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Council of Europe issues free speech alert over cyber attacks and political pressure
THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE has issued an alert to European countries about the risk to free speech by cyber attacks and political pressure on internet platforms, internet service providers (ISPs), independent media, whistleblowers, human rights defenders and political dissidents.
The Council's Committee of Ministers issued a Declaration expressing concern over pressure being exerted on internet companies and ISPs to tighten controls on internet content, which supports a recent EU Court of Justice ruling that ISP filters are prohibited under European law.
The Council is also worried about the impact of cyber attacks, particularly Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, on advocates of free speech, which it sees as a relatively new way that this right is being violated.
The Declaration asserted the usefulness of social networks, blogs, and other online communities for their role as social watchdogs that have the power to cause positive real-life change. This is likely a reference to the recent uprisings in several countries against oppressive regimes, including Egypt and Libya.
The Council alerted member states about their potential violation of Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights if they exert pressure on ISPs and internet platforms, or participate in cyber attacks against whistleblowers and other new media.
It also highlighted the need to reinforce national policies that uphold the right to freedom of expression, the right to impart and receive information, and the right to freedom of assembly and association, in accordance with European law.
This Declaration comes after a year of political upheaval over many incidents that affected freedom of speech online, such as financial support withdrawn for Wikileaks, several attempts to force ISPs to block access to web sites, and numerous cyber attacks against web sites and email accounts throughout the world, including Wikileaks and political activists. µ
Tags: Security
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How does Dean manages to do that... connecting social media and the Lybian conquest... ow I mean the Libyan "popular uprising"? Even the official presstitude narrative on Libya doesn't include Twitter and Facebook.
It's a pitty The Inquirer doesn't show the author of an article in the list anymore because I try to avoid the articles by Dean Wilson who tends to add too much personal flavor to his articles.
Politicians standing up for freedom of speech? Whatever next. Give them credit, certainly, even if this is startlingly exceptional behaviour.
But also, start getting ready for Judgment Day.
SOPA = US
Council of europe = europe
As for their remark about social media, no I don't think that was about libya but about things like cameron suggesting to close down facebook and twitter
Council of EUROPE, europe, how hard is it to get that?
The biggest threat to free speech in the Western world, SOPA, wasn't even mentioned.