ORG policy update/2016-w38

This is ORG's Policy Update for the week beginning 19/09/2016.

If you are reading this online, you can also subscribe to the email version.

ORG's work

ORG Birmingham is organising an event on 28 September on effects of the IPBill on press freedom. The event will also launch the Save our Sources petition to protect journalistic sources from state surveillance.

Tom Chiverton from ORG Manchester will be doing a talk on how technology can be used in communities and activism. The event will take place on 11 November in Manchester. You can find out more here.

Parliament

IPBill

The IPBill passed through the Committee stage in the House of Lords and is due to be discussed in the Report stage on 11 October.

The Third Reading of the Bill will follow on 25 October.

The changes made to the Bill in the Committee can be found here.

DEBill

The Digital Economy Bill went through the Second Reading in Parliament last week. The Bill is introduced to regulate access to digital service, digital infrastructure, online pornography, intellectual property, digital government, data sharing, public sector debt and fraud and Ofcom.

Here is ORG's briefing to the House of Commons.

The DEBill will be discussed next in the Public Bill Committee on 11 October. The Committee is now receiving written evidence. The deadline for submission of written evidence is 27 October.

More information on the process of submitting evidence can be found here.

Consultation on the impact of Brexit on creative and digital industries

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee launched a consultation on the impact of Brexit on the creative industries, tourism, and the digital single market.

The Committee is calling for evidence on employment in creative industries, employment in tourism, copyright and the digital single market.

The deadline for written submissions is 28 October 2016.

Other national developments

Lauri Love to be extradited

Judge ruled that Lauri Love, facing 99 years in US prison for allegedly hacking different US agencies, will be extradited from UK. Love's extradition was requested by three jurisdictions: New Jersey, New York, and West Virginia.

Love can appeal against the decision and his case will be now referred to the Home Secretary Amber Rudd. However, the Home Secretary has a limited remit since she can only consider representations regarding the death penalty, specialty, and earlier extradition from another country.

If the appeal to the Home Secretary against the ruling is not successful, Love can apply to the High Court for permission to challenge judge's and Rudd's decision.

Love's defense was built on his case being similar to that of Garry McKinnon. He, like Love, has been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and depression. McKinnon's extradition was eventually stopped by the then-Home Secretary Theresa May.

Judge Nina Tempia ruled that even though there is a risk Lauri Love will commit suicide, she is confident that medical facilities in the US prisons will be made available to him on arrival and during his potential sentence.

Europe

Italian cyber-bullying law

The Italian lawmakers put forward a bill that will supposedly tackle cyber-bullying and revenge porn incidents.

The proposed law will make it mandatory for the “site manager” to censor mockery based on “the personal and social condition” of the victim. Failing to comply with this requirement can result in a fine of €100,000.

The site manager will be liable even if the information is truthful. The law makes personal insult the standard. Due to its drafting and having an insult as the standard, it is impossible for the law to effectively tackle bullying, harassment or revenge porn. The claims that can be brought forward will be subjective and the site managers are likely to face enormous penalties.

The law is also paving the way for censorship. Online hosts receive a myriad of similar complaints already that they cannot individually process. Thus they will have to resort to automatic takedowns that will affect non-mocking material as well.

ORG media coverage

See ORG Press Coverage for full details.

2016-09-15-Daily Telegraph-Senior official says UK exploring national internet filter: Summary: ORG mentioned in relation to GCHQ and the Cyber Security Centre risk tampering with the integrity of the Internet.

2016-09-15-Telecom Paper-ORG criticises EC copyright reform proposals: Summary: Jim Killock quoted on the European Commission ignoring thousands of EU citizens who responded to the consultation regarding Freedom of Panorama.

2016-09-15-Irish Times-Public wifi providers ‘not liable for copyright infringements’: Author: Elaine Edwards; Summary: ORG mentioned in relation to the coalition with the EFF and Mozzilla claiming that open wifi networks aided emergency services and disaster robustness.

2016-09-18-Telecom Paper-UK explores national DNS filtering system: Summary: ORG mentioned in relation to GCHQ and the Cyber Security Centre risk tampering with the integrity of the Internet.

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