Türkiye: Big tech should protect free speech and resist state censorship - Article

Ahead of Türkiye’s municipal elections on 31 March 2024, 22 rights groups and journalists’ organisations jointly call on social media platforms to uphold the free expression rights of their users and resist state censorship. They should also fully disclose all government requests to restrict accounts or content, and be transparent about informal government pressure to restrict content on their platforms.

Trudeau against Facebook: social media, copyright, and information - Article

In protest against the new Canadian law that requires social media to pay news organisations every time a user shares a link, Facebook has blocked access to news portals, earning the condemnation of Prime Minister Trudeau. In Europe, meanwhile, new regulations are on their way on the removal of content, advertising, and disinformation

By Paola Rosà

Originally published by OBCT in ENG and ITA

Republika Srpska, the criminalisation of defamation and the squeeze on media freedom - Article

The parliament of Republika Srpska approved in the first instance a bill to amend the criminal code which reintroduces the crime of defamation. Now sixty days of public debate and then back to the assembly. A dangerous step backwards for freedom of expression 

By Arman Fazlić

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA and BHS

Turkey: international groups call on parliament to reject the “disinformation” bill as a tool of digital censorship - Article

Law designed to expand censorship online and criminalize free flow of information

Slovenia: media freedom at risk - Article

Journalists say that personal attacks both from senior officials and the pro-government press have put a strain on their work. An analysis by Lili Bayer, published by Politico

Rush to pass ‘fake news’ laws during Covid-19 intensifying global media freedom challenges - Legal Resources

17 states passed some form of regulation targeting disinformation during pandemic, handing autocrats new censorship tools. An overview by IPI

IPI's "Digital Censorship: Turkey’s New Social Media Law and Its Implications for Free Media" (Aug 31, 2020) - HTML5 video

The IPI Turkish National Committee hosted the English-language webinar “Digital Censorship: Turkey’s New Social Media Law and Its Implications for Free Media” following the passage of Turkey’s controversial new social media regulations in July which dramatically expands government control over free expression on social media and online platforms

EU must act on Hungary media market distortion - Article

A coalition of 16 press freedom, freedom of expression and journalists‘ organisations have urged EU Competition Commissioner Margarethe Vestager to act on complaints that the Hungarian government has violated EU state aid rules to undermine media pluralism

Albania, the controversial media law - Legal Resources

Concerns persist over the approval of the new package of amendments aimed at modifying two important laws on the Albanian media, the so-called "anti-defamation package"

Information Not Found: The “Right to Be Forgotten” as an Emerging Threat to Media Freedom in the Digital Age - Reports

An overview of legislation patterns and suggestions to solve the dilemma between freedom of information and the right to be forgotten