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When we previously wrote about the talk of banning TikTok which would be blatantly unconstitutional on its own we did not anticipate the scope of the absolutely awful legislation that would soon pick up steam in Congress.

The RESTRICT Act the bill purportedly intended to facilitate a TikTok ban does not stop at TikTok. It gives the executive branch broad discretion, with little to no judicial review, to ban or restrict communications technologies from any country on an open-ended list of foreign adversar[ies]. Its incredible that a single elected official would think the bill could pass Constitutional muster but it appears to have significant bipartisan support.

Journalists routinely use TikTok and other foreign-owned technologies to gather and report news and communicate with sources. Sources from foreign adversaries often possess highly newsworthy information for foreign policy journalists. The ways the government could abuse the RESTRICT Act to stifle investigative reporting and public discourse during times of conflict are truly horrifying to contemplate.

That doesnt mean that somehow exempting journalists would fix the bill far from it. Free speech is not just for journalists. But the bills impact on press freedoms serves to compound its trampling on the First Amendment as a whole.

Broad and unchecked censorship authority

It is well-established that the government is required to show a grave, imminent danger to national security before imposing a prior restraint on speech. But the bill contains no such requirement. It allows the government to issue explanations for its actions but only if it deems doing so practicable and in the interests of national security.

All it requires is a unilateral determination, by non-elected officials, that the technology poses an undue or unacceptable risk. What does that mean? Whatever the government wants. The kinds of risks permitting invocation of the RESTRICT Act include, among other things, steer[ing] policy and regulatory decisions in favor of the strategic objectives of a foreign adversary to the detriment of the national security of the United States. Then the bill tacks on a catch-all for other risks to national security or the safety of United States persons.

The language is broad enough to encompass platforms hosting content that might persuade someone to oppose U.S. policy or even information that just embarrasses officials. The First Amendment entitles Americans to access even false foreign propaganda if they so choose. But the RESTRICT Act would empower the government to ban, restrict and surveil platforms that host true information they would prefer Americans not know about.

No one in their right mind would ever suggest a similar legislative scheme for banning foreign newspapers, broadcasters or mail. But, for whatever reason, politicians seem unable or unwilling to apply analog precedents to digital times.

Had the RESTRICT Act (and the internet) existed during the Nixon administration, does anyone doubt it would have tried to ban foreign platforms hosting opposition to the Vietnam War, just as it sought to enjoin the Pentagon Papers? Could the government invoke the RESTRICT Act to ban Wikileaks? You might assume the government would never declare Iceland (where Wikileaks is based) an adversary. But the bill also allows restrictions on companies that adversaries direct or in which they have an interest. Is it that much of a stretch that the government might claim Wikileaks is directed by Russia?

Draconian penalties for common newsgathering methods

And what if a journalist, or anyone else, attempts to access a restricted platform through commonplace technologies like a VPN? Under the RESTRICT Act, they could spend 20 years in prison or pay up to a million dollars in fines. Thats especially disturbing to Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF), where we often assist foreign journalists concerned about VPN restrictions by repressive regimes.

As FPF Principal Researcher Dr. Martin Shelton put it:

And the bill not only permits imprisonment of VPN users themselves but of people who aid, abet, counsel, command, induce, procure, permit, or approve their conduct (or other prohibited conduct). Publishers and editors beware.

Government: Just trust us

Sure, the bills sponsors, including Sen. Mark Warner, have disclaimed any intention to fine or imprison VPN users. But courts consider the words on the page over legislators intentions. The drafters of the Espionage Act could not have anticipated, let alone intended, that it would be used to charge someone like Julian Assange. Yet here we are.

Our current president insists on prosecuting Assange for routine newsgathering. Our last one wants journalists imprisoned and assaulted. The one before set records for whistleblower prosecutions. And a likely 2024 candidate wants to bankrupt his critics with litigation.

But those behind the RESTRICT Act say we should trust future administrations to use broad powers to silence dissent responsibly. Of course we shouldnt. Especially when even the supposed responsible use of the bill banning a platform used by half of the U.S. based on speculation is already an unprecedented act of mass censorship.

