« First «...10 20 30...833 834835836 837...840 850 860...»Last »

Twitter censors all links to BitChute – Reclaim The Net

Posted on August 8, 2020 by admin

BitChute, a video hosting platform that is seen as an alternative to YouTubes ever-more stifling moderating and censorship policies, has over the past five months experienced quite a growth.

According to a tweet from the network, its monthly traffic figures doubled in that time from 15 to 30 million visitors.

And while those behind the platform are still allowed to share this information about their business on Twitter as of today anybody essentially engaging in further growing of that user base is now actively sabotaged on Jack Dorseys network.

Double your web browsing speed with today's sponsor. Get Brave.

It appears, another tweet from BitChute said on Friday, that Twitter had started blocking all tweets that contain Bitchute videos.

The message thread further appealed to users to report what the situation looked like on their end, and advised them to counter any attempts at authoritarianism on the web by making sure they bookmark the BitChute website or set it as their browsers homepage.

In response to BitChutes call to users to help out and share their current usage status when it comes to trying to posts tweets with links to the platform, many said Twitter had blocked these, providing only the generic explanation that the content was potentially harmful and that Twitter came to this conclusion either on its own, or thanks to third-party partners i.e., likely one of the notoriously tone-deaf or just plain wrong fact checking contractors.

According to many users from around the world, they are indeed facing obstacles in posting links to BitChute-hosted content both old, and new. Twitter is yet to officially respond to any of this, which might easily be construed as an example of potentially blatant censorship.

At a time when YouTubes censorship is causing many to look for alternatives, not being able to share those alternatives on current social networks could prove to be a problem and could help slow down getting the word out.

And while Twitter itself appears to be in censorship overdrive in recent times, blocking links to entire alternative platforms is a brazen step for the increasingly brazen company.

See more here:

Twitter censors all links to BitChute - Reclaim The Net

Certification and Censorship in OTT platforms – Legal Desire News Network

Posted on August 8, 2020 by admin

An entrepreneur searches for change, responds to the change and exploits opportunities. Innovation is a very specific tool of an entrepreneur hence an effective entrepreneur converts a source into a resource.

-PETER DRUCKER

INTRODUCTION

An OTT or Over The Top media service is a direct streaming service, which basically delivers audio and video streaming content through the internet without subscribing to a traditional satellite services provider. There are three types of OTT Communications, Video content, and Application ecosystem. Two broad categories of OTT services are communication and non-communication. Some of the most popular OTT video streaming video platforms include Hotstar, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Zee5, Voot etc. and audio streaming services include apple music, Spotify etc.

HISTORY AND GROWTH OF OTT IN INDIA

It is known to everyone that the primary source of entertainment in the Indian household was the Television. The entire familys recreation was based on Television and which was restricted to either daily soaps, sports or news. But the scenario has changed to a very large extent and the digital content is growing in the country. In the last few months, there has been a paradigm shift in the OTT market resulting in changes in daily entertainment consumption pattern in India. The popularity of OTT platforms is not only restricted to urban areas but has become very popular in the rural areas as well.

The first dependent Indian OTT platform was Bigflix which was launched in 2008 by Reliance entertainment. In India, significant momentum was gained by OTT when Ditto TV and Sony Liv were launched in the Indian market around 2013. Hotstar, owned by Star India is the most subscribed to OTT platform in India, as of July 2020 with around 300 million active users and over 350 million downloads. The Indian OTT space is populated by many players. In 2018, the OTT was valued at 21.5B. The video OTT revenue in India was 2,019 Cr. in 2017. It is expected to reach 5,955 Cr. by 2022. It is also reported that the Indian OTT market will soon outperform the global OTT market and will probably be ranked among the top 10 by 2022.

The factors that have helped in this growth and success of OTT platforms are pricing of these platforms and internet access to people, even staying in rural and remote areas. These factors have helped a lot in the popularity of the OTT platforms.

Although the negative repercussions going on because of the ongoing lock down amid the corona virus pandemic cannot be ignored but it has been a blessing in disguise for some. OTT platforms have benefited a lot from the current situation going on in India. There has been a surge of 80% in the subscriber bases of OTT platforms amid the lock down.

REGULATIONS APPLICABLE ON OTT PLATFORMS

The rapid growth of OTT services has raised a number of national policy issues relating to regulatory imbalances and security concerns that need to be addressed. The regulatory imbalances need examination at various levels by the government. The OTT operators are adopting voluntary codes of self-regulation with respect to the content shown on their platforms. Code of best practices was signed by some of the famous OTT platforms in the country namely Hotstar, Netflix, ALT Balaji along with other in the year 2019. The major objective of this code is to empower consumers to make informed choices on age appropriate content and also protect the consumers interests in choosing and accessing the content they like as per their own time and convenience.

It is known to everyone that films in the country are required to follow certain certification rules and television programs broadcasters must adhere to the Program and Advertising code, on the other hand the producers of web series, films and other various content released only online or on digital platforms are free from the struggle of censorship or any code, which are subject to provisions of Information Technology Act, 2000 since a very long time. This was confirmed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting when a query was filed under RTI Act, 2005 where it was confirmed that the Central Board of Film Certification has no control over online content but solely certifies movies for theatrical release.

