Solidarity with Kiwi Internetters
Posted by Dave Bath on 2009-02-20
A reminder about solidarity with our kiwi cousins who are facing their own heavy-handed internet clampdown, so are blacking out facebook/myspace/twitter profiles (and their blogs if they can get to stylesheets) by Monday, when new copyright laws come into action.
It’s basically guilt by accusation, having your internet connection pulled, and no due process if someone "reports" you as a file-sharer of something someone doesn’t like – mainly to suit the big media companies.
My facebook profile is blacked out, I’ve joined Creative Freedom Foundation on Facebook, and urge you to do something similar.
The "Blackout" is supported by New Zealand media creators.
Coming to an Australian internet connection near you… probably
clarencegirl said
Went one step further and deactivated my account citing Internet censorship in Australia and New Zealand as reasons.
Only when the big soical media sites think they are losing market share will they come out strongly against this creeping censorship and lack of transparency in the whole process.
Dave Bath said
C@1: I think the kiwis are going for the “look how many black squares/blogs” there are… “in your face” to other users.
It’s actually getting a fair bit of attention in the US (e.g. IP and constitutional lawyer lawrence lessig – lessig.org).
My gut feel is that the monitoring of internet traffic in Oz is being geared (apart from populist appeal from the right-wring Xtia, types) towards the multi-media companies.
Anybody for a blackout? « Balneus said
[...] possible) to protest against some nastiness by their new government about internet connections (see Solidarity With Kiwi Internetters [...]