There is far more wrong with the bill than the censorship powers it creates. Its allowance of secret evidence in legal proceedings raises alarming due process concerns. The surveillance it would enable, including by allowing the government to broadly demand that any company it is investigating hand over information, has led some to call it the Patriot Act for the digital age. Its ironic that concerns about Chinese access to American user data ultimately prompted a bill that would grant our own executive branch surveillance authority reminiscent of Chinas.

Yet some still insist the bill can be rescued through revision. It cant. Nothing good can come of it. We say throw the whole thing out and pass serious digital privacy legislation instead.

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UnAmerican RESTRICT Act would enable mass censorship - Freedom of the Press Foundation

Pearls of wisdom and displays of affection were shared widely on Tuesday afternoon when honorees Judy Blume, Natasha Lyonne, Rosie Perez, Kelly Ripa and Michaela Ja Rodriguez took the stage at Varietys Power of Women New York luncheon, presented by Lifetime, at midtown restaurant The Grill.

While all five women touched on the key lessons theyve learned in life and the importance of those who teach them during the luncheon, hosted by Saturday Night Lives Ego Nwodim, it was iconic YA author Blume who made much of her speech a tribute to public educators and librarians who are trying to protect students rights amid increased government scrutiny and censorship in public education.

Ego Nwodim speaks onstage during Varietys Power of Women presented by Lifetime at The Grill in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Variety via Getty Images)Variety via Getty Images

Teachers are under fire, librarians are threatened, said Blume, who was supporting the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) and spoke after an intro from Seth Meyers, host of NBCs Late Night.

Meyers noted that Blumes books have been called dangerous, offensive and corrupt, to the dismay of the crowd. Blume told the audience that the current environment reminds her of the mood in the early 1980s, after Ronald Reagan was elected president.

The desire to censor has a lot to do with fear, Blume said. The threats to art and artists are significant but the danger is also spreading to public servants, she observed.

They are criminalizing teachers and librarians. Its not just that theyre threatening their jobs, theyre threatening them, Blume said. They could go to jail, all because they stand up for the rights of the students they teach. All because they refuse to give in to fear. Ive known librarians who have saved lives by handing the right book to the right child at the right time. And for that one kid, finding themselves in a book can be a lifesaver.

Blume, who also made the point that she was excited to be honored in a group that included two other New Jersey natives (Rodriguez and Ripa), drew the crowds attention to the work of the NCAC. She credited the organization with helping her channel frustration over efforts to ban her works from public school libraries because of her trademark candor about adolescence.

This years Power of Women New York gathering was held on the same day that former President Donald Trump was indicted on charges of falsifying business records a few miles away in a Manhattan courthouse. The timing was the butt of a few jokes from the stage. Im so happy to be here celebrating all of these powerful women, in New York, with Variety. A ladies power luncheon and on the same Tuesday Trump gets indicted, Lyonne said to cheers and laughter in the crowd. This, this right here, its the spice of life.

Honoree Michaela Ja Rodriguez and Sandra Bernhard attend Varietys Power of Women presented by Lifetime. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Variety via Getty Images)Variety via Getty Images

Earlier Rodriguez, who selected the Rainforest Alliance as her cause and was introduced by her friend Sandra Bernhard, spoke about attacks on a marginalized group very near to her heart: the transgender community.

We have those who dare to claim that human rights are not universal to those who live in our country, said the Pose alum, who made history as the first transgender performer to win a Golden Globe award and the first to be nominated for an Emmy in a lead category.

One of the greatest privileges that we can grant ourselves as human beings is the blessing to know who we are innately. This isnt something that comes easy. Being a woman comes with a lot. To some, this gift may never come, Rodriguez said before thanking the women in her life who have lifted her up, her mother and her aunts, who were in attendance. You continually change my life and yall were the only people to give me my strengths of womanhood. No one else can take that away from me.