CONTENT BASED REGULATION

According to sections 67A, 67B, and 67C of IT Act provides a penalty and imprisonment for publishing or transmitting obscene material, sexually explicit material or material showing children in sexually explicit acts, in electronic form. The Central Government has the power to issue directions to block public access of any information, if found objectionable as per section 69A of the IT Act. It was also seen in 2015, when the Department of Telecommunications directed intermediaries to disable around 800 websites containing pornographic material, however it was later clarified that only websites having child pornographic content is to be disabled by the intermediaries and not the others. The framework and provisions under the Intermediary Guidelines which were laid by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology to observe the information hosted on any computer of intermediary is also applicable on OTT platforms, which qualifies as intermediaries under the IT Act.

Furthermore, the provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 are also applicable to the OTT platforms. For example, OTT platforms are subject to section 295A of the IPC which criminalizes deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings.

Recently, there also have been suggestions to include online content explicitly within the ambit of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 to prohibit the indecent representation of women in various books, films, advertisements etc.

NEED TO REGULATE OTT PLATFORM

Until present time, it generally appears that online content is unbridled and the creators of the content are exercising their liberties to the fullest. However, it is not correct to conclude that the OTT platforms are free from censorship or absolutely unregulated just because there is no set of rules and guidelines to focus upon the manner of censorship or certification of the online content or certain rules highlighting the dos and donts for the creators of online content.

A Consultation paper was published by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on November 2018 to regulate framework for OTT platforms in the country. The Consultation paper mainly focussed on the analysis of the growth of OTT platforms, to keep a check on the relationship between TSP and OTT players and also to maintain a rigid framework to be followed to regulate OTT platforms. This Consultation paper was considered important because of imbalances between TSP and OTT service providers, especially when the use of OTT platforms took a surge and its popularity increased to a very great extent.

SOCIOLOGICAL FACTORS AFFECTING CONTENT REGULATION ON INTERNET MEDIUMS

The arrival of Web 2.0 has revolutionized India in many ways. The reception of information through the digital medium has expanded manifold in recent years. The Internet is seen as a new liberation force driving ideas, thoughts and content across border and societies. It has led to the emergence of new actors and allowed consumers to be charge of selecting the content they want to receive and view. The internet has revolutionized the means of communication and exchange of information. It has brought to the forefront a new medium of expression.

User-generated content has proliferated across online video portals. Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and OTT services fundamentally changed the broadcasting sector. The Internet has brought about a new wave of content, providing consumers with the freedom to choose the time and space for the reception of the content. Video streaming services create a more engaging environment. But the shift from cable television to OTT services has forced regulators to think about the patterns of regulation that most fit this new form of broadcasting.

OTT services do not have one universally accepted definition. The Internet Telecommunication Union (ITU) defines OTT service as an internet application that may substitute or supplement traditional telecommunication services, from voice calls and text messaging to video and broadcast services. The Indian communications regulator, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), also borrows the same definition as mentioned above.

The Indian government and other regulatory bodies have not tried to adjust policies to the change in technologies. The debate in India about digital content regulation has varied between calls for state censorship and self-regulation. The dilemma that authorities have been faced with is whether to subject the OTT media platforms to broadcast or films policies or to include it in the larger internet regulation frameworks.

RECENT ISSUES AND REGULATIONS ON OTT PLATFORMS

Recently, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal asked the entertainment industry to self regulate their programmes on OTT platforms as they portray India poorly. His statement is significant, the reason being that the governments proposal of an institutional self-regulatory model, just like conventional media, which was rejected by most of the OTT platforms.

The Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry has just recently proposed bringing under its purview the contents being streamed on the several OTT platforms as said by a top official of the ministry. It was said that the regulation regimes have developed a lot but popular platform like OTT is unregulated by such regime and also has no regulations over it. Since the usage of OTT platforms have witnessed a huge increase in their subscription amid the lock-down, therefore it important for them to be regulated under the regimes.

Apart from this, last year, Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, wrote a letter to the Prime Minister stating that the OTT platforms are responsible for the spike in violence and crimes against women and children, therefore the content should be censored. In his letter, he also suggested an amendment to the Cinematography Act of 1952 which does not clearly define public exhibition of films and whether certificate is needed for private browsing.

CONCLUSION

The need of a proper framework of rules and regulations is very important for the OTT platforms at this time, keeping in mind the increasing popularity of these platforms. The display of obscene or sexual explicit material on these platforms might create a bad influence on the young minds, therefore regulation is necessary. With the surge in the subscription base of these platforms, other industry players and stake holders might have a clash with the OTT platforms and thus to keep that in check a proper and effective framework of rules and guidelines should be made for these platforms.

Read the original post:

Certification and Censorship in OTT platforms - Legal Desire News Network

The daily gossip: Cardi B claims YouTube forced her and Megan Thee Stallion to censor ‘WAP,’ Lady Gaga admits to wounding Ariana Grande, and more -…

Posted on August 8, 2020 by admin

On Friday, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion dropped their new track, "WAP," along with an accompanying steamy music video. "WAP," it turns out, is an extremely explicit acronym, and the lyrics on the track are just as R-rated. "The song was so nasty that YouTube was like, 'Hold on, wait a minute, that song might be too goddamn nasty,'" Cardi B explained on Instagram, revealing the duo was forced to censor their music video. The song is getting raves "I mean, just look at the single cover. It literally screams, 'platinum-selling single that your fave could never do,'" wrote Glamour but fans are less sure about Kylie Jenner's surprise cameo in the video. Watch the (censored) video here, and listen to the uncensored track here. [Glamour, PopBuzz]

