Protest against internet crackdown law

Published on 16 March 2011 at 12:36

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“Internet users on alert: government wants censorship”: Polish daily Rzeczpospolita reports on protests sparked by an amended media law, to be debated by the senate on 16 March. The bill provides for the filtering of public website content and obligatory registration with the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) for internet audiovisual services. According to internet users who have launched a Facebook campaign and are collecting signatures for an eventual motion to contest the bill before the Constitutional Court, this is an attempt at censorship. The conservative daily argues that the newly amended law imposes “absurd bureaucratic obligations” and creates a serious threat to freedom of speech”. If it is adopted in the current form, many amateur artists will cease posting their films and other visual materials on the web. The amended bill may still be changed by the Senate, and ultimately it can be vetoed by the President.” For the sake of economic and creative liberty and for the sake of freedom of expression this new bill has to be stopped”, pleads the Warsaw daily.

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