Just as Blume sounded the alarm on the rising tide of censorship, Rodriguez warned the crowd in no uncertain terms about the threat to LGBTQ communities from anti-gay and anti-trans legislative efforts in Florida and other states. She cited a study that found that some 18% of trans youth have considered suicide. They want to extinguish our light, Rodriguez said. Our lives are at stake.

Noting that many of those who advocate for anti-trans restrictions have never met a trans person, she added, I promise you, I do not bite.

Rosie Perez, supporting Heart 9/11, kicked off the afternoon remarks with a heartfelt retelling of her career hurdles as a Latino actress. She also singled out Spike Lee, who cast her in 1989s Do the Right Thing, as one of the people who helped her push forward in an industry that often overlooks women of color.

Please do not misconstrue my intentions, Perez said at the conclusion of her remarks. All the trials, tribulations, and successes by women who risked their lives and livelihood have changed the world and I wholeheartedly applaud the efforts of the womens movement to move with the timesI just ask folks to consider that we all can do better. The onus to do better is not solely on women. Every single human being on this planet can participate.

Perez finished by citing a bit of meaningful advice that she got from director George C. Wolfe as she waited in the wings to go on stage in a play. Breathe. Then push through your fears and step into your greatness, she recalled.

Ripa, who was introduced by longtime friend Andy Cohen, devoted much of her own speech to gushing about her fellow honorees, thanking Blume for her inspiring written work, and praising Lyonne, Perez, Rodriguez for their recent roles in Poker Face, Your Honor and Loot, respectively. The Live host picked women and children housing foundation Win as her cause.

Support is what all women in every industry could always use more of and will seldom ask for,Ripa said. Offer support to someone who needs it. Encourage others to do the same. Sometimes just being asked is enough.

Ripa got a laugh at the outset by declaring that despite her day job I am not a morning person.

Lyonne, who happened to be celebrating her birthday Tuesday and received on-stage well wishes from her fellow honorees, was feted by her longtime friend, SNL alum Aidy Bryant. Lyonne threw her support behind the Lower Eastside Girls Club. It takes a girls club to change the world, she quipped. Lyonne also got a kick out of noting the connections among with the other honorees, including Rodriguez, who starred with Lyonnes producing partner Maya Rudolph in Loot.

Natasha Lyonne speaks onstage during Varietys Power of Women presented by Lifetime. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Variety via Getty Images)Variety via Getty Images

Its pretty eccentric to see how much we grow up together in this business and how meaningful it is to stick together along that ride, Lyonne said. The Poker Face star noted through examples like making a production company with Rudolph and co-creating Netflixs Russian Doll alongside friend Amy Poehler so theyd have some place to get existential, I have spent a lot of my adulthood creating places for myself to go. Places to learn, to explore and to connect with other women.

Additionally during the ceremony, TLCs Rozonda Chilli Thomas accepted a Legacy Award on behalf of herself and group members Tionne T-Boz Watkins and the late Lisa Left Eye Lopes, whose story will be featured in Lifetimes upcoming documentary TLC Forever.

Chilli speaks onstage during Varietys Power of Women presented by Lifetime. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Variety via Getty Images)Variety via Getty Images

When you are a woman of color, its real hard its a huge struggle, Thomas said. Ill always remember when No Scrubs came out and it was actually our first number oneI always wanted to be on the cover of Rolling Stone magazinewe didnt get the cover. I wont say who [got the cover], its OK because he deserved it too but we also did. The message was the last time we had someone Black on the cover, it didnt really sell well.

Before and after the gathering, honorees and attendees alike were thrilled at the chance to meet the legendary author whose work cuts across racial, ethnic and class lines. Every woman and plenty of men born after 1970, it seems, grew up reading Blume books such as Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret and Tales of a Fourth-Grade Nothing.

I wanted to meet Judy Blume so desperately, Ripa told Variety on the white carpet that led into the event. Her books really spoke to an entire generation of young people, who grew up with parents who didnt tell us a whole lot, Ripa explained. Judy Blume gave us that open dialogue. Shes everything.

