Facebook treats punk rockers like crazy conspiracy theorists, kicks them offline
Facebook and the problem of ‘false positives’.
Iowa journalist Andrea Sahouri acquitted on misdemeanor charges from 2020 protest coverage
CPJ issues statement in response to the acquittal of “Des Moines Register” reporter Andrea Sahouri by a court in Iowa, on two misdemeanor charges stemming from her coverage of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.
The Justice in Policing Act does not do enough to rein in body-worn cameras
Reformers often tout police use of body-worn cameras (BWCs) as a way to prevent law enforcement misconduct. But, far too often, this technology becomes one more tool in a toolbox already overflowing with surveillance technology that spies on civilians.
Scholars under surveillance: How campus police use high tech to spy on students
It may be many months before college campuses across the U.S. fully reopen, but when they do, many students will be returning to a learning environment that is under near constant scrutiny by law enforcement.
Officials in Baltimore and St. Louis put the brakes on Persistent Surveillance Systems spy planes
In recent weeks, officials in both cities voted unanimously to spare their respective residents from further invasions on their privacy and essential liberties by a panoptic aerial surveillance system designed to protect soldiers on the battlefield, not residents’ rights and public safety.
Bahrain: Rights groups call on the Biden administration to prioritise human rights in the Gulf
In a joint letter, IFEX joins rights groups in bringing attention to the ongoing suppression and deterioration of human rights in Bahrain, and urges US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to fulfill President Biden’s pledge to prioritise human rights when it comes to US foreign policy in the region.
Ghanian online news site temporarily blocked over Kenyan gambling report
Ghanaian news site taken offline temporarily, over a piece on Kenya’s gambling industry, points to a surreptitious form of censorship based on a U.S. copyright law.
US must hold Mohammed bin Salman accountable for Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, rights groups say
In response to the release of a U.S. congressional report identifying Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as having ordered the operation against journalist Jamal Khashoggi, rights groups call on the Biden administration to impose sanctions on the prince, and suspend arms sales.
PEN America settles landmark First Amendment lawsuit with U.S. government, shielding reporters from retaliation
The settlement agreement affirms the basis of PEN America’s challenge on behalf of its journalist Members who were threatened and retaliated against by President Trump.
New EFF report shows cops used Ring cameras to monitor Black Lives Matter protests
The LAPD sent at least one request for Amazon Ring camera video of last summer’s Black-led protests against police violence – raising First Amendment concerns.
Ghada Oueiss on the psychological toll of social media attacks
Targeted Al Jazeera journalist Ghada Oueiss talks to the Committee to Protect Journalists about being hacked, navigating online misogynistic smear campaigns, and living in fear of physical repercussions for her work since the brutal killing of Jamal Khashoggi.
It’s not Section 230 you hate, it’s oligopolies
Section 230 is not a gift to Big Tech, nor is repealing it a panacea for the problems Big Tech is causing – to the contrary repealing it will only exacerbate those problems. The thing you hate is not 230. It’s lack of competition.
Members of US Congress speak out in support of the Belarusian people
In recognition of the International Day of Solidarity with Belarus, PEN America is sharing statements from members of the US Congress reminding the world that the struggle for free expression and democracy in Belarus has not been forgotten.
The old media and the new must work together to preserve free speech values
‘I urge us all to stay steadfast to our traditional distaste for government regulation of journalistic practice. Good journalism is certainly an ideal. It is an admirable quality to urge any media outlet to adopt and follow,” EFF Civil Liberties Director David Greene.
Why EFF doesn’t support bans on private use of face recognition
Instead of a prohibition on private use, EFF supports strict laws to ensure that each of us is empowered to choose if and by whom our faceprints may be collected.
Reckoning and reconciliation after the Trump era
This episode of the PEN Pod segment “Tough Questions” addresses the activism we’ve all had to take up over the past four years, the priority issues the Biden-Harris administration should aim to resolve, and the importance of looking back at the Trump era in order to resolve the trauma we experienced from it.