You might qualify for hazard pay if you work with Lady Gaga! The 34-year-old singer revealed in an Instagram post that she accidentally managed to scratch the eye of Ariana Grande, 27, while the pair were rehearsing their choreography for the music video for "Rain On Me." In the clip, Gaga tells a friend, "Richard, I shanked her with my nail by accident, dancing," while Grande joked, "Lady Gaga scratched my eye. It's an honor. I hope it scars." Gaga, though, wasn't amused. "Which I'm not going to let you do, so stop," Gaga shot back, fetching Neosporin. The pair briefly wrestled while Gaga attempted to apply the ointment. "You have a scratch on your face!" Gaga scolded. "You can't get infected before the video!" [People]

Bachelor Nation has been in a tizzy about former Bachelorette Becca Kufrin seemingly tip-toeing around whether she and Garrett Yrigoyen broke up after he vocally supported the police following the killing of George Floyd. The plot has now thickened: E! News reported Thursday that according to an anonymous source, the couple have officially split because "their lifestyles don't mesh anymore." But Kufrin wasn't standing for the gossip. "Lol, interesting 'source,'" she slammed E! on Instagram. "I mean if nothing else, the least you could do is spell the names correctly and consistently in your article." Still, that's also not a denial? [Cosmopolitan, E! News]

Story continues

TikTok star (and singer) Jason Derulo is not happy about President Trump's plan to shut down the app in 45 days. Derulo told Page Six that losing TikTok would be "a sad day for a lot of people, including myself. I just have a lot of fun on the app, so it would be pretty sad, but I don't think it's going to happen." Derulo, who has 30 million followers and posts everything from pranks to shirtless dancing, added that he isn't worried about TikTok potentially sharing data with the Chinese government: "I think a lot of people tap our phones, so you're damned if you do, you're damned if you don't," he said. [Page Six, BuzzFeed News]

There was drama in the makeup world this week after Alicia Keys announced she's teaming up with E.L.F. cosmetics to release a beauty collection. Keys famously doesn't wear makeup, which ruffled the feathers of popular YouTubers Manny MUA and James Charles. "Does anyone else get slightly irritated when celebs come out with entire makeup lines? Especially when those celebs don't even wear makeup," wrote Manny, while Charles echoed a similar sentiment. Both Manny and Charles subsequently realized that Keys isn't releasing a makeup line but a skincare line and issued apologies to the singer. "It's childish to indirect tweet someone & I am not the gatekeeper of makeup," Charles wrote, agreeing "literally who BETTER to talk about keeping your skin clear without makeup" than Keys. [Dlisted, Cosmopolitan UK]

More stories from theweek.comTrump's latest fundraising attempt is reportedly a Facebook scam against his own supportersBiden campaign reportedly making 'ruthless cuts' to convention speaking listThe case against American truck bloat

The daily gossip: Cardi B claims YouTube forced her and Megan Thee Stallion to censor 'WAP,' Lady Gaga admits to wounding Ariana Grande, and more -...

Five Promising Cryptocurrency… – Coinspeaker

Posted on August 8, 2020 by admin

If you are one of these traders who are looking for crypto exchanges, this article is for you.

The cryptocurrency market is having the best time of the year. Bitcoin keeps going higher, and many smaller-cap altcoins have been doing very well as well. Analysts predict that crypto exchanges and Bitcoin are ready for massive growth, and things start to get real this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Yes, there are not many industries that can grow during the time of the pandemic. When the mainstream economy looks worse as time goes by, the cryptocurrency space has been growing slowly but surely. After crypto big drop back in early March, things started to recover since then. In fact, BTC price has recently been doing better than before the infamous March drop.

Following the Bitcoin price, many altcoins are also enjoying the time of their life. Many crypto traders now start to look for alternative crypto exchanges to get a better deal out of their pockets. We have more Bitcoins coming into crypto exchanges more than coming out of them.

So, if you are one of these traders who are looking for crypto exchanges, you might want to read this article further. Here are the five most promising cryptocurrency exchanges in the world right now.

WhiteBIT is one of the most promising crypto exchanges right now. It offers fiat-to-crypto with Euro (EUR), Ukrainian Hryvnia (UAH), Russian Ruble (RUB), and Turkish Lira (TL) coming soon. It also offers a full-fledged derivatives trading market with 5x leverage (they plan to expand the maximum leverage to 15x in the near future). Its rare to see a crypto exchange that offers a full-fledged derivatives market while still allowing fiat-to-crypto at the same time.

Whats even better is that their crypto withdrawal only takes minutes to process even though they store 95% of all crypto assets in cold wallets. They care about their users security while still honoring withdrawal requests as fast as possible. As of now, WhiteBIT has over 180,000 users, around 35,000 of which are trading actively every day.

Level01 is a P2P exchange that is working on decentralizing the vast derivatives market. The platform allows users to trade in a fair and secure environment using its revolutionary artificial intelligence algorithm known as FairSense.

The algorithm helps users trade like professionals by estimating the actual market value for the contracts they seek to trade and providing them with real-time fair price value for all that are participating in the asset market. The exchange allows for quick trade executions that are settled by smart contracts using a hybrid trading engine that matches trades on cloud serves. Users can trade derivatives and options in Forex, digital currencies, stocks, commodities, and indices on the platform.

Users need a Tradeline within the level01 app, which allows them to add assets from their private wallets into the platform to fund trades. Currently, the app accepts ETH, stablecoins USDT, TUSD, DAI, and its native token LVX. The token is now on offer on Digifinex with a USDT pairing (LVX-USDT), with a BTC pairing coming soon. LVX was added on CoinMarketCap.com last month and has been one of the best performers with an ROI of 68% since publication on CMC.

