In the news, Twitter is starting to look like they might not support free speech as much these days:

Tweets still must flow
http://blog.twitter.com/2012/01/tweets-still-must-flow.html

I don’t know about you, but it seems kind of squirmy and weaselly. Yes sure, it’s a half loaf in that they don’t have to make a tweet disappear altogether. I ask you – where would that have left the tens of thousands of people protesting the stupidity of super-injuctions here in the UK? I proudly admit to doing my bit to snidely comment on the case of CBT v News Group Newspapers, which I believe is somehow still in force in spite of the fact the entire world knows for sure now. In the future, is Twitter going to bow to pressure to strip out any tweet which mentions something in such a way that it points out the flaws in a country’s legal system? Because that’s the vibe of the future I’m feeling, and I’m not impressed.

Twitter faces censorship backlash
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jan/27/twitter-faces-censorship-backlash

Censorship is an insidious thing, and I really don’t think companies think about the consequences when they spring up to wiggle for government agencies in the name of future profits. This isn’t me being fully cruel, mind; I appreciate that there is a rock and a hard place situation when it comes to pleasing companies and being allowed to exist in this day and age. It just makes me sad to see them roll over and assist in making the West just as bad as China or Russia while trying to claim that it’s in the right. No mate, you’re not, and while it won’t lose you as much business as  you perhaps should… well. To quote – ‘Time for a new internet. This one sucks.‘

And speaking of that:

Acta protests break out as EU states sign up to treaty
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jan/27/acta-protests-eu-states-sign-treaty

Wherever you are in the world, get on your politicians’ asses about this. I’ve got some MEPs to identify and harass, myself. Good thing there are useful sites such as WriteToThem. I’ll still have to think up something original to write, but knowing whom to write to is half the battle sometimes!

So yeah, let’s keep up the pressure for a free Internet, ’cause it’s worth it.

<3

[[radio edit]] And of course, the petition for the slacktivists – https://secure.avaaz.org/en/eu_save_the_internet_spread/