(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

The conflict between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia region has extended to Internet, both countries having launched cyber-attacks and blocking each other's broadcasting sites.

Georgian authorities have blocked access to Russian news broadcasters and websites, the action being justified by Georgia's Interior Ministry with the argument that Russian broadcasts would "scare our population" which the government could not allow.

Mamia Sanadiradze, founder and CEO of Caucasus Online, the biggest Georgian ISP, told Reuters: "People from the (Georgian) security agencies asked me to block Russian sites.

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

Public consultation on the Regulation regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (Regulation 1049/2001).
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/511&...
http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/revision/index_en.htm

For Dutch readers - Petition for more flexible contracts for members of the rights collecting society which allow them to choose the conditions under which to release their own music and use CC licenses.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/bumawakeup/

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

Statewatch has made two complaints to the European Ombudsman against the European Commission, one for having failed to keep a proper public record of documents and the other for having failed in 2006 to issue its annual report on access to documents for 2005.

The group considers both cases as maladministration, in breach of Regulation 1049/2001 that sets up the EU bodies public registers of documents. "Open, transparent and accountable decision-making is the essence of any democratic system. Secrecy is its enemy and produces distrust, cynicism and apathy among citizens and closed minds among policy makers. The European Commission must be called to account for its actions or rather its failures

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

On 25 March 2006, several Belarusian web-sites: ucpb.org, svaboda.org, charter97.org, belhelcom.org, belaruspartisan.org, gazetaby.com and livejournal.com providing independent news and information were unavailable from 9.00 till 16.00 within the country borders.

Belarusian authorities have the technical and legal possibility to restrict access because of Beltelecom monopoly. According to article 44 of the national Law On Electronic Communication adopted in 2005: " The national operator of electronic communications is the operator having the duties of the mandatory rendering of the universal electronic communications services on the whole territory of the Republic of Belarus according to the

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

At the end of September 2006, after a reorganisation of the postal codes system (CAP), the Italian Post (Poste Italiane), now a private company, as well as the Italian Ministry of Communications have changed the way in which one could access the postal code online , limiting it to just one entry at a time, without the possibility to access the entire database. A multiple query could be made only by buying proprietary software sold by Poste Italiane.

According to the Italian laws, postal codes, together with telephone numbers, laws and normative acts are public data, but also in the public domain, and therefore should be publicly available without restrictions.

Further more, the postal codes, as public information, are collected

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

The first global Internet Governance Forum (IGF) was organized by United Nations in Athens between 30 October and 2 November 2006.

The forum has shown a strong and large opposition to Internet blocking and filtering, putting under pressure repressive governments such as China. The three sessions devoted to content regulation and control have been dominated by the advocates of anti-censorship and access to knowledge that have criticized the state control of Internet content.

Thus, Amnesty International publicly handed a pledge, called Irrepressible Info. that states: "I believe the Internet should be a force for political freedom, not repression. People have the right to seek and

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

On 16-19 October 2006 UNESCO conducted the first multi-stakeholder consultations on the implementation of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Action Lines C3 (access to information), C7 (e-learning), C9 (media) and C10 (ethics) at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France.

UNESCO is one of the lead facilitating agencies for the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines. In accordance with the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society and the consultation of possible Action Line Moderators/Facilitators of 24 February 2006 in Geneva, UNESCO has for the last months served as an interim focal point for several Action Lines. At the Paris consultations UNESCO was approved as the formal facilitator for

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

Privacy International released on 20 September 2006 a comprehensive review of Freedom of Information (FOI) Laws and practices in nearly 70 countries around the world, including almost 40 countries from Europe

Titled "Freedom of Information Around the World 2006 Global Survey of Access to Government Information Laws", the survey draws attention to the growing movement around the world to adopt FOI laws. In just the past two years, over a dozen countries have adopted new laws and decrees, while dozens more are considering proposals. Important international treaties such as the UN Convention Against Corruption have also gone into force. These laws are being used to fight corruption, make government bodies accountable and