Category «Free Speech»

DHS Defends Government Secrecy in “Internet Kill Switch” Case

EPIC – “The Department of Homeland Security has filed a brief in response to EPIC’s petition for rehearing in the “Internet Kill Switch” case. EPIC is seeking the release of the public policy that allows the government to suspend cell phone service. The D.C. Circuit previously ruled that DHS may withhold the policy. EPIC pursued …

Subjects: Courts, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Legal Research

New State of America’s Libraries Report finds shift in role of U.S. libraries

ALA News: “According to The State of America’s Libraries Report released today by the American Library Association (ALA), academic, public and school libraries are experiencing a shift in how they are perceived by their communities and society. No longer just places for books, libraries of all types are viewed as anchors, centers for academic life …

Subjects: Economy, Education, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Internet, Knowledge Management, Libraries

A Deep Dive Into Party Affiliation

Pew Report – “Democrats hold advantages in party identification among blacks, Asians, Hispanics, well-educated adults and Millennials. Republicans have leads among whites – particularly white men, those with less education and evangelical Protestants – as well as members of the Silent Generation. A new analysis of long-term trends in party affiliation among the public provides …

Subjects: Congress, Free Speech, Government Documents, Knowledge Management

Brookings Essay – Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Terrorists

The Big Snoop – The divergent views of four respected experts help frame the debate over the future of the NSA in the Snowden Era – Stuart Taylor, Jr.:  “With the approach of the first anniversary of the most copious and sensational leakage of intelligence secrets in history, the consequences of his actions continue to …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Defense, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Legal Research, Legislation, Privacy

Open Government Guide

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: “The Open Government Guide is a complete compendium of information on every state’s open records and open meetings laws. Each state’s section is arranged according to a standard outline, making it easy to compare laws in various states. If you’re a new user of this guide, be sure …

Subjects: Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

5 ways to keep your data safe right now

Christopher Soghoian is a TED Fellow, and the principal technologist at the American Civil Liberties Union, where he monitors the intersection of federal surveillance and citizen’s rights. Before joining the ACLU, he was the first-ever technologist for the Federal Trade Commission’s Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, where he worked on investigations of Facebook, Twitter, …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, E-Mail, E-Records, Free Speech, ID Theft, Internet, Privacy

Pew – The Internet’s Influence in Emerging, Developing Nations

Internet Usage More Common Among the Young, Well-Educated and English Speakers: “As more people around the world gain access to all the tools of the digital age, the internet will play a greater role in everyday life. And so far, people in emerging and developing nations say that the increasing use of the internet has …

Subjects: Education, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management

2014 General Social Survey includes data on wealth, social identity, civic participation

“Since 1972, the General Social Survey (GSS) has been monitoring societal change and studying the growing complexity of American society. The GSS aims to gather data on contemporary American society in order to monitor and explain trends and constants in attitudes, behaviors, and attributes; to examine the structure and functioning of society in general as …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Climate Change, Economy, Financial System, Free Speech

Amnesty International Annual Report 2014-2015

This has been a devastating year for those seeking to stand up for human rights and for those caught up in the suffering of war zones. By Salil Shetty, Secretary General at Amnesty International “Governments pay lip service to the importance of protecting civilians. And yet the world’s politicians have miserably failed to protect those …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Free Speech, Government Documents, Health Care, Poverty

Human Rights World Report 2015

“World Report 2015 is Human Rights Watch’s 25th annual review of human rights practices around the globe. It summarizes key human rights issues in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide. In his keynote, Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth reflects on a year so tumultuous, “it can seem as if the world is …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Internet

Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index 2015

“The Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index ranks the performance of 180 countries according to a range of criteria that include media pluralism and independence, respect for the safety and freedom of journalists, and the legislative, institutional and infrastructural environment in which the media operate. Top of the list, as so often, are three …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, HIV/AIDS, Internet, Social Media