WikiLeaks Shutdown Calls Spark Censorship Row (Lieberman to Demand More Info from Amazon)

[Hissyspit]

Source: Guardian UK

WikiLeaks shutdown calls spark censorship row

France joins calls for WikiLeaks to be taken offline as liberal activists raise comparisons with China's Google censorship

Ewen MacAskill and Josh Halliday
guardian.co.uk, Friday 3 December 2010 19.30 GMT

The US opened new fronts in its fight against WikiLeaks today as civil rights groups accused the authorities of censorship.

- snip -

Lieberman is not finished with Amazon, and is planning to write to the organisation within the next 24 hours asking for details of its relationship with WikiLeaks. The issue is fast turning into a row over freedom of speech, as Democratic and Republican politicians joined calls for action against WikiLeaks, including emergency legislation for legal challenge.

Liberal activists saw echoes of the row involving China and Google earlier this year, censorship the Obama administration decried at the time. The US civil rights group Human Rights First wrote to Amazon saying that its decision to cease hosting WikiLeaks raised serious concerns and asked the book group to consider this before responding to Lieberman's request for more information.

Rainey Reitman and Marcia Hofmann, of the Electronic Freedom Foundation, which campaigns for internet freedom, writing on the organisation's site, said it was "unfortunate that Amazon caved in to unofficial government pressure to squelch core political speech. Amazon had an opportunity to stand up for its customer's right to free expression. Instead, Amazon ran away with its tail between its legs".

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/03/wikileaks-us-censorship-row

[EFerrari]

1. Omg. It really is Fascist Friday!

[librechik]

2. Thank you, EFF. Are they still allowed to exist? I await all the screaming tightasses

ready to jump on this thread and scream that they DESERVE to be censored just like Wikileaks.

[hlthe2b]

3. While the GLBT community heralds Lieberman for his DADT stance...

This is why he should be denounced as the cretin that he is. Such a fascist tactic.

[daggahead]

4. Like being in China ... n/t

[Nihil]

5. Lieberman should FOAD.

> Lieberman is not finished with Amazon, and is planning to write to the
> organisation within the next 24 hours asking for details of its relationship
> with WikiLeaks.

I really hope they tell him to piss up a rope as it is NONE of his business.


> The issue is fast turning into a row over freedom of speech, as Democratic
> and Republican politicians joined calls for action against WikiLeaks,
> including emergency legislation for legal challenge.

Talk about a bully mentality ... shine a little light on their mischief and
they gang up on the torch-holder rather than sort out their sordid activities.

:grr:

[bemildred]

6. Oh good, a witch hunt, the one thing Lieberman is really good at. nt

[high density]

7. What?

Are these the same politicians that love shit like infinite copyrights and the DMCA? It seems rather two-faced of them to now have some concern about an ISP's term's of service.

[David__77]

8. Of course it's exactly like China.

EXACTLY. "Subversion of state power." The question is whether or not the activity is worth defending. Well, the US is fighting wars against the people of two countries, overthrowing governments with coups, ringing the planet with military bases... so...