Minutes later, Ripas dream came true as she gathered for a group photo with fellow honoree Lyonne and presenter Cohen. While the photographers shouted for the trio to look this way and that, they were joined by a surprise guest Blume. Wow! What an honor, Cohen gasped.

DJ Daisy ODell led music supervision for Varietys Power of Women New York event, with Eventique as the event production company.

(Cynthia Littleton contributed to this report.)

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Censorship, Human Rights and Compassion Take Center Stage at Varietys Power of Women New York: Our Lives Are at Stake - Variety

Faced with ever-widening censorship at home, Hong Kong filmmakers are increasingly taking their creativity to an international audience, showing an uncut version of their city beyond the reach of a security law criminalizing criticism of the authorities.

"Toeing red lines has never been easy, and less so as they become increasingly vague, bordering on nonexistence," according to the organizers of Hong Kong Film Festival U.K., which screened films by a number of directors who have run afoul of the authorities amid a citywide crackdown on dissent in the wake of the 2019 protest movement.

The festival program included a series of five short films "reimagining the city in a dark and dangerous light ... cast in the shadows of the anti-extradition protests and of the pandemic," as well as work by director Kiwi Chow, one of the few directors who still calls Hong Kong home, despite having his film "Revolution of Our Times" banned from public screenings.

Film censorship had already been seen in the city even before the 2019 protest movement erupted in response to its vanishing freedoms, with movie theaters in Hong Kong suddenly dropping the dystopian short-film compilation "10 Years" as early as 2016.

Since the national security law took effect on July 1, 2020, many more creative offerings have fallen victim to political censorship, including a rap track by Hong Kong artist JB cursing the city's police force for its treatment of protesters in 2019, and Chow's film about the protest movement, which was screened instead at Cannes in 2021.

Obstacles and barriers

Chow told festival-goers in London on March 31 that he has faced barriers to funding, as well as to hiring actors and booking locations in Hong Kong since he made Revolution of Our Times, with actors' agencies refusing to do business with him and major film studios closing their doors to his work.

Location bookings were also affected, with venue owners wanting assurances that the finished film "won't violate the national security law," he said, adding that actors are increasingly being asked to sign promises that they won't take work that violates the law, which criminalizes peaceful political opposition and public dissent.

"One actor tried to protest against this, because they wanted to take part in my film, but his previous co-producer knew he was considering my project and threatened him, saying he would cut all of his scenes from a movie they had shot together," Chow told the forum, titled "Hong Kong's Deteriorating Artistic Freedom."

"So he wound up not being in my movie," he said.

Asked if there is any creative freedom left in Hong Kong, Chow replies: "It's already lost, of course," he said. "Will it get worse? It's hard for me to predict, but the loss has definitely already happened."

"It used to be so free, maybe more so than a lot of Western countries, Chow said, but now it has gone back 20 years.

He appears undeterred, however, and his international success continues despite the restrictions back home.

His segment, "Self-Immolation," from "10 Years" (2015) won the Best Film award at the Hong Kong Film Awards, while "Revolution of Our Times" was invited to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Best Documentary award at the 58th Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan.

Chilling effect on creativity

Meanwhile, film music arranger Adrian Chow said musicians and singers have also been targeted for political censorship, with event organizers required to answer a slew of questions and guarantee that no anti-government content would be performed before being granted a temporary entertainment license by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.

Officials wanted to know how organizers would respond if audience members started chanting banned slogans or engaging in "other behavior detrimental to national security," and whether they would cooperate with police if they did, he told the forum.

Such requirements have a chilling effect on creative freedom, Adrian Chow said.

"The government quite openly seeks to influence creative performances and activities, and will make trouble for event organizers, so they will remember not to book politically sensitive performers in future," he said.

"They want to sow fear, so people believe that the government really will take action, and even involve the national security police," Adrian Chow said. "In this way, creative freedom is affected by self-censorship."

Fellow director Lam Sun, who continues to make films about Hong Kong from the U.K., agreed, saying the fear has also recently spread to sports associations, who are being targeted after organizers played out the protest anthem Glory to Hong Kong in error at recent international fixtures, instead of China's national anthem, the March of the Volunteers.

