Amnesty: "The Struggle for Freedom of Expression in Cyberspace"
Amnesty event: The Struggle for Freedom of Expression in Cyberspace
Event: Some People Think the Internet is a Bad Thing
6 June 2007 1:30 PM EST
Amnesty and the Observer Newspaper will use the internet to link activists from around the world to discuss the struggle against internet repression and to celebrate the irrepressible desire of people towards freedom of expression. The meeting will include participation from internet gurus, cyber dissidents as well as net activists, writers and journalists. Everyone will be able to participate to the debate online through a webcast on the day.
Event venue: Online at www.amnesty.org.uk/webcast - broadcasted from the Human Rights Action Center in London
Related: Doctorow - See no evil?
There's an inverse correlation between the regulation of speech and the freedom of a society. In the new global world of censorware, we all live on Syria's internet, China's internet, filtered by companies whose first priority is to ensure that Beijing is happy with its work.
I was originally going to title this post "Internet Censorship Conferences Are The New Black", but I decided that was churlish as well as reeking of sour grapes. I have to remind myself not to have my assessments clouded by bitterness. Anything that gets the message of censorware use by repressive governments into the public mind, is good for all censorware critics.
By Seth Finkelstein | posted in censorware | on June 06, 2007 12:57 PM (Infothought permalink)
There's an inverse correlation between the regulation of speech and the freedom of a society.
This strikes me as false, and it also seems to be indicative of the glibness of the "net booster" crowd (I agree with much what is said, but extreme statements like this just undermine the argument).
Is a society freer if a merchant is allowed to communicate the desirability of cigarettes to school children, perhaps with speech that he has paid to have delivered to their classrooms? That's pretty damn free, isn't it?
You could go on on in that vein. But what's the point? The techno-uptopians like Docotorow and Sears are just too exhausting.