Category Archives: Freedom of Speech

By Matthew KnottMarch 9, 2015, 1:25 p.m.

Prominent politicians who support gay marriage have accused public broadcasterSBS of supressing freedom of speech by pulling an anti-same sex marriage advertisement from its telecast of the Sydney Mardi Gras parade.

Liberal senator Dean Smith Photo: Stefan Postles

Liberal senator Dean Smith Photo: Stefan Postles

Liberal senator Dean Smith Photo: Stefan Postles

Prominent politicians who support gay marriage have accused public broadcasterSBS of suppressing freedom of speech by pulling an anti-same sex marriage advertisement from its telecast of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade.

The advertisement by the Australian Marriage Forum claimed that marriage equality forces a child to miss out on a mother or father. It was broadcast on Channels Seven and Nine but was pulled from SBS on Sunday night.

Liberal senator Dean Smith, who is openly gay, said: "I am opposed to the censorship of any of the arguments for or against same-sex marriage.

"Same-sex marriage proponents need to be prepared to meet head-on the arguments of those who disagree with them.

"Obnoxious ads should be aired because they undermine the cause of their sponsors - the obnoxious views will be seen for what they are."

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Mardi Gras: SBS wrong to dump ad opposing same sex marriage, say MPs Dean Smith and David Leyonhjelm

(MENAFN - Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Vital measures should be taken to confront and counter hate speech around the globe, a member of the Kuwaiti delegation to the meeting for the Asian Parliament Assembly's political affairs committee said here Friday.

In his speech to the meeting's session on using media to counter hate speech, MP at the Kuwaiti National Assembly Abdullah Al-Maayouf said that acts of inciting violence against a group of people should not be taken lightly, calling for measures to stop this kind of act.

"There are countries and corporations that sponsor satellite channels dedicated to the spread of hate on the grounds of freedom of speech," affirmed Al-Maayouf.

The Kuwait MP called on the committee to formulate a legislation that condemns hate speech, noting that such act was of paramount importance.

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Confronting hate speech "vital" - Kuwaiti MP at meeting in Ankara

Oversensitive podcast episode 1
Prepare to be outraged! The Oversensitive podcast is a show about outrage culture, political correctness, freedom of speech and over sensitivity. It #39;s funny. You should listen to it. In...

By: indieorout

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Oversensitive podcast episode 1 - Video

Raif Badawi imprisoned - Saudi Arabia targets freedom of speech
Rights groups argue that the case against Badawi is part of a wider crackdown on freedom of speech and dissent in Saudi Arabia since the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. Criticism of clerics is...

By: Conflict Studies

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Raif Badawi imprisoned - Saudi Arabia targets freedom of speech - Video

Freedom of Speech Collides With Due Process
http://IllinoisCaseLaw.com/illinois-reporters-privilege-battles-defendants-due-process What happens when a reporter #39;s freedom of speech collides with a criminal defendant #39;s right to Due Process....

By: IllinoisCaseLaw.com

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Freedom of Speech Collides With Due Process - Video

Is the IT Act 66A being used to suppress freedom of speech?
On News Point, a discussion on how the IT Act 66A is being abused to target citizens to suppress their freedom of speech. Recently a schoolboy was sent to jail for allegedly posting #39;objectionable #39;...

By: NDTV India

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Is the IT Act 66A being used to suppress freedom of speech? - Video

(CYG) Demonstration against Human Rights violations in Chad
On the 8th of March in N #39;Djamena, the capital city of Chad, peaceful demonstrators who were fighting for their right of assembly and freedom of speech, again had to face harsh violations...

By: M.E. I.Y

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(CYG) Demonstration against Human Rights violations in Chad - Video

opinion

Freedom of speech is a fundamental right recognised in our constitution. But that doesn't mean everyone has to allow that speech anywhere you want to make it.

You can stop your drunken uncle from uttering his racist rants at your festive dinner table. Commercial enterprises have the right to limit "speech" on their communication platforms if they feel that content is going to harm them, their customers or their investors.

Internet service providers (ISPs) give us a connection to the public internet. For most of us, who cannot afford to host our own web-servers, they also provide shared web servers or hardware. In exchange, we pay them to provide us with a communication platform so that we can exercise our freedom of speech. This is particularly important for activists and critics who might not otherwise have access to places where their points may be heard.

And that's where things get a bit messy.

