OPP Officer in Ontario pays visit to personal residence after noting she commented on anti mandate protest. Admits to monitoring online activity. pic.twitter.com/NG2SZwgGX9
— Unacceptable Rowan (@canmericanized) February 11, 2022
Gulp.
Poor Bodge.
He’s in the basement.
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin this afternoon
This afternoon.
Government Buildings, Dublin 2.
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin has launched the the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill paving the way for a new watchdog to ‘regulate online services and to reduce the availability of harmful content’.
Vias Gov.ie:
The Bill will establish a new regulator, a multi-person Media Commission which will include the Online Safety Commissioner. This new body will be responsible for overseeing updated regulations for broadcasting and video on-demand services and the new regulatory framework for online safety created by the Bill.
The Media Commission will also have roles in relation to the protection of children, research, education, media literacy, journalistic and creative supports. In carrying out these roles the Commission will support and promote an open, trusted and pluralistic media and online environment….
Hmm.
Meanwhile…
Online Safety Commissioner?
It will be the role of the to oversee the regulatory framework for online safety. As part of the framework, the Commissioner will devise binding online safety codes that will set out how regulated online services, including certain social media services, are expected to deal with certain defined categories of harmful online content on their platforms. The defined categories of harmful online content include criminal material, serious cyber-bullying material and material promoting self-harm, suicide and eating disorders.
The Online Safety Commissioner will have a range of powers to ensure compliance, including the power to require the provision of information and to appoint authorised officers to conduct investigations. In the event of a failure to comply with a relevant online safety code, and subject to court approval, the Media Commission will have the power to sanction non-compliant online services, including through financial sanctions of up to €20m or 10% of turnover.
Media Commission?
The Media Commission will take on the current functions of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and regulate both television and radio broadcasters. The Commission will also be responsible for the regulation of video on-demand services. The regulations that apply to these services will be set out in Media Codes and Rules and will address issues such as programme standards, advertising, sponsorship, product placement, accessibility and other matters.
There will also be a new 30% quota for European Works in the catalogues of video on-demand services. There is already an existing quota of 50% for European Works for transmission time for television broadcasters.
Fight!
Minister Martin presses forward with vital online safety law to establish new regulator (Gov.ie)
Meanwhile…
This is some unexploded ordinance. I think it has buzzed under the radar and has the potential to create serious generational conflict. https://t.co/viAkaJZx46
— Simon McGarr (@Tupp_Ed) January 11, 2022
Yesterday.
Covid response critic ‘Threads Irish’ gets kicked off Twitter.
That’ll learn him.
Free tomorrow?
Yes, but how free?
Via Peaceful Assembly for Truth, Transparency & Free Speech:
We will be projecting the BANNED Iconoclast interview with Melissa Ciummei (which was removed from YouTube after being viewed 450K times in 6 days) onto a building near Facebook/Meta HQ, Dublin 2.
After the screening of the interview, we will take the 10 minute walk to YouTube’s office (located at Google HQ) to deliver a letter outlining our concerns.
Thanks KN
“What is spread on Telegram is disgusting, indecent, and criminal,” claims the new German Justice Minister.pic.twitter.com/4hGR9UdY8x
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) December 14, 2021
Oh,
This morning.
Last week: Jabless? Lonely?
Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, outside Government Buildings today as she published the findings of the hate crime public consultation, which was carried out by the Department of Justice
This morning.
Leinster House, Dublin 2.
Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee launched consultation document Legislating for Hate Speech and Hate Crime in Ireland Report. A new law will cover both incitement to hatred and hate crime
To wit:
‘…The new hate crime offences will be aggravated versions of existing crimes, for example offences against the person, criminal damage or public order offences, where they are carried out because of prejudice against a protected characteristic.
Creating these new offences will mean that a crime can be investigated as a potential hate crime by Gardaí, and evidence of the hate element can be presented in court.
Where the jury finds that the crime was a hate crime based on the evidence, and convicts the person of a hate crime, the enhanced penalty for the new offence will available to the judge at sentencing. Where the jury finds that the hate element is not proven, they will still be able to convict the person of the ordinary form of the offence…’
Minister McEntee said:
“Regarding the fundamental constitutional right of freedom of expression, I want to assure people that this legislation will be proportionate, specific, and clear, with offences capable of being proven beyond reasonable doubt. There will be no confusion as to what constitutes criminal hate speech.”
Hmm.
Legislating for Hate Speech and Hate Crime in Ireland Report
An impressive dystopian short by Chris Cousins which explores the inherent threat of censorship in a world where art, culture and data are stored and controlled digitally.
This Saturday.
Barrow Street, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2
A protest will be held over “the gardai’s inaction” toward what organisers allege as “the ongoing open incitement to hatred taking place on the streets of Dublin”.
Daily protests led by Anti Corruption Ireland founder Gemma O’Doherty, who was de-platformed by Google-owned YouTube, have taken place outside the tech giant’s Dublin HQ.
These protests are now entering their fifth week.
Dublin Says No To Hate regard Anti-Corruption Ireland as ‘anti-immigrant’ (a charge ACI strenuously deny).
They have urged social media companies to censor and de-platform others they consider to be ‘far right’.
The video was removed by YouTube and she was served with a seven-day suspension, which prevented her from uploading new content on her channel, which has more than 26,000 subscribers.
However, [Ms O’Doherty] appeared to circumvent the ban by posting a series of new videos under a second account bearing her name with 14,000 subscribers, which is a violation of YouTube’s rules.
A spokeswoman for Google – which owns YouTube – confirmed that both Ms O’Doherty’s accounts have been removed for “repeat” breaches of its rules.
YouTube terminates Gemma O’Doherty’s account over breach of ‘hate speech’ policies (irish Times)
The Best Banned in the Land – A Forum on Artistic Freedom of Expression.
On Tuesday, April 30, from 11am until 4pm.
At the Projects Arts Centre in Temple Bar, East Sussex Street, Dublin 2.
Irish Council for Civil Liberties writes:
The ordered removal of Maser’s Repeal the 8th mural has brought censorship to the fore once again. Is freedom of artistic expression being limited in Ireland? Are issues such as funding, promotion, social media restrictions and discrimination creating conditions for self-censorship?
Join a host of artists and activists as we remember and examine the role of censorship. Guests include Be Aware Theatre Company, Lian Bell, Donal Fallon, Declan Long, Una Mullally, and more to be announced.
A light lunch will be provided.
More here