Nominex is a fast-growing crypto exchange that allows users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies with minimal risk. Registration on the platform is quite simple, and the platform requires no KYC to trade up to 3 BTC. On the exchange, users can buy crypto using credit cards with fast deposits and withdrawals. The platform stores 99% of all funds using multisig cold wallets, and users can set two-factor authentications to secure their accounts.

Also, users have access to advanced order types and can trade 13 coins with 31 pairings. The platform charges low commissions with 0.02% for limitless trading, 0.01% for market makers, and offers discount cards for active traders. There is also an excellent referral program with eight types of bonuses for users. To make trading more fun, the platform features daily contests using demo accounts where winners can be awarded up to 1000 USDT as a prize. The exchange also has a native token NMX that acts as a utility token on the platform.

Another promising exchange is FTX. It offers up to 101x leverage, and it has many creative tokens that are not available elsewhere. FTX was the first exchange that offered 3x BTC BULL, 3x BTC BEAR, 3x ETH BULL, and 3x ETH BEAR tokens which means that your profit or loss could potentially go as high as 3x of normal spot trading. And as you can see from the name, 3x BEAR means that you would make a profit when the price of BTC or ETH goes down. 3x BULL means you would make a profit when the price goes up.

Unlike normal futures markets, you wouldnt have to worry about margin, interests, and all the other confusing terms with these leveraged tokens. Basically, FTX allows you to get exposed to leveraged trading without any technical knowledge. Besides leveraged tokens, FTX also offers standard derivatives platform, index, and even hashrate futures.

Another very promising crypto exchange is Digitex Futures. It is a derivatives platform with a strong user base. The Initial Coin Offering (ICO) of DGTX token was launched in January 2018 to fund the development of Digitex Futures. However, the development itself took more than 2 years to complete. Digitex Futures already has plenty of fans and loyal users, even before they officially launch.

The main strength of Digitex Futures is its zero-fee trading commission policy. Unlike other derivatives platforms where you have to pay hefty fees for every transaction, Digitex Futures does not take any commission from your transaction. If you are a scalper or high-frequency trader, you might want to take a look at it. The exchange itself makes money by selling DGTX tokens from their treasury account.

Andrey Sergeenkov is a digital entrepreneur with more than 10 years of experience. Assisted in raising of 90 mln USD investments for more than 150 crypto projects. He believes that actual usefulness is the best PR for any project.

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Visit link:
Five Promising Cryptocurrency... - Coinspeaker

Supreme Court placed its thumb on Idaho’s side of the scale – Lewiston Morning Tribune

Posted on August 8, 2020 by admin

Appellate court decisions result in winners and losers in any specific case, but the issues involved often are worked through murky gray areas. Consider for example the July 30 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Little v. Reclaim Idaho.

The background is fairly well known in Idaho. The group Reclaim Idaho has been trying to promote an Invest in Idaho tax and schools initiative for the November election ballot. When the pandemic hit and Gov. Brad Littles stay at home order was issued, its petition-gathering which in the normal process has to be done face to face was blocked, which meant a part of Idahos election process also was blocked.

That point, essentially an argument over voting civil rights, went to federal court. Idaho U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ordered that the state either simply place the proposed initiative on the ballot or allow the group to collect the signatures electronically. The state appealed, and the case with startling speed went to the U.S. Supreme Court. On a 4-2 decision, the court sided with the state, ordering a stay of the Winmill decision.

The Supreme Court, as often happens, didnt go to the center of the issue the voters-rights matter and it did not specifically reverse the Winmill decision, though it may have felt that way. But whats there is worth considering.

First, the majority decision (written by Chief Justice John Roberts) pointed out that, oddly enough, different federal courts have established different guidelines for what states can and cant do in initiative procedures (one reason the high court might have granted certiorari permission to bring this case to it). It said: The States depend on clear and administrable guidelines from the courts. Yet the Circuits diverge in fundamental respects when presented with challenges to the sort of state laws at issue here. According to the Sixth and Ninth Circuits, the First Amendment requires scrutiny of the interests of the State whenever a neutral, procedural regulation inhibits a persons ability to place an initiative on the ballot. ... Other Circuits, by contrast, have held that regulations that may make the initiative process more challenging do not implicate the First Amendment so long as the State does not restrict political discussion or petition circulation.

The Supreme Court didnt really land on this turf in its Idaho decision, but the majority did focus on the right of the state more than the right of the initiative proponent: The District Court did not accord sufficient weight to the States discretionary judgments about how to prioritize limited state resources across the election system as a whole.

Thats not an unreasonable point, but it leaves a massive gap in how to review something like this. In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor zeroed in on balancing harms to stay applicant against harms to respondent in other words, balancing the interests of the state and the initiative backers, rather than simply disregarding the interests of the backers. She acknowledged that allowing the electronic signature would be a burden on the state and counties and it would be but she argued it should be considered in context.

Putting a still finer point on it: The stay granted today puts a halt to their signature-collection efforts, meaning that even if respondents ultimately prevail on appeal, it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for them to collect enough qualifying signatures by any reasonable deadline for the November ballot. In other words, the delay occasioned by this Courts stay likely dooms to mootness respondents First Amendment claims before any appellate court has had the chance to consider their merits (and, indeed, before this Court has had the chance to consider any potential petition for certiorari).