Dr. Harris Steinman has published his CamCheck website on Hetzner South Africa's shared website hosting platform since 2009. This website focuses on false and exaggerated medical advertising claims. Since almost all public advertising of normal medicines is heavily regulated (and thus there is little to criticise), much of the CamCheck's attention is on Complementary or Alternative Medicines (CAM), over which there is virtually no regulation.

Steinman has also had significant success with complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The scamsters outed in such a manner are generally not particularly happy about this.

Albe Geldenhuys of USN is one advertiser who has been on the receiving end of a large number of adverse rulings from the ASA. According to the numerous articles about USN products on the Camcheck website, Geldenhuys has no proof of the claims made for his products, and when challenged merely changes the advertising slightly to make other equally evidence-free claims.

Steinman asked a pertinent question in response to years of proven false advertising: "Albe Geldenhuys of USN, a master scam artist?"

Rather than providing a reasoned response and actual proof that the claims in his advertisements are completely above board, Geldenhuys' response has been to issue an ISPA "Take-down" request, demanding that Hetzner take down Camcheck site content of which he does not approve - claiming that it is "unlawful" because it is "defamatory". The content of that take-down request is attached here.

Excerpt from:
South Africa: A Stealthy Attempt At Censorship

According to one NGO, the BFM journalist was entitled to freedom of speech under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.

PETALING JAYA: Several NGOs have come out to voice their support for Aisyah Tajuddin, the BFM 89.9 journalist who received threats of violence, murder and rape after presentng a video by BFM Kupas on PAS pushing for Hudud law in Kelantan.

The Institute of Journalists (IoJ) Malaysia in a press statement condemned the vicious threats which they felt were not only an attack on the press, but also on the freedom of speech in the country.

According to IoJ, the issue of Hudud was one that should be discussed and debated by all Malaysians.

The group added that the Malaysian media should not be forced into silence due to intimidation over an issue that had a direct or indirect effect on society.

The IoJ said this was all the more pertinent if the intimidating parties had abandoned whatever dubious moral grounds their comments were based on, when they threatened Aisyah with rape and murder under the guise of defending religious principles.

The IoJ asked the authorities to investigate the parties behind the threats made to Aisyah, which they said were tantamount to criminal intimidation.

Sisters in Islam assistant manager for legal advocacy and public education, Afiq M Noor revealed that the threats were un-Islamic and amounted to criminal offence under the Penal Code, The Star Online reported.

The Hudud laws in Kelantan can be criticised by anyone because they are man-made laws and not from God.

It can also be reviewed in the courts, he said, adding that Aisyah was entitled to freedom of speech under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.

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Death threats to Aisyah are criminal, says NGOs

Parliament only allowed to place legitimate restrictions on freedom of expression as set out in the Constitution.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) has called on the government to consult with stakeholders, including civil society, on any proposed amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA).

CIJ, in addition, condemns any attempts to further curb the freedom of expression and calls on the government to amend the CMA so that it moves towards international standards on freedom of expression, rather than away from them.

Other laws such as the Penal Code and the Sedition Act have also repeatedly been used to arrest and charge individuals for comments that they have posted online, said CIJ Directors Sonia Randhawa and Jac Kee. It is thus puzzling why the government requires more laws to purportedly improve control over social media.

The CIJ was expressing its grave concerns on the announcement by Communications and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek on the intention to amend the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA) to improve enforcement and governance of social media.

The CMA, noted CIJ, was frequently used to curb freedom of expression on the internet and contains clauses which are unreasonably wide and open to misinterpretation and abuse. Section 233, for instance, makes it an offence to post any content which is obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive in character with the intention to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass another person.

This clause is extremely wide and goes beyond the legitimate restrictions that are allowed to be placed on the freedom of expression by Parliament, as set out in the Constitution, warned CIJ. While posting content that annoys, someone may be rude or undesirable in certain contexts, but it should not constitute an offence punishable with a hefty fine and/or imprisonment.

CIJ has repeatedly called for the clause to be repealed in order to comply with the Constitution and international human rights standards on freedom of expression.

Ahmad Shabery Cheek told Parliament on Thursday that communication laws will be amended to further curb the increasing number of cases involving the abuse of the Internet and social media.

Ahmad Shabery said his ministry would be amending the Communications and Multimedia Act, and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Act, especially provisions related to governance and enforcement.

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CIJ against further curbs on freedom of speech