"Hong Kong teachers also have to watch out for potential complaints about their teaching materials," said Lam, whose first solo feature film "The Narrow Road", received the Best Original Film Music at Golden Horse Awards 2022, and the Best Director and Best Actor awards at the 29th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards, along with 10 nominations in the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards.

Everyone in Hong Kong has to consider how to face up to this rule of fear, faced with "vaguely defined red lines," he said.

Kiwi Chow called on Hong Kongs creative workers to be tenacious in holding onto their artistic vitality and inner freedom.

"I personally don't care whether the environment I'm in is free or not," he said. "There is still freedom in the struggles that take place in the inner world of a creative person, so I don't focus on the external loss of freedom, but on myself."

"I think Hong Kong filmmakers have very strong vitality, and if they think their movie won't get past the censors, they will take it overseas," he said. "Creativity is about taking risks."

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.

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Hong Kong filmmakers take their movies overseas in bid to evade censorship at home - Radio Free Asia

Carlton Trail Eagle Creek MP Kelly Block (left) and her constituency manager Susan Redekop (centre) in conversation with a constituent at a coffee shop in Hague on Thursday, April 6

The rising cost of living is taking a big bite out of peoples incomes and savings, according to Conservative Member of Parliament Kelly Block.

Inflation is one of the main issues that people are very concerned about, said Block in an interview on Thursday, April 6 in Hague, one of her stops during a two-week tour of communities in her riding of Carlton Trail Eagle Creek. Theyre worried about not just how theyre going to pay their own bills, but also the federal deficit and debt that continues to accumulate. The other topics raised quite often by voters are the carbon tax; and Bill C-11, the online censorship bill currently before the House of Commons.

Block said Bill C-11 was introduced by the federal Liberal government under the guise of promoting Canadian content, but it actually poses a threat to the free exchange of ideas on the internet. The broadcast regulation bill would grant government bureaucrats the power to filter and regulate what Canadians see in their streaming feeds and on social media.

Censorship is something that people are very concerned about, said Block. They are worried about not having the freedom to choose what they see online or post online. I had the opportunity to speak to that bill in the House of Commons last week for the third time. The Senate has proposed amendments to the legislation, and its been back and forth between the House and the Senate several times so far.

She said the recent increase to the federal carbon tax is fuelling inflation while doing nothing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The carbon tax went up by $15 a tonne, so its now $65 a tonne, said Block. The data shows that the federal government hasnt yet hit the target theyve set for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, so clearly its a strategy thats not working. Its not doing anything to affect climate change.

Block said during her constituency tour, shes talked with employers in several communities who say one of their challenges is finding enough workers to fill vacant job positions. She added that Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has advocated regulatory changes to make it easier for newcomers who come with skills to be able to go through the immigration process quicker.

We know in our office that there are always issues with the temporary foreign worker program, and getting permanent residency, said Block. Its a complex issue that includes ensuring communication skills are part of the equation.

Block said many voters are fed up with Prime Minister Trudeau and want to see a change in government.

Im hearing from a lot of people that they are really anxious for another election, said Block. I remind them that its only been 18 months since the last one. Under the current minority situation, an election could theoretically happen anytime; but with the NDP supporting the Liberals through the Supply and Confidence Agreement, the Liberals could stay in power until 2025.

Block said the constituency tour is a way of connecting with voters on their home turf. In addition to discussions about political issues and answering constituents questions, the informal coffee-shop meetings offer people a chance to get assistance on individual problems. She noted that people may feel intimidated walking into an MPs office, and one of the goals of the tour is to help constituents feel comfortable about approaching elected representatives.

We havent been able to have a tour like this for quite a while, said Block. So its really nice to be able to get out in the communities again and make myself available to people for any questions they may have. More often than not there is someone with an issue that would like to have a little bit of my time and were happy to sit down and talk with them about their issues.