So in balancing the rights of a state government against those of its voters, the Supreme Courts majority seems to be putting its thumb on the states side of the scale. That may be worth giving some careful thought when you look, as historically we long have, to the nations highest court as a protector of the rights of the American people.

View original post here:

Supreme Court placed its thumb on Idaho's side of the scale - Lewiston Morning Tribune

Comprehensive Analysis on Endpoint Encryption Software Market based on types and application – The Daily Chronicle

Posted on August 8, 2020 by admin

The Endpoint Encryption Software market study Added by Market Study Report, LLC, provides an in-depth analysis pertaining to potential drivers fueling this industry. The study also encompasses valuable insights about profitability prospects, market size, growth dynamics, and revenue estimation of the business vertical. The study further draws attention to the competitive backdrop of renowned market contenders including their product offerings and business strategies.

The recent report on Endpoint Encryption Software market is an in-depth documentation of various dynamics at play in the industry space. As per the report, Endpoint Encryption Software market is poised to amass substantial revenues while growing with a y-o-y growth rate of XX% over the forecast period.

Request a sample Report of Endpoint Encryption Software Market at:https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/2829607?utm_source=thedailychronicle.in&utm_medium=Ram

Insights pertaining to growth drivers, challenges, restraints, and opportunities prevailing in the industry sphere are detailed in the report, alongside their impact on the overall market size. The report further analyzes the market based on different segmentations and highlights the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic on the industry sphere.

Unveiling the topographical frame of Endpoint Encryption Software market:

Report Objectives:

Ask for Discount on Endpoint Encryption Software Market Report at:https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/2829607?utm_source=thedailychronicle.in&utm_medium=Ram

Other takeaways from Endpoint Encryption Software market report:

TOC of Endpoint Encryption Software Market Report Includes:

For More Details On this Report: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-endpoint-encryption-software-market-2020-by-company-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2025

Excerpt from:
Comprehensive Analysis on Endpoint Encryption Software Market based on types and application - The Daily Chronicle

Exploring the reaches of the First Amendment | News, Sports, Jobs – Williamsport Sun-Gazette

Posted on August 8, 2020 by admin

Should the First Amendment really permit neo-Nazis to come to Williamsport and yell through a bullhorn F*** your n***** mayor? When I heard the words replayed on a Facebook post, I was more livid than if I read it in a magazine or newspaper. I had difficulty sleeping that night to appreciate that psychopaths abusing the First Amendment can be tolerated. Is such conduct speech at all? The devout purpose of the neo-Nazis who came to Williamsport on July 18 was to evoke violence, while carrying their AK-47s, so as to create another Charlottesville situation. We knew they would be armed because it is contained in their e-mails to City Hall revealed as a result of a Right-to-Know request.

Is there any limit to the First Amendment? The neo-Nazis who came to Williamsport were denied a permit and theoretically could have been arrested on the spot. The mayor correctly thought that protection from COVID-19 was more important at this juncture than the right of crazy people to scream unacceptable vulgar epithets at other people.

The neo-Nazis not only created a clear and present danger but violated Pennsylvanias laws on gathering as a militia, something outlawed when the National Guard was created.

All of the legal developments that we are now witnessing presage the question as to how far the First Amendment can go to protect religious and speech rights and whether there are any discernable limits.

The First Amendment has been turned into a sword as well as a shield in modern times. Three recent court opinions, albeit very different in certain respects, demonstrate the vitality that still defines the scope of First Amendment protections. The First Amendment, as most people fully appreciate, generally addresses religion and speech.

Our Lady of Guadalupe School vs. Morrissey-Berru, (July 8, 2020) written by Justice Alito required the court to determine whether the First Amendment permits courts to intervene in employment disputes involving teachers at religious schools who are entrusted with the responsibility of instructing their students in the faith of the school where they work.

The religious education and formation of students is the reason for the existence of most private religious schools. Some private religious schools are just a form of prep school. However, most religious schools select and supervise teachers who are consistent with the religious mission of the institution. Judicial review of the way in which religious schools discharge those responsibilities, wrote the court, would undermine the independence of religious institutions in a way that the First Amendment does not tolerate.

The same day as Our Lady of Guadalupe School, Justice Thomas wrote the opinion in Little Sisters of the Poor vs. Pennsylvania, (July 8, 2020). The question in Little Sisters was whether the government created lawful exceptions from a regulatory requirement implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2020 (ACA), 124 Stat. 119. Certain employers are required to provide contraceptive coverage for their employees through group health plans. Although contraceptive coverage is not required or addressed in the Affordable Care Act provision reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court, the government mandated such coverage by promulgating interim final rules shortly after the ACAs passage. This is known as the contraceptive mandate.

The U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that the Department lacked statutory authority to promulgate these exceptions. The U.S. Supreme Court held this was erroneous. The departments had the authority to provide exceptions from the regulatory contraceptive requirements from employers with religious and conscientious objections. The 3rd Circuit was therefore reversed.

Another important First Amendment religious freedom case is Espinoza vs. Montana Department of Revenue, (June 30, 2020), written by Chief Justice Roberts. The Montana Legislature established a program to provide tuition assistance to parents who send their children to private schools. The program grants a tax credit to anyone who donates to certain organizations that in turn award scholarships to selected students attending such schools. When petitioners sought to use the scholarships at a religious school, the Montana Supreme Court struck down the program. The court relied on the no-aid provision of the state constitution, which prohibits any aid to a school controlled by a church, sect, or denomination. The question was whether the Free Exercise Clause of the U.S. Constitution barred the application of the no-aid provision.

