According to Iranian news reports, Iranian intelligence forces have hacked into 29 human rights activism websites which they allege are a front for US espionage and intelligence agencies. The attack follows the finding of an Iranian domestic court that the websites were developed to spy on Iran’s nuclear programme, and for the purpose of ‘provoking sedition and illegal demonstrations and rallies through releasing unreal and unfounded news and reports after the June presidential elections … providing media and news support for the Jundollah terrorist group and the monarchist opposition groups.’ Apparently, the network also distributed American anti-censorship software.

Update: Following the attacks, Iranian security forces arrested dozens of people accused of being involved in the websites’ operation. However, Western media tells a very different story, with The Tech Herald now reporting that those arrested in the operation:

were tortured for their access to the various websites, and as such the sites were taken down by physical violence, and not hacking. They have 30 members of our group held hostage, including the sister of one of our members, who has nothing to do with this matter. Each of the 30 hostages is a human rights activist and nothing more. …

Incredibly, despite widespread public opposition, reasoned technical and policy arguments, and international condemnation by the Electronic Frontiers Foundation and others, the Australian government looks set to proceed with its misguided plan to censor prohibited internet content. In December, the government released details of how the censorship (euphemism of choice: ‘filtering’) scheme will work. It’s not pretty, but there are a couple of consolations tucked away in this announcement:

The Government will introduce legislative amendments to the Broadcasting Services Act to require all ISPs to block RC-rated material hosted on overseas servers.

This is good news for industry (given that there’s to be a filter at all). Because the scheme will be implemented by way of legislative change, ISPs will probably be able to rely on ‘compliance with law’ clauses in customer contracts to restrict their services, and also save face in comparison to a self-regulated industry scheme. This is also good news for democracy: subjecting the bill to proper parliamentary scrutiny is appropriate for a measure of this magnitude (it would arguably be improper — and would probably breach convention — to enact the measure through delegated legislation), making it more likely that the inefficacy and fundamental problems with this policy will be seen and corrected. Of course, given the ALP’s numbers in the Senate and House of Representatives, this may be of purely symbolic value.  Read more »

It seems that the Australian government is finally considering the introduction of a restricted classification (R18+) for computer games. Last week, the Attorney–General’s department released a discussion paper calling for submissions on whether the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995 (Cth) (Act) should be amended to permit the Office of Film and Literature Classification to rate a computer game as ‘restricted’, meaning that it is ‘unsuitable for those under 18’ and ‘may offend some sections of the adult community’.

Currently, the Act requires that any computer game unsuitable for a minor to see must be classified ‘Refused Classification’ (RC), which prevents it from being sold, hired, exhibited, displayed, demonstrated or advertised in Australia. We saw last year that this affected relatively mainstream titles, such as Fallout 3 (which originally encouraged in-game morphine use, and simulated effects of addiction) and Grand Theft Auto IV (which featured prostitution and realistic depictions of violence), ultimately forcing the developers to censor their worldwide release versions.

The current position is bad for numerous reasons. Most importantly, it doesn’t prevent any demonstrable harm to vulnerable persons in our community (notably children):  Read more »

Harry Lewis, professor of computer science at Harvard University, has authored an interesting opinion piece on the current state of internet censorship. Broadly, Lewis identifies three sources of censorhip:

These problems are far from unique. Nor, as might be assumed, are they confined to Muslim, communist or non-democratic states — just look at the ongoing debate concerning state internet censorship in Australia! (The fact that this is even being seriously considered is troubling enough, let alone the prospect that it might actually be implemented.) Lewis presents a cogent summary of the major issues with characteristic eloquence, drawing on numerous examples  Read more »

The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) has reportedly hacked into a Hamas television station as part of an ongoing war of information in Gaza. According to local media reports, the IDF took over the Al-Aqsa television station last weekend, and is using it to broadcast pro-Israeli military propaganda, including:

an animated clip of Hamas’ leadership being gunned down. “Time is running out,” the clip warned, in Arabic.

The day before, AFP reports, a “broadcast on Al-Aqsa television was interrupted with an image of a ringing phone that no one was answering.” ‘Hamas leaders are hiding and they are leaving you on the front line,’” a voice in “Hebrew-accented Arabic” said. Similar messages were sent out on Al-Aqsa radio, as well.

The Al-Asqa station was probably chosen because of its previous association with anti-semitic childrens’ cartoons. The station itself was also targeted and destroyed during aerial strikes last week.  Read more »

A Finnish teacher has won a defamation action against his 15-year-old student, who posted an injurious video on YouTube.  Read more »

The Australian Labor Party last night won an injunction in the Supreme Court of Queensland in Brisbane to shut down a defamatory website that makes claims about Premier Peter Beattie.

Originally by ABC News: Politics, 9:14 PM

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China isn't the only Asian nation quashing internet freedom, according to a new report. The Vietnamese government apparently also mimics the policies of its larger neighbor.

Originally by iTNews Australia - Government/Law, 9:14 PM

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Advocates of a strong Net neutrality policy want a new law that would bar broadband Internet service providers from blocking or limiting users' access to content and services by favoring their affiliated businesses or charging content providers for better service. Advocates who frame this issue as one of discrimination would do better to describe it as a matter of monopoly, say commentators Alfred M. Mamlet and Daniel C.H. Mah.

Originally by Law.com - Tech Law Practice Center, 2:24 PM  Read more »

Billosaur writes "New Scientist is reporting that Baidu, China's largest search engine, is launching its own version of Wikipedia. The site, Baidupedia, differs from the more well-known Wikipedia in that it is self-censoring." From the article: "Unlike Wikipedia, which allows anyone to create and modify entries, Baidupedia is censored by the company to avoid offending the Chinese government. Entries to the encyclopaedia must first pass a filtering system before being added to the site.  Read more »