House Committee Approves Global Online Freedom Act
from the will-it-do-anything? dept
An updated version of a bill that's been floating around for a few years -- the Global Online Freedom Act -- has passed out of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights, and some people think that it might actually get somewhere (I'm still a bit skeptical). The point of the bill is to try to stop US companies from supplying tools of online censorship and oppression to repressive regimes. The version that passed out of committee took out some controversial earlier provisions that had potential criminal penalties for those who failed to report information to the Justice Department. It also included some new safe harbors for companies that join the Global Network Initiative. GNI -- set up, in part, by Techdirt book club participant Rebecca MacKinnon -- is an attempt to get companies and organizations to work together on a set of rules and principles to protect free expression around the globe.While it is a bit disappointing that companies might need a law to avoid providing tools to censor free speech in these regimes, I am still amazed that US politicians can push for bills that seek to increase free speech abroad, while at the same time considering bills that would limit free speech at home. Either way, this bill is still a long way from actually becoming a law (there isn't even a Senate version yet). However, given the very reasonable interest in free speech issues around here, and the fact that the bill has received little coverage, I figured some more folks would be interested to know about it. CDT has raised some concerns about how you determine just what is "censorship" technology, as that's often in the eye of the beholder, but it appears that the backers of the bill actually are responsive on this issue and want to hear from the tech community.
![Hide This Hide this](https://ii.techdirt.com/s/t/i/topclose.png)
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: censorship, congress, free speech, global online freedom act
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
I mean, people should be expelled from the internet for linking to sites! /sarc
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
(well, there goes that bill)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Hence, it is not at all surprising that the encouragement of political speech outside the US is a policy pursuit, as has been repeatedly noted by, for example, the Department of State.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Does that include the US government?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
This is what happens when you don't understand the difference between free speech and freeloading. You make stupid statements like this. Being stopped from streaming Avatar viewed a bit differently than calling for free and open elections. The former is more important to Techdirtbag Nation, the latter more important for those living under oppression.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
No one is stopping Avatar from being streamed.
They are however seizing the belongings of people they disagree with at the border looking for information to help in court cases. They do this using tools meant to stop terrorists, not citizens with dissenting viewpoints.
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120329/11143218297/court-suggests-politically-motiva ted-border-searches-may-be-unconstitutional.shtml
We have "Free Speech" zones, so no politician has to hear the people who were dumb enough to elect them complain.
We have them trying to pass laws restricting our ability to communicate without them listening in.
Hell they tried to pass a law to make it illegal for me to call you a fuckwit.
If your going to shill here, try harder.
Fuckwit.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Carlin#The_Little_David_Years_.281971.E2.80.931977.2 9_.281999.29
Oh, and N.B. strong language, NSFW, all those types of Carlin things... :D ;)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
Apparently this is a trait shared amongst many in governments and corporations, but is most easily recognized in shillmaniacs. It is easy to understand the motivations of the first two, however, it is difficult to comprehend brainwashed rambling.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
Like Americans?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
Those who conflate the two by treating them as full equivalents misunderstand their respective status under the First Amendment.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
Again, it just needs to be pointed out that when those of us against copyright abuse talk about impinging free speech, we're not talking about being able to download avatar. We're talking about the impingement on all legal free speech, including political speech.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Rediculus Internet Acronyms Abound (RIAA)
On
Line
Freedom
Act
or the GOLF Act
Tiger Woods should like that =)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Rediculus Internet Acronyms Abound (RIAA)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
And some people still believe we live in a free country.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
I agree 100%, on a number of levels, from a basic rights level all the way up to a technical one (many tools with noncontroversial uses can also be used for censorship).
However, I also think it's right & proper to shame and shun those who specifically develop and/or market software for the purpose of enabling censorship.
This is an instance where social "law" (mores) should be in full force, not governmental law.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
who decides?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
pathetic
[ link to this | view in chronology ]