The provision, said the U.S. Supreme, was said to burden not only religious schools but also families whose children attend or hope to attend them. The court noted that it had previously recognized the rights of parents to direct the religious upbringing of their children.

The decision in B.L. vs. Mahanoy Area School District, (June 30, 2020), is a bit more difficult to appreciate. The decision by the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals concerned a woman who did not make her high school varsity cheerleading team. In a weekend away from school, the student posted a picture of herself with the caption F*** Cheer to Snapchat. She was suspended from the junior varsity team for a year and sued her school in federal court. The District Court granted summary judgment in B.L.s favor, ruling that the school had violated her First Amendment rights. The 3rd Circuit Court agrees and affirmed that the suspension represented a violation of the students First Amendment rights.

The 3rd Circuit Court easily found that the snap fell outside the school context. This is not a case in which the relevant speech took place in a school-sponsored forum, Fraser, 478 U.S. at 677. Nor is this a case in which the school owns or operates an online platform. Instead, B.L. created the snap away from campus, over the weekend, and without school resources, and she shared it on a social media platform unaffiliated with the school. While the snap mentioned the school and reached 16 MAHS students and officials, J.S. and Layshock claim that those few points of contact are not enough. B.L.s snap, therefore, took place off campus.

Most citizens would find it difficult to understand how a student could post vulgarities on social media and not pay any consequence for it.

Cliff Rieders is a board-certified trial advocate in Williamsport.

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

Read the original here:

Exploring the reaches of the First Amendment | News, Sports, Jobs - Williamsport Sun-Gazette

Snowden Hit With Discovery Sanction Over Tell-All Book – Law360

Posted on August 7, 2020 by admin

Law360 (August 7, 2020, 10:05 PM EDT) -- Former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden was sanctioned in Virginia federal court on Friday for his deliberate "wholesale refusal to respond to discovery" related to his memoir released in September, which the court said contained classified information.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Theresa Carroll Buchanan's 13-page order in favor of the government came after prosecutors complained that Snowden defied their requests for information, including payments he received for the book, "Permanent Record." He was also asked to cough up notes or outlines prepared in conjunction with his paid speaking engagements and any intelligence-related materials he discussed, used or displayed during the course of...

In the legal profession, information is the key to success. You have to know whats happening with clients, competitors, practice areas, and industries. Law360 provides the intelligence you need to remain an expert and beat the competition.

TRY LAW360 FREE FOR SEVEN DAYS

Visit link:
Snowden Hit With Discovery Sanction Over Tell-All Book - Law360

Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Market Projected To Gain An Revolutionary Growth During 2020-2027 | BTL, BitFury, Bitfinex – The Daily Chronicle

Posted on August 7, 2020 by admin

New Global Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Market Report from AMA Research highlights deep analysis on market characteristics, sizing, estimates and growth by segmentation, regional breakdowns& country along with competitive landscape, players market shares, and strategies that are key in the market. The exploration provides a 360 view and insights, highlighting major outcomes of the industry. These insights help the business decision-makers to formulate better business plans and make informed decisions to improved profitability. In addition, the study helps venture or private players in understanding the companies in more detail to make better informed decisions.

Major Players in This Report Include,

BTL Group Ltd (Canada),BitFury Group Limited (United States),Bitfinex (Hong Kong),Bitstamp Ltd (Luxembourg),Coinbase (United States) ,DigitalX Limited (Australia),Global Arena Holding Inc (United States),IBM Corp (United States),Microsoft Corporation (United States),Ripple (United States)

Free Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts @:https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/19265-global-cryptocurrency-and-blockchain-market

Definition

A cryptocurrency is a digital currency designed to work as a medium of exchange using cryptography to secure the transactions, to control the creation of additional units, and to verify the transfer of currency. Many cryptocurrencies are decentralized systems based on blockchain technology which is a distributed ledger enforced by a distinct network of computers. Further, this network creates the means for transacting, and enables transferring of value and information. Proper security, authentication, ease of transactions these are the factors boosting the market worldwide

Market Drivers

Revolution in Digital Payment Systems Derived from Blockchain Technologies

Increasing Need for Secured and Decentralized Digital Payments

Protection from Fraud, Low Fees and Quick International Transfers

Market Trend

Growing Demand for Safer International Transactions

Restraints

Lack of Awareness among People in Emerging Economies

Lack of Supervisory Control on the Transactions

Opportunities

Higher Adoption for Cryptocurrency from the Countries of Asia Pacific Region Such As China, India and Japan

Global Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Market Report offers a detailed overview of this market and discusses the dominant factors affecting the growth of the market. The impact of Porters five armies on the market over the next few years has been discussed for a long time in this study. We will also forecast global market size and market outlook over the next few years.

Types of Products, Applications and Global Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Market Report Geographical Scope taken as the Main Parameter for Market Analysis. This Research Report Conducts an assessment of the industry chain supporting this market. It also provides accurate information on various aspects of this market, such as production capacity, available production capacity utilization, industrial policies affecting the manufacturing chain and market growth.

Enquire for customization in Report @:https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/enquiry-before-buy/19265-global-cryptocurrency-and-blockchain-market

TheGlobal Cryptocurrency and BlockchainMarket is segmented by:

Study by Type (Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Ripple, Peercoin, Dogecoin, Namecoin), Application (Transaction, Investment, Others), End User (Banking, Non-banking Financial Services, Insurance)

In this research study, the prime factors that are impelling the growth of the Global Cryptocurrency and Blockchain market report have been studied thoroughly in a bid to estimate the overall value and the size of this market by the end of the forecast period. The impact of the driving forces, limitations, challenges, and opportunities has been examined extensively. The key trends that manage the interest of the customers have also been interpreted accurately for the benefit of the readers.