I have great staff in all my offices who do a lot of the case work, said Block. Im made aware of the casework and often I will meet with the individuals and then my staff follows up with a particular issue. They may need to do research or connect with other levels of government because it may be an issue that falls under municipal or provincial government jurisdiction. We try to make those connections too.

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Inflation, carbon tax, censorship bill top concerns for voters, says Block - Clark's Crossing Gazette

In a new scandal for Elon Musks class-leading electric car company, a new revelation has brought yet another legal headache for the high profile tycoon and raises important questions about what can be done to censor internal staff discussions. Although Tesla has been accused of monitoring staff communications, it may well be that the company was looking in the wrong places (or for the wrong materials).

Tesla Inc. has consistently emphasized the importance of privacy for its electric car owners, stating that in-car cameras, designed to assist driving, were engineered with privacy protection in mind.

However, between 2019 and 2022, multiple Tesla employees allegedly shared invasive videos and images captured by customers' car cameras through an internal messaging system, according to interviews with nine former employees conducted by Reuters. Modern Teslas can have up to 8 cameras fitted as standard.

Some recordings showed Tesla customers in compromising situations, such as a man approaching a vehicle completely naked. Other shared footage included car crashes and road-rage incidents. In one instance, a 2021 crash video depicted a Tesla speeding in a residential area and hitting a child on a bike. The video spread quickly within a Tesla office in San Mateo, California, via private one-on-one chats, as reported by a former employee.

Other shared images were more innocuous, featuring pictures of dogs or humorous road signs that employees turned into memes by adding clever captions or commentary before sharing them in private group chats. While some postings were shared exclusively between two employees, others were visible to multiple employees, according to several former staff members.

Tesla's "Customer Privacy Notice" asserts that its "camera recordings remain anonymous and are not linked to you or your vehicle." However, seven former employees informed Reuters that the computer program they used at work could reveal the location of recordings, potentially exposing a Tesla owner's residence.

Amazon has already made headlines over its proposal for an internal messaging system with censorship functions the headlines were mainly because rumors were that the words it would clamp down would include unions or payrise but the latest Tesla incident shows that there may be a very real argument to keep tabs on employee chatter.

In response to the allegations, a class-action lawsuit has already been filed, only one day after the revelations came to light. The lawsuit was submitted in the US District Court in Northern California by Fitzgerald Joseph LLP on behalf of Henry Yeh, a Tesla owner in San Francisco.

The suit alleges that the company violated California's state Constitution, California privacy laws, and Tesla's own privacy policies. It also asserts that Tesla misled customers about data privacy. The lawsuit demands that Tesla be prohibited from continuing this behavior and seeks recovery of both actual and punitive damages. Though the damages sought are not specified, they exceed $5 million.

The lawsuit highlights significant potential costs to Tesla customers related to privacy. To disable the car's cameras, an owner would need to pay a professional, thereby reducing the car's paid-for functionality. A former Tesla employee, as quoted by Insider, revealed that he covered his own car's cameras with tape for a period after realizing the extent of Tesla's access to information.

A study by lawsuit.org found that employers seem to be more sensitive to censorship than their staff - 62% of employees believe it is appropriate for employers to request that they dont discuss active company conflicts or scandals, compared to 56% of employers who share this view. Additionally, 50% of employees feel it is suitable for companies to monitor their staff through company messaging platforms, while only 40% of employers concur with this perspective.

Although Tesla is in the headlines (again), this isnt an exclusively Tesla problem - It has become increasingly difficult to find a car without built-in cameras. As of 2018, US federal law mandates that new cars sold in the country must be equipped with backup cameras.

Typically, these cameras do not record footage or transmit it elsewhere. However, other cameras do, including the increasingly popular dashcams and internal cameras that ride-hail drivers often use for their own safety. Cameras have become highly sought-after features that enhance safety, security, and enable semi-autonomous and self-driving capabilities.

Even Amazon's Ring cameras have introduced a dedicated car model, allowing users to have a Ring camera on their doorstep, in their child's bedroom, and now on their dashboard.

Excerpt from:
Should we censor internal messaging? | HRD America - HRD America