NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] China: Where the crime of retweeting can land you in jail
China: Where the crime of retweeting can land you in jail http://j.mp/19MgC1k (Sidney Morning Herald) "They asked for his phone, interrogated him, conveyed him to the police station for further questioning and then locked him up in a detention centre. His apparent crime? He was retweeted. This is a novel transgression. Early this month, officials announced new regulations meant to rein in the allegedly rampant rumour-mongering that the government claims disrupts the harmonious development of China's internet. Few in China believe the new rules are much more than the latest and most heavy-handed attempt to check online dissent and reassert government control over how China thinks, talks and tweets about its leaders. The terms stipulate that anyone whose message is retweeted more than 500 times on Chinese microblogs or is seen by more than 5000 online users can be subject to jail for up to three years if the original post turns out to be false. As tools of repression go, this is a powerful one, and Yang's experience - and the public outcry that followed it - highlight its strengths and limitations." - - - --Lauren-- Lauren Weinstein (lauren@vortex.com): http://www.vortex.com/lauren Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org/pfir-info Founder: - Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org - PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com/privacy-info Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com Google+: http://google.com/+LaurenWeinstein Twitter: http://twitter.com/laurenweinstein Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com _______________________________________________ nnsquad mailing list http://lists.nnsquad.org/mailman/listinfo/nnsquad