The Cryptocurrency and Blockchain market study is being classified by Type, Applications and major geographies with country level break-up that includes South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America), Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific), Europe (Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Rest of Europe), MEA (Middle East, Africa), North America (United States, Canada, Mexico).

The report concludes with in-depth details on the business operations and financial structure of leading vendors in the Global Cryptocurrency and Blockchain market report, Overview of Key trends in the past and present are in reports that are reported to be beneficial for companies looking for venture businesses in this market. Information about the various marketing channels and well-known distributors in this market was also provided here. This study serves as a rich guide for established players and new players in this market.

Get Reasonable Discount on This Premium Report @https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/request-discount/19265-global-cryptocurrency-and-blockchain-market

Current Scenario Analysis for Decision Framework

Key Strategic Developments in Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Market:

The research includes the key strategic activities such as Research & Development (R&D) initiatives, Merger & Acquisition (M&A) completed, agreements, new launches, collaborations, partnerships & (JV) Joint ventures, and regional growth of the key competitors operating in the market at global and regional scale to overcome current slowdown due to COVID-19.

Key Market Features in Global Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Market

The report highlights Cryptocurrency and Blockchain market features, including revenue size, weighted average regional price, capacity utilization rate, production rate, gross margins, consumption, import & export, demand & supply, cost bench-marking in Cryptocurrency and Blockchain market share and annualized growth rate (Y-o-Y) and Periodic CAGR.

Extracts from Table of Contents

Global Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Market Research Report

Chapter 1 Global Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Market Overview

Chapter 2 Global Economic Impact on Industry

Chapter 3 Global Market Competition by Manufacturers

Chapter 4 Global Revenue (Value, Volume*) by Region

Chapter 5 Global Supplies (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions

Chapter 6 Global Revenue (Value, Volume*), Price* Trend by Type

Chapter 7 Global Market Analysis by Application

.continued

This report also analyses the regulatory framework of the Global Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Market Report to inform stakeholders about the various norms, regulations, this can have an impact. It also collects in-depth information from the detailed primary and secondary research techniques analysed using the most efficient analysis tools. Based on the statistics gained from this systematic study, market research provides estimates for market participants and readers.

About Author:

Advance Market Analytics is Global leaders of Market Research Industry provides the quantified B2B research to Fortune 500 companies on high growth emerging opportunities which will impact more than 80% of worldwide companies revenues.

Our Analyst is tracking high growth study with detailed statistical and in-depth analysis of market trends & dynamics that provide a complete overview of the industry. We follow an extensive research methodology coupled with critical insights related industry factors and market forces to generate the best value for our clients. We Provides reliable primary and secondary data sources, our analysts and consultants derive informative and usable data suited for our clients business needs. The research study enable clients to meet varied market objectives a from global footprint expansion to supply chain optimization and from competitor profiling to M&As.

Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)

AMA Research & Media LLP

Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ

New Jersey USA 08837

Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218

[emailprotected]

Connect with us athttps://www.linkedin.com/company/advance-market-analyticshttps://www.facebook.com/AMA-Research-Media-LLP-344722399585916https://twitter.com/amareport

Deplatforming Works – Vice

Posted on August 7, 2020 by admin

The dust is still settling after Alex Joness InfoWars was more-or-less simultaneously banned by YouTube, Spotify, Apple, and Facebook. The move has spawned thousands of takes about whether deplatforming Jones was the right move or a slippery slope toward more censorship. But just as important to consider: Will it work?

This is called "deplatforming" or "no platform,"social media companies (sans Twitter, which says he hasnt broken its rules) have decided to stop being complicit in spreading Joness conspiracy theories and hate. And weve seen no indication Jones will stop. But will his business remain viable and will his influence wane?

The knee-jerk reaction, among Jones and some parts of the conservative movement, is that banning Jones will only make him stronger. InfoWars noted (correctly) that Google searches for InfoWars skyrocket after tech purge, and added that Silicon Valleys censorship campaign backfires as interest in InfoWars goes through the roof. The Ringer, meanwhile, noted that the paradox of Alex Jones, Infowars, the alt-right, and this whole unfortunate orbit of web-taught, forum-dwelling eugenicists: They are nothing without YouTube, and yet theyre nothing without getting banned, dramatically, from YouTube (or wherever else).

Its true that Silicon Valleys lethargy on the far-right, aided by endless press coverage, helped amplify their message and turned the far right into a real, powerful political force in the United States. And the Streisand Effect is definitely a real thing: Trying to censor somethingeven if that censorship is warrantedis only going to drive interest in it.

But the belief among people who have studied deplatforming is that, in the long term, it does work, though it may have some unintended consequences that have not been fully understood yet.

Weve been running a research project over last year, and when someone relatively famous gets no platformed by Facebook or Twitter or YouTube, there's an initial flashpoint, where some of their audience will move with them Joan Donovan, Data and Societys platform accountability research lead, told me on the phone, but generally the falloff is pretty significant and they dont gain the same amplification power they had prior to the moment they were taken off these bigger platforms.

Theres not a ton of research on this, but the work that has been done so far is promising. A study published by researchers at Georgia Tech last year found that banning the platform's most toxic subreddits resulted in less hate speech elsewhere on the site, and especially from the people who were active on those subreddits.

