Monthly Archives: November 2012

The Death Of The Orange Lion
After suffering more censorship than 9 and half weeks, finally here it is again... the upgraded version that is expected to create more controversy than before. Never seen new effects included and re-mastered THX audio, more dramatic than Titanic or even the Lucas Films saga.From:Eduardo CifuentesViews:1 0ratingsTime:01:05More inEntertainment

Read the original here:
The Death Of The Orange Lion - Video

China's well-known for its long and illustrious history of censoring the web. But rather than just blocking sites, it's now employing some rather strange techniqueswhich means the online home of a small pet spa in Miami is receiving an insane number of hits every day.

New Scientist has taken a peek inside the sinister world of Chinese web censoring, and it makes for fascinating reading. Richard Fisher explains that, far from simply blocking websites, Chinese authorities are employing all kinds of techniques to prevent their population from seeing the real web.

Often that involves subtle tricks, like giving the appearance of a slow internet connection. But sometimes the country uses DNS poisoning, which employs cheeky redirection to throw up a website that wasn't requested. In particular, a Miami pet spa, known as The Pet Club, is one of the chosen sites. New Scientist explains:

[W]hen people in China try to access torproject.org a tool that prevents online tracking they instead often get the IP address of thepetclubfl.net...

No one knows why the censors picked The Pet Club's website. Until now, Dennis Bost of Universal Merchant Solutions in Hollywood, Florida, who set up the website for the salon owners, had been puzzled by the web traffic he'd been seeing. "I'm amazed at the number of hits they get from China," he says. "They're a grooming salon. No one is popping over from Beijing to have their Shar Pei groomed."

Sounds likes a good idea, if you're a Chinese official hell-bent on censoring the web without generating too much suspicion. Or at least, it used to seem like a good idea: let's hope, for the sake of China's online community, that Gizmodo and New Scientist aren't routed to The Pet Club, too. [New Scientist]

Image by Shutterstock / Andersphoto

Go here to see the original:
How China's Web Censorship Is Driving Traffic to a Miami Pet Spa Website

Index on Censorship opposes recommendations for the statutory underpinning of press regulation

Index urges that there is a serious, considered debate about Lord Justice Levesons recommendations. The free speech organisation opposes the statutory underpinning of press regulation proposed by Lord Justice Leveson.

Kirsty Hughes, Chief Executive of Index on Censorship said:

We consider that the statutory-voluntary approach to independent press regulation would undermine press freedom in the UK. However, we support the proposal for cheap, effective arbitration, which would help victims get swift redress to their complaints.

Index welcomed the response of the Prime Minister to the Inquirys findings. In a statement to parliament, David Cameron said that he had serious concerns about passing legislation in relation to the press, which he rightly said would be an enormous step.

Kirsty Hughes said: We share David Camerons concerns that statutory underpinning would undermine free speech, and could be the start of a slippery slope of government interference in the media.

Indexs response to Lord Justice Levesons main recommendations are:

Statutory underpinning of an independent regulatory body: Statutory underpinning of an independent and voluntary regulator is a contradiction in terms. Any law which sets out the criteria that the press must meet, by definition introduces some government or political control of the media. Politicians of all hues have an interest in getting the most positive media coverage they can. Keeping print media independent of government so journalists can report on political debate and decision-making, robustly and without fear, is fundamental. Even light statutory regulation could easily be revisited, toughened and potentially abused once the principle of no government control of the press is breached.

Arbitration service: Index welcomes Lord Justice Levesons proposal for cheap, effective arbitration.

Read the original here:
Index on Censorship’s response to the Leveson report