British journalists slam use of ‘intimidating’ lawsuits

Times of News

5 years ago

More than a dozen senior journalists, media workers and rights campaigners have published an open letter demanding the British government do more to protect the press from so-called strategic litigation against public participation (SLAPP) lawsuits.

“Such legal threats are designed to inhibit ongoing investigations, and prevent legitimate public interest reporting,” said the letter, which was signed by Paul Webster, editor of London-based Sunday newspaper The Observer and PEN International chief Carl MacDougall.

The letter highlighted the case of slain Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and British journalist Carole Cadwalladr, who has been targeted for her coverage of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

“This isn’t about an attack on me, it’s an assault on journalism,” said Cadwalladr in a tweet. “We cannot let millionaires use the courts to bully and harass and suppress critical reporting.”

Read more: In France, media worry about press freedom

‘Threat to media freedom’

Earlier this month, lawyers representing Brexit financier and Leave.EU co-founder Arron Banks filed a legal claim against Cadwalladr in what the letter described as “another example of a wealthy individual appearing to abuse the law in an attempt to silence a journalist.”

“The increasing deployment of what appear to be SLAPP lawsuits in the UK poses a threat to media freedom and public interest advocacy, and demands a robust response,” the letter said. “We believe that new legislation should be considered to prevent the abuse of defamation law to silence public interest investigative reporting.”

Banks has reportedly filed a lawsuit against Netflix ahead of the release of its documentary film The Great Hack, about “how a data company named Cambridge Analytica came to symbolize the dark side of social media in the wake of the 2016 presidential election.”

Read more: ‘We can discuss a lot of things, but freedom of the press is out of the question’

Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies

Free speech or illegal content?

Whether hate speech, propaganda or activism, governments across the globe have upped efforts to curb content deemed illegal from circulating on social networks. From drawn-out court cases to blanket bans, DW examines how some countries try to stop the circulation of illicit content while others attempt to regulate social media.

Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies

Social media law

After a public debate in Germany, a new law on social media came into effect in October. The legislation imposes heavy fines on social media companies, such as Facebook, for failing to take down posts containing hate speech. Facebook and other social media companies have complained about the law, saying that harsh rules might lead to unnecessary censorship.

Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies

Right to be forgotten

In 2014, the European Court of Justice ruled that European citizens had the right to request search engines, such as Google and Bing, remove “inaccurate, inadequate, irrelevant or excessive” search results linked to their name. Although Google has complied with the ruling, it has done so reluctantly, warning that it could make the internet as “free as the world’s least free place.”

Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies

Blanket ban

In May 2017, Ukraine imposed sanctions on Russian social media platforms and web services. The blanket ban affected millions of Ukrainian citizens, many of whom were anxious about their data. The move prompted young Ukrainians to protest on the streets, calling for the government to reinstate access to platforms that included VKontakte (VK), Russia’s largest social network.

Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies

Safe Harbor

In 2015, the European Court of Justice ruled that Safe Harbor, a 15-year-old pact between the US and EU that allowed the transfer of personal data without prior approval, was effectively invalid. Austrian law student Max Schrems launched the legal proceedings against Facebook in response to revelations made by former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, Edward Snowden.

Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies

Regulation

In China, the use of social media is highly regulated by the government. Beijing has effectively blocked access to thousands of websites and platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Instead, China offers its citizens access to local social media platforms, such as Weibo and WeChat, which boast hundreds of millions of monthly users.

Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies

Twitter bans Russia-linked accounts

Many politicians and media outlets blame Russia’s influence for Donald Trump’s election victory in 2016. Moscow reportedly used Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Instagram to shape public opinion on key issues. In October 2017, Twitter suspended over 2,750 accounts due to alleged Russian propaganda. The platform also banned ads from RT (formerly Russia Today) and the Sputnik news agency.

Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies

Facebook announces propaganda-linked tool

With social media under pressure for allowing alleged Russian meddling, Facebook announced a new project to combat such efforts in November 2017. The upcoming page will give users a chance to check if they “liked” or followed an alleged propaganda account on Facebook or Instagram. Meanwhile, Facebook has come under fire for not protecting user data in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Author: Lewis Sanders IV (dj)