Who Decides What Constitutes "Hate Speech?"

I'm watching Graham Linehan and Helen Staniland talking to the Communications and Digital Committee about censorship by Twitter and Facebook on the subject of freedom of expression online. It's worth seeing, so check it out.

Here Comes 2019, Hang On To Your Hats!

2018 was a funny old year. I finally got a bit of a pay rise but my blogging output plummeted to a grand total of 18 posts. Let's take a look at them.

Censorship In Moderation: The Fine Line Platforms Must Walk

Infowars serial liar, conspiracy theorist, and nutty guy Alex Jones is being de-platformed and needless to say, some people are going mad about it, complaining about censorship.

I flippin' well told you this would happen.

Are you easily offended? Jog on. I'm going to be downright offensive. Again.

How The Internet Can Help Or Hinder Hate Speech

I've been called all sorts of names over my stances on freedom of speech and on the issues that are important to me. Basically, I believe in personal freedom. However, this freedom ends where other people's freedoms begin, which is why we're forever debating it. Some new items have come up which help shed light on the complexity of this debate, which I'm going to discuss tonight.

You Can Make A Difference: MEPs Will Debate Copyright Law on 10/10/17. Write To Them.

On 10th October 2017, the JURI (Legal Affairs) committee in the European Parliament will vote on future copyright law. You have the ability to influence their vote on the five issues they will be debating this Tuesday.

Would Censorship Save Us from Hitler 2.0?

One of Brexit's red lines was getting rid of the Human Rights Act — which guarantees personal freedom. With that gone, the Tories would be free to introduce the draconian censorship they believe will save us from the bad guys. It won't. This is why.

Techdirt's Ayyadurai Defamation Suit Dismissed But Shiva Will Appeal

"Inventor of EMAIL" Shiva Ayyadurai's $15M lawsuit against tech blog Techdirt, my go-to source for tech news, has been tossed. This is not merely a vexatious litigant being shown the door, it's about the right to speak as you find whether the subject finds it upsetting or not. Let's take a closer look at the implications of the case.

Dotcom, Copyright, And What Went Wrong

I've been following the Kim Dotcom saga ever since MegaUpload was taken down by the FBI on the orders of the MPAA with little in the way of due process and sod all evidence. The case is winding down because they've got nothing. This is what happened.

Freedom Of Speech: When The Chickens Come Home To Roost

The shocking events that took place in Charlottesville last week have been interpreted in a number of ways. For some, it's a case of the chickens coming home to roost. If we ban hate speech, they reason, it'll go away. If we punch Nazis, they will go away, right? Oh, dear.

If you're easily offended, hit the back button. I won't be pulling my punches.

Can Speech Ever Really Be Free? Five Factors To Consider

Some of my more idealistic fellow bloggers tend to think of free speech being a case of being allowed to say whatever you want, end of, with "counter-speech" on offer as an antidote to hate speech. In an ideal world this would work but in fact it does not. It's complicated. Allow me to explain.

Get Ready To Fight: CETA up for OK, Ratification Within Two Weeks

On Tuesday I wrote in 38 Degrees Manchester's blog about the court case brought by German activists against the provisional application of the FTA on the grounds that it's unconstitutional. Today they lost. What happens now?

Theresa May Is UK PM - Now What?

The cartoon on the left is my abiding image of our new PM Theresa May; an authoritarian intent on violating our privacy for our own good. She wants rid of the Human Rights Act, and either will or won't invoke Article 50, the one that begins the process of getting us out of the EU. Okay, now what?

Orlando: No, We Don't Need MORE Mass Surveillance

Comes yet another gun-related tragedy, comes another slew of conspiracy theories and gun nuttery, the basic premise of which is, "The gubmint set this up as an excuse to take our boomsticks away!" Meanwhile, Our Glorious Leaders are unwilling to let such a golden opportunity go to waste despite the fact that mass surveillance is what allowed gunman Omar Mateen to carry out the attack that killed forty nine people at the Pulse nightclub. Allow me to explain.

Gawker: $140M Judgement Stands; Bankruptcy, Auction To Follow

After some considerable debate about privacy and freedom of the press I've come to the conclusion that whatever way you cut the freedom cake, the one with the knife gets the biggest slice every time. This is because activist litigator Peter Thiel has finally got what he wanted: gossip blog Gawker has been brought to its knees. What does this mean for privacy and freedom of the press?

Privacy, Principles, And The Press

Freedom of the press keeps coming up in the news as the proprietors, journalists, photographers, and editors vie to see how far they can push the boundaries of the speech they create. Tonight I want to talk about how there appears to be different classes of privacy that apply to different people for legal reasons and what that means for freedom of speech.

Where Does Privacy End And Free Speech Begin?

I've been wrestling with the idea of the expectation of privacy for many years. It seems that we civilians have a double standard; privacy for me, but if you're a celebrity, none for thee, particularly if it's juicy. We need to talk about this in the light of the surveillance debate and the risks to freedom of speech if we push too hard in the opposite direction.

How Reputation Affects Legislation

I hate being told what to do by people who don't care about me. It's why I'm anti-authoritarian despite the fact that I'm socially conservative. I firmly believe in the importance of the rule of law but we'll only have that if the law is upheld and the Twofold Principle

The individual must be free to act and the will of the people must be respected.

is at the heart of law-making. When it's not, legislation can actually cause more problems than it solves. I've discovered some examples of this recently.

How Mass Surveillance Trickles Down

Mass surveillance is no longer the talk of the tinfoil hat brigade. It is all-encompassing and all-pervasive. Laws enacted in the wake of the 9/11 atrocity that were intended to prevent terrorism are now being used for a plethora of purposes. Let's take a closer look at the main ones.

The Ripoff Report Shakedown Service: Holding Your Reputation To Ransom

There is nothing I despise more than online bullies who use shady tactics to squeeze vulnerable people. Trolls usually only want to have a laugh at your expense, then move on. But Ripoff Report wants your money. This my experience of how they operate.

Can You Trust Consumer Review Sites Like Pissed Consumer?

Given my recent experiences of consumer review sites you could forgive me, I'm sure, for giving them no more credibility than a public toilet wall. That said, Techdirt has a lot of good things to say about Pissed Consumer that has got me thinking again about their value to the internet and online life in general. Let's take a closer look.