Internet censorship: not just for dictatorships!

[Superman4ever]

The US has started censoring internet site they don't agree with:

Tuesday, February 19, 2008
U.S. Court Order Shuts Down Wikileaks.org

Incredibly, Wikileaks.org, an organization devoted to exposing corruption, has been muzzled by a U.S. court order (pdf download). Rather than attack a specific finding or document, the court has ordered their DNS registrar to essentially erase the organization's website from the Web. While wikileaks.org is down, their site can be found via IP addess: http://88.80.13.160, which is hosted in Sweden.

The order comes at the request of a Swiss bank, Bank Julius Baer, and its Cayman Islands subsidiary who had been implicated in allegedly laundering money by documents posted on wikileaks.org. A recap of Wikileaks coverage of Bank Julius Baer is mirrored here.

I have had several conversations via email with people at Wikileaks as they worked to get their organization started up. I have been deeply impressed with the quality of their early work, and am genuinely shocked at this shutdown order. The U.S. joins China and Thailand in censoring the wikileaks.org website.

From the beginning, the Wikileaks folks have been expecting this kind of reaction all along, and have put serious thought into how to evade this kind of treatment. I thought they were being conspiratorial. I was wrong. I am confident that this will not slow them or their mission.

http://commons.globalintegrity.org/2008/02/us-court-order-shuts-down-activist-site.html

wikileaks.org isn't operational anymore, but it's international sites are: http://www.wikileaks.be/wiki/Main_Page

Time Magazine calls Wikileaks:

... could become as important a journalistic tool as the Freedom of Information Act.

In a time where corporations have a strangle hold on our government I think a site like wikileaks.org is VERY important. When major news channels pull stories for fear of corporate backlash or are anything but "fair and balanced" it's crucial for us to have a 3rd party out there that can still deliver unbiased journalism that stands for truth.

Noir's thread about comcast threatening to pull his Internet is a good example of a form of corporate bullying that should be illegal because if they start with movies they can easily suppress other acts they deem "illegal".

 

[jaguarr]

Here's another good article about this:

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080219-swiss-bank-wins-injunction-against-wikileaks.html

I have a feeling this one will fold under scrutiny once it gets into court and wikileaks will be back in business in the U.S.

jag

 

[Immortalfire]

SumofGod will not be silenced.

 

[Sandman138]

superman4ever hates America.

 

[Superman4ever]

Here's another good article about this:

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080219-swiss-bank-wins-injunction-against-wikileaks.html

I have a feeling this one will fold under scrutiny once it gets into court and wikileaks will be back in business in the U.S.

jag

I have the same feeling, but we're heading down a very slippery slope that scares me. My parents come from a dictatorship, Iraq, and came to America to get away from that type of government where censorship and an iron fist were dominant tools of suppression.

I dunno it's been bugging me lately...I just hate that our politicians are in lobbiest hands.

I just read Naomi Wolf's End of America book and that didn't help.

 

[jaguarr]

I have the same feeling, but we're heading down a very slippery slope that scares me. My parents come from a dictatorship, Iraq, and came to America to get away from that type of government where censorship and an iron fist were dominant tools of suppression.

I dunno it's been bugging me lately...I just hate that our politicians are in lobbiest hands.

I just read Naomi Wolf's End of America book and that didn't help.

A lot of people are tired of corporations and lobbyists basically dictating policy to our government. Hell, all the Presidential candidates are making a point of saying the are against all that. Reality is that it will take time to get rid of these lobbyist jackasses and start changing things for the better in our government. I'm glad to see the EFF all over this one.

jag

 

[Superman4ever]

Seriously, thank G-d for the EFF and just the internet in general. I just hope it stays free...

 

[jaguarr]

This case just got a whole lot more interesting:

http://www.computerworld.com/action...articleId=9065399&taxonomyId=13&intsrc=kc_top

jag

 

[jaguarr]

Also, the Swiss Bank that started all of this appears to be regretting it, now:

http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_Wikileaks_Case_PR_Disaster_for_Swiss_Bank_14591.html

jag

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

***News Flash***

America is a dictatorship. It's just a more laid back, deceptive one.

 

[jaguarr]

***News Flash***

America is a dictatorship. It's just a more laid back, deceptive one.

Quiet, you, or I'll report you for "processing"!

jag

 

[jaguarr]

Oop. The judge that made the ruling is now stating he may have made an error in judgment:

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/02/is-wikileaks-ju.html

How very innnnnteresting of you, Judge White!

jag

 

[jaguarr]

Getting more and more interesting, now:

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/more-twists-and-turns-in-wikileaks-case/?ref=technology

jag

 

[jaguarr]

Sure enough, the judge reversed his previous ruling:

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssFinancialServicesAndRealEstateNews/idUSN2924014120080229

jag

 

[Revolver_Ocelot]

No, it's for mods too