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Bobby Approved (v 3.2)
blank Terms of Service, Other Policies, and
Copyright ©2000-2004
Online Policy Group, Inc.

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Issue: Online Access: Free Speech and Corporate Content Policies

While some corporations guarantee the right to view, publish, and broadcast information on the Internet without any restrictions other than those required by law, many have policies and procedures that block Internet free speech.

Check out the media coverage on examples of corporate blocking of Internet users, as well as the links to organizations and related publications below.

For information on issues related to Internet blocking software and content rating systems, see the online access section.

Media Coverage

*   Voting Machine Showdown
A leading maker of computer election equipment defends itself in court against charges that it overreached itself in trying to stifle critics, Salon (February 10, 2004)

*   Diebold Backs off From Lawsuit
Diebold Systems Inc. agreed in a San Jose federal court not to send any more cease-and-desist letters to Internet service providers (ISPs) that allow leaked e-mail memos from Diebold to be posted online, Silicon Valley Biz Ink (December 5, 2003)

*   Threats Withdrawn Over Publication of Product Flaws
Electronic voting machine maker Diebold agreed this week to withdraw threats from ISPs and web sites over the posting of leaked company e-mails that allegedly revealed product flaws. Two students and an ISP had challenged the US company's actions as "chilling free speech", Out-Law.com (December 3, 2003)

*   Diebold Won't Sue Voting Rights Activists
In a move hailed as a victory for free speech advocates, Diebold Election Systems Inc. said Monday that it won't follow up on its threats to sue those who published information that indicated flaws in the company's electronic voting machines, IDG News Service via IT World (December 3, 2003)

*   Diebold Won't Sue Voting Rights Activists
In a move hailed as a victory for free speech advocates, Diebold Election Systems said Monday that it won't follow up on its threats to sue those who published information that indicated flaws in the company's electronic voting machines, IDG News Service (December 3, 2003)

Recent Coverage

Back to the Access Issue page.

Organizations and Related Publications

*   Kucinich Requests House Judiciary Committee Hearing On Diebold's Abuses Of Digital Millennium Copyright Act
Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH), today, sent a letter to the Chairman and the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee requesting that the Committee hold a hearing to investigate abuses of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) by Diebold Inc., one of the nation’s largest electronic voting machine manufacturers, Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich (November 21, 2003)

*   Court Hearing on Electronic Voting Company's Threats Against Critics
Two student activists and an Internet Service Provider (ISP) will ask a federal district court judge on Monday to stop the ongoing legal harassment of them and others in a case involving disclosure of flaws in electronic voting machines, Online Policy Group (November 14, 2003)
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*   Latest DMCA Takedown Victim: The Election Process
Just as a capsule summary in case you've missed it, over the last several months there has been a rising tide of concern regarding the verifiability of electronic voting machines in general and the security, reliability, and integrity of Diebold's technology in particular, Ed Foster's GripeLog (October 30, 2003)

*   This Modern World: Something Truly Terrifying
Cartoon about electronic voting machines, Tom Tomorrow via Working for Change (October 28, 2003)

*   Swarthmore Crackdown on Protesting Students Reaches New Low
According to the Why War? website, Swarthmore's crackdown on students engaging in Electronic Civil Disobedience has reached a new low, The Importance Of (October 23, 2003)

Recent Publications

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