Early results from Data and Society sent to an academic listserv in 2017 noted that its unclear what the unintended effects of no platforming will be in the near and distant future. Right now, this can be construed as an incredibly positive step that platforms are making in responding to public complaints that their services are being used to spread hate speech and further radicalize individuals. However, there could be other unintended consequences. There has already been pushback on the right about the capacity and ethics of technology companies making these decisions. Weve also seen an exodus towards sites like Gab.ai and away from the more mainstream social media networks.

There are lots of examples of people who have been deplatformed and have seen their power wane. After he lost his Fox News show, Glenn Beck couldnt sustain his influenceThe Blaze reaches only a fraction of the people he used to. Milo Yiannopoulos, the former Breitbart personality, was permanently banned from Twitter for inciting targeted harassment campaigns against actress Leslie Jones, and he resigned from Breitbart over comments he made about pedophilia on a podcast. His general prominence in public discourse has waned ever since.

I think the anecdotes are what makes a difference hereeach individual, when you add them up, you get a net effect. You dont need much data behind it to point out that with Milo, he lost Twitter, and the result was he lost a lot, Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters, which monitors conservative media and is studying deplatforming, told me on the phone. He lost his ability to be influential or at least to project a veneer of influence.

Deepfakes, the AI-assisted technology used to create fake celebrity porn, grew in popularity after Motherboard reported on it. When Reddit, Pornhub, Gfycat, and others banned it, there were brief cries of censorship, and a brief spike in interest. But today, deepfakes are only being made and shared on the margins, in private forums and smaller, 4chan-like image boards.

"Yes, we must take away the kinds of coordinative power theyre able to gain on platforms"

One of the most important things to keep in mind when predicting what may happen to InfoWars is to consider how most people consume media these days. These platforms are so powerful for a reason: the vast majority of Americans use them every single day, and many people use social media as their only source of news. Social media is designed to be habit forming and many thousands of hours of research have been put into making sure these platforms are a daily habit; the question is whether Alex Jones and InfoWars is going to remain a daily habit after the initial Streisand Effect spike.

A lot of Joness programming is impromptu, where hes doing emergency broadcasts drunk in his house at 1 AM, Carusone said. Without YouTubes push notifications or algorithms, theres no way anyone would be watching that.

Of course, getting banned from his major platforms wont make Jones disappear, just like it hasnt made Milo or Beck completely disappear. As platforms have begun to ban certain types of content, alternative platforms like Gab.ai and Voat have popped up, where more-or-less anything goes. These platforms, too, were hyped as potentially powerful alternatives to the big social media players, but are largely struggling and arguably no more relevant than standard message boards that have been used by the far-right to organize for decades.

Nonetheless, the concern among academics is that, as hate moves to the darker corners of the internet, that some of their old followers may move with them and become further radicalized.

The good that comes with deplatforming is, their main goal was to redpill or get people within mainstream communities more in line with their beliefs, so we need to get them off those platforms, Robyn Caplan, a PhD student at Rutgers University and Data and Society affiliate, told me on the phone. But now weve put them down into their holes where they were before, and they could strengthen their beliefs and become more extreme.

The question is whether its more harmful to society to have many millions of people exposed to kinda hateful content or to have a much smaller number of ultra-radicalized true believers.

Donovan believes that, ultimately, its important to deplatform people when their rhetoric is resulting in negative, real-world consequences: The way Jones activates his audiences has implications for people who have already been victimized, she said. We have always had groups of white supremacists, misogynists, and violent insurrectionists joining message boards. But social media has made these tools much more powerful. So yes, we must take away the kinds of coordinative power theyre able to gain on platforms.

"Alex Jones is not the only person being deplatformed or who has been deranked"

There are a couple other things worth mentioning. First, Jones has been deplatformed before, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when he lost his radio shows. Jones was able to build something of a dedicated, organic audience long before YouTube in part by executive producing and distributing the 9/11 conspiracy theory documentary Loose Change. InfoWars was streaming video on its own website before it was streaming on YouTube. He is nothing if not persistent.

Second, the people who will stay on YouTube but wont follow Jones are not suddenly going to be earnestly consuming the New York Times. Jones became popular on social media because he was vitriolic, and because social media algorithms favor vitriolic, high-velocity content.

Not only did Jones threaten and pantomime shooting Robert Mueller, the reason he did is because he said Muellers a demon, Carusone said. If youre already plugged into the demon algorithm on YouTube, theres plenty of other people spewing demon stuff for you there.

Most importantly, we need to remember that Joness banning, and to a lesser extent Milos, only became major national news because it fits into a false narrative that Silicon Valley censors only conservatives, which has been posited by Ted Cruz, Congressman Jim Jordan, and, recently, Donald Trump.

Deplatforming works best when the people being deplatformed dont have any power to begin with. Nor are we talking about people from marginalized communities who have self-censored or left social media because of far right harassment and hate campaigns (and could, in theory, come back with more proactive moderation by large platforms.)

Alex Jones is not the only person being deplatformed or who has been deranked, Caplan said. We need to puncture this myth that its only affecting far-right people. Trans rights activists, Black Lives Matter organizers, LGBTQI people have been demonetized or deranked. The reason were talking about far-right people is that they have coverage on Fox News and representatives in Congress holding hearings. They already have political power.

See more here:

Deplatforming Works - Vice

« First «...10 20 30...833 834835836 837...840 850 860...»Last »