The Democratic National Convention starts today, and that's got the Electronic Frontier Foundation worried about censorship online. The advocacy group says that "bogus copyright claims can be a quick and effective way to censor online activism."
Here's how it has already happened, according to the EFF. A group called "Students for a Free Tibet" posted a protest video on YouTube. The International Olympic Committee demanded that the video be taken down, in part because it was titled "Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony." (After the EFF and other groups protested, the IOC withdrew its complaint.)
The EFF, which is best known for its fight against many forms of copy protection on digital music, says this kind of complaint can be a quick and dirty way to remove content from YouTube and other sites. This morning, it put out a statement that urges Internet companies "to take extra precautions before pulling the plug on political speech." We'll see what happens as the political season swings into high gear.
Update: The EFF's statement is here.
By Michelle Kessler
Photo: EFF
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