Illinois Appellate Court Upholds Anonymity of Online Critic of Political Candidate
San Francisco - The Illinois Court of Appeals today overturned a lower court ruling that had ordered the disclosure of the identity of an anonymous online critic of a political candidate, ruling that the First Amendment prevented such "fishing expeditions" undertaken by "those easily offended by online commentary."
The...
This Week in Internet Censorship: SOPA, UAE Bloggers on Hunger Strike, Chilean Sites Attacked
International Community Rallies Against SOPA
This week the House of Representatives opens hearings on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), a bill that EFF--along with a number of prominent organizations and other actors--has opposed loudly and vigorously.
Though the bill would have grave implications on...
Music Publisher Tries to Muzzle Podcast Criticizing Akon
In 2007, conservative blogger Michelle Malkin took on hip hop artist Akon in one of her video podcasts, calling him a "misogynist" and decrying his behavior as "vulgar and degrading." To help argue her point, Malkin incorporated excerpts from Akon's music videos and concert footage into the podcast.
Reacting...
Yahoo Tries to Hide Snoop Service Price List
Obscure but true — phone companies and Internet service providers charge U.S. law enforcement and spy agencies a fee to turn over subscribers' communications and records, pursuant to law. Whistleblower site Cryptome published a leaked a copy of Yahoo's "Compliance Guide for Law Enforcement," the web company's marketing material...
Energy Company Rages Against Activist's Comedic Spoof
Like many other inductees to the Takedown Hall of Shame, Peabody Energy simply can't handle a bit of sharp criticism. Peabody, a member of a university-industry research partnership called the Consortium for Clean Coal Utilization (CCCU), decided to kick off 2010 by attempting to shut down a parody site that...
Broadcast Company Tries to Manipulate Copyright to Avoid Criticism
In late June of 2011, media advocacy group Free Press launched their "Change the Channels" campaign, condemning examples of covert media consolidation around the United States. A week later, broadcast company Newport Television sent over a cease-and-desist letter, alleging that Free Press infringed on its copyrights by showing a...
Internet Community Shut Out of Stop Online Piracy Act Hearing - Again
This morning, EFF’s staff and concerned netizens across the country tuned into the live webcast of the House Judiciary Committee’s hearing on the Stop Online Piracy Act (H.R. 3261). At least we tried to. Unfortunately, we were confronted with an incredibly poor webcast stream for much of the hearing....
Who's Missing From Today's SOPA Hearing? A Short List
The House Judiciary Committee will meet today for a hearing on the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). What could have been an opportunity for the committee to hear from a variety of stakeholders has devolved into a parade of pro-SOPA partisans. Scheduled to testify are representatives from the Register...
American Censorship Day
What's On the Blacklist? Three Sites That SOPA Could Put at Risk
Proponents of the latest disastrous IP bill , the “Stop Online Piracy Act” (SOPA) insist it only targets the “worst of the worst”: so-called “rogue” foreign websites that profit from pirating U.S. intellectual property. But the broad definitions and vague language in the bill could place dangerous tools into...
