I'm excited to launch a new project with my colleague Dr. Nadine Kozak on "Assessing the Implementation of CIPA-Mandated Internet Filtering in U.S. Public Libraries," for which we have received funding from the UW-Milwaukee "Research Growth Initiative" internal grant program.…
Tag: Censorship
Open Questions Remain in Facebook Censorship Flap
Facebook has provided only a generic comment noting that the gay-kiss image was removed in error. But many unanswered questions remain. Critical questions, indeed, considering the cruel dichotomy of Facebook's mission to "[Give] people the power to share and make the world more open and connected" and its unquestioned power to control the platform, and thus the conditions under which people are allowed to share.
Facebook’s Censorship Problem
Facebook recently removed a photo of two men kissing from a user's Wall due to an apparent violation of the site's terms of service. This act of censorship has received considerable attention, and while it is reasonable for Facebook to try to control some of the content shared on its platform, there are some fundamental concerns with this case that point to a growing censorship problem within Facebook, especially when considered against the backdrop of Facebook's potential entry into China.
Blacklisting Wikipedia to Prevent Spread of Child Porn Increases Spread of Child Porn
File this under "duh" - via Wired Threat Level: Wikipedia's functionality was returning to normal Tuesday after an internet watchdog group removed the online encyclopedia from a child porn watchlist. The brouhaha began Saturday, when the England-based Internet Watch Foundation…
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Google (again) Opposes Anti-Censorship and Human Rights Proposals
Let's say you run an internet company whose primary function is to help individual locate and access information available on the World Wide Web. Let's say your mission is "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and…
Read More Google (again) Opposes Anti-Censorship and Human Rights Proposals
Perspective: Companies need guidance to face censors abroad
John Palfrey and Jonathan Zittrain have published a wonderful opinion piece at CNet about how Internet companies struggle with certain "gray zones" of complicity with oppressive regimes and their desire to filter and censor Web content. They try to provide…
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Thailand is the new China
No, that's not a new slogan for the Thai tourism bureau. Instead, it's the sad reality that Google is again aiding and abetting foreign governments' desires to censor speech and limit access to knowledge. Although freedom of speech was guaranteed…
Google Shareholders Reject Anti-Censorship Proposal
Unfortunately, Google's shareholders have rejected the anti-censorship proposal that aimed to ensure that the important human value of access to knowledge would be adhered to by the company who pledges to "do no evil." To say I'm not surprised is…
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Google Shareholders to Vote on Anti-censorship Resolution
New York City Comptroller William Thompson, Jr. has issued a petition on behalf of the New York City Pension Funds (which owns $276.2 million in Google stock) urging Google to take steps to counteract internet censorship in foreign countries with…
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Google Cooperating with Mumbai & Brazilian Police
Boing Boing has two good posts detailing how Google has been cooperating with Mumbai and Brazilian authorities to help censor content and track down offenders on their Orkut social networking service. In the Mumbai case: The Indian Express and other…
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