Internet Blocking
Finland: Blocking of domestic websites ruled illegal
1 June, 2011
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Deutsch: Finnland: Sperre heimischer Webseiten rechtswidrig
The Helsinki Administrative Court has ruled that domestic websites may not be placed on the secret blocking blacklist maintained by the police.
This is the latest turn in a long legal fight by Finnish activist Matti Nikki, whose website lapsiporno.info (translates as "childporn.info") was put on the secret blacklist in February 2008 and has remained on the list ever since.
The Finnish blocking blacklist is based on a law passed in 2006 that allows the police to create and maintain a secret list of websites in order to prevent access to child pornography on foreign websites.
UN report examines online censorship
1 June, 2011
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Deutsch: UN-Bericht nimmt Online-Zensur unter die Lupe
The right to seek, receive and impart information, and the right to express oneself freely - rights which enable the exercise of a range of other human rights - are increasingly being limited by impediments in online communications, according to a report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue.
EDRi took part in an expert group that supported the Special Rapportur's preparation of the report, which looks at prevailing tendencies in global online freedoms.
EU and China adopt harmonised approach to censorship
18 May, 2011
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Deutsch: EU und China harmonisieren ihre Zensurmaßnahmen
The European Union and China appear to have agreed to share their preferred approaches to censorship, producing a model that is a perfect mix between current EU and Chinese policies.
On 20 April 2011, at an event in the European Parliament entitled "Creative Industries: Innovation for Growth", the French European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Michel Barnier, announced plans to make focus on Internet providers to enforce intellectual property.
The curious case of Internet filtering in Ireland
4 May, 2011
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Deutsch: Der seltsame Fall der Internetfilterung in Irland
One of the most important developments for freedom of expression online has been the growth of internet filtering systems, which have rapidly been adopted by national governments as the "solution" to various forms of internet wrongdoing.
Don't use "crispy" on the Turkish Internet!
4 May, 2011
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Deutsch: [Sag niemals "knusprig" im türkischen Internet!
The "Virtual Schengen Border" or "Great Firewall of Europe"
4 May, 2011
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Deutsch: Die "Virtuelle Schengen Grenze" oder die "Große Firewa...
During a meeting in February 2011 of the Council of the European Union's Law Enforcement Work Party (LEWP), a forum for cooperation on issues such as counter terrorism, customs and fraud, a disturbing proposal was tabled to create a "Great Firewall of Europe" by blocking "illicit" web material at the borders of the bloc with the intention to "to propose concrete measures towards creating a single secure European cyberspace."
According to the proposal, the secure European cyberspace would have a "virtual Schengen border" and "virtual access points" whereby "the Internet
German Internet blocking law to be withdrawn
6 April, 2011
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Deutsch: Deutsches Netzsperren-Gesetz wird aufgehoben
On 5 April 2011, Germany's governing conservative and liberal parties agreed in a coalition committee meeting that the disputed law on Internet blocking of child abuse material (Zugangserschwerungsgesetz, ZugErschwG, "Access Impediment Act") will be dropped.
The law had been enacted by the previous parliament in June 2009, but it had never been fully implemented after the newly elected coalition decided to only use the law's provisions for take-down, not those for blocking.
Loppsi 2 bill passes the French Constitutional Council test
23 March, 2011
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Deutsch: Loppsi 2 besteht Prüfung im Französischen Verfassungsrat
On 10 March 2011, the French Constitutional Council issued its decision on the LOPPSI 2 law considering 13 of its articles as unconstitutional but ruling that the controversial article 4, allowing the censoring of the Internet under the pretext of fighting child pornography, was not in contradiction with the Constitution.
The court failed to protect freedom of expression by not striking out the infamous article 4 presented in the noble light of the fight against online child pornography: "This decision about article 4 is a great disappointment.
