tuesday.
The pre-installation was postponed as some computer producers said such massive installation demanded extra time, said the ministry.
Net neutrality gets a boost from the feds
From cnet:
Net neutrality advocates got a boost of support Wednesday from the Obama administration when it released grant guidelines for spending the government’s $7.2 billion broadband stimulus package.
Companies winning grants to help build new broadband infrastructure will have to follow the Federal Communications Commission’s Internet Policy statement, which prohibits companies from deliberately blocking or slowing [...]
Washington Supreme Court hears case on Internet filters
From the Seattle Times:
The state Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether it’s constitutional for public libraries to refuse to disable their Internet filters for adults who want access to sites that have been blocked.