Interesting People mailing list archives
Re: Nothing like prior constraint. No courts just NetSol!!! Internet company suspends politician's website over Qur'an film
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 06:31:07 -0700
I just can not resist making a comment. Is it to be the case that NSI and ICANN will establish what UNESCO trie to pull off many years ago -- namely give the right of countries and maybe NGOs to censor the news and information that flows through the internet by killing access to sites they deem IMPROPER. If so we are in serious trouble. ________________________________________ From: Steven M. Bellovin [smb () cs columbia edu] Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 7:34 AM To: David Farber Cc: steve () shinkuro com Subject: Re: [IP] Re: Nothing like prior constraint. No courts just NetSol!!! Internet company suspends politician's website over Qur'an film On Mon, 24 Mar 2008 01:50:18 -0700 David Farber <dave () farber net> wrote:
________________________________________ From: Steve Crocker [steve () shinkuro com] Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 1:16 AM To: dcrocker () bbiw net Cc: Steve Crocker; David Farber; ip Subject: Re: [IP] Re: Nothing like prior constraint. No courts just NetSol!!! Internet company suspends politician's website over Qur'an film Speaking personally, not necessarily in any of my capacities inside ICANN, but, of course, with the benefit of having sat on the ICANN Board for the pas few years, my personal my personal opinion is that registries and registrars should publish their rules as a matter of good, clean business practice. Of course, I would expect those published statements will include considerable leeway for judgment.
Network Solutions has published their policies. If you try to visit http://www.fitnathemovie.com, you'll see Network Solutions' notice plus a link to http://www.networksolutions.com/legal/aup.jsp . From a quick scan, though, I don't see much that could be used in this case, except perhaps content that "otherwise violates any applicable local, state, national or international law or regulation". But what is applicable? Anti-hate speech laws in some countries? Which countries? Are they applying US law? Canadian? Chinese? Saudi? North Korean? Perhaps it's "using Network Solutions' services in a manner that interferes with the use or enjoyment of the Network Solutions network or other services by other customers or authorized users." Of course, there's no recourse: "If Network Solutions determines in its sole discretion that your conduct violates the terms of this Acceptable Use Policy, Network Solutions may suspend, restrict, terminate, or take any other appropriate action with regard to your services without any obligation to refund fees paid. Network Solutions reserves the right to take such actions without notice to you." But I'd better hope that farber.net isn't registered with the, because the AUP also bars "Holding of Network Solutions (including its affiliates) or their employees or shareholders up to public scorn, ridicule, or defamation." Yes, the First Amendment (a) applies only to the US, and (b) only constrains government action. Personally, though, I also regard it is a moral obligation on others. --Steve Bellovin, http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~smb ------------------------------------------- Archives: http://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now RSS Feed: http://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
Current thread:
- Re: Nothing like prior constraint. No courts just NetSol!!! Internet company suspends politician's website over Qur'an film David Farber (Mar 23)
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- Re: Nothing like prior constraint. No courts just NetSol!!! Internet company suspends politician's website over Qur'an film David Farber (Mar 23)
- Re: Nothing like prior constraint. No courts just NetSol!!! Internet company suspends politician's website over Qur'an film David Farber (Mar 23)
- Re: Nothing like prior constraint. No courts just NetSol!!! Internet company suspends politician's website over Qur'an film David Farber (Mar 24)
- Re: Nothing like prior constraint. No courts just NetSol!!! Internet company suspends politician's website over Qur'an film David Farber (Mar 24)
- Re: Nothing like prior constraint. No courts just NetSol!!! Internet company suspends politician's website over Qur'an film David Farber (Mar 24)
- Re: Nothing like prior constraint. No courts just NetSol!!! Internet company suspends politician's website over Qur'an film David Farber (Mar 24)