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The venerable New Yorker is the latest casualty in Facebook's senseless war on boobs. The Facebook page for the New Yorker's cartoon department was temporarily disabled after they posted the cartoon above featuring a topless lady, according to a blog post by New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff.

After the ban, the cartoon was even redrawn by its author, Mick Stevens, to feature a clothed couple, though "the gain in clothes caused too great a loss in humor," Mankoff writes.

Mankoff believes Facebook temporarily axed the New Yorker's cartoon page because the cartoon broke content guidelines that prohibit "naked 'private parts' including female nipple bulges and naked butt cracks." (We obtained and published Facebook's detailed content guidelines earlier this year.) This would make sense. The social network mercilessly hunts down and censors pictures of bare breasts like Iranian computer scientists going after Stuxnet, even when they appear in the innocuous context of breastfeeding.

However, Facebook has voiced acceptance of artistic representations of breasts. Last year an art school got banned for posting a nude sketch. After a public outcry Facebook admitted they made a mistake and said they had an "unwritten policy that allows drawings or sculptures of nudes." So why did The New Yorker's cartoon department get heat for posting a minimalist cartoon featuring breasts? Who knows. Maybe one of the poorly-paid Third World moderators who help police Facebook just didn't get it.

[Cartoon via The New Yorker]

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The New Yorker Got Temporarily Banned From Facebook for Posting Cartoon Boobs [Censorship]

Tunis The internet censorship, more known under the name of "Ammar 404" is henceforth no longer set in Tunisia, asserted Information and Communication Minister Mongi Marzoug denying the social network information on the return of the internet censorship.

In his meeting with the media, the Minister said that the Revolution allowed to put an end to censorship in Tunisia underlining the interim government's commitment to facilitate access to information and promote freedom of expression.

Launching, on September 4, 2012, of the National Forum of Internet governance is "the end Ammar 404", he said.

The Minister said that Tunisia will announce, tomorrow Friday, its membership to joint action for freedom of expression on the Internet "Freedom online", which holds its second session, on September 6-7, 2012 in Nairobi, Kenya.

On the fringes of its participation in this event, Tunisia will apply for hosting the 3rd edition of this conference, said the Minister.

In another connection, Mr. Marzoug presented the programme as well as the main objectives of the 2012 ICT 4 all forum due to be held on September 17-20, 2012 in Hammamet.

This event aims to give a new image of Tunisia as a country leader in the field of ICTs and freedom of expression and boost the country's role in this sector on the Maghrebi, Arab and African levels.

Copyright 2012 Tunis Afrique Presse. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

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Tunisia: Govt Drops Internet Censorship

Home > News Selectmen fear censorship at Saugus TV By Matt Tempesta / The Daily Item

SAUGUS A first draft of the rules and regulations handbook for Saugus Community Television Station has some selectmen concerned about censorship, but Christopher Peatridge, president of the SCTS Board of Directors, said the board is not in the censorship business.

As long as Im here ... nobody will ever be (prevented) from saying their opinion, said Peatridge, as he submitted a draft of the handbook to selectmen Tuesday night. But if somebodys point of view is illegal, amoral or something like that ... I think you people would probably be the first to act.

Selectmen Vice Chairman Steve Castinetti said Wednesday that hes concerned about a section of the handbook that prohibits improper material.

My concern is that any controversial programming, such as weve experienced over the last couple of years, may find opposition from the Board of Directors or the Board of Selectmen, Castinetti said. Im concerned that the evolution of SCTV to SCTS was the direct result of some controversial programming.

Castinetti questioned the subjectivity of inappropriate programming, asking, Just because you dont like what somebody says does it mean they cant say it?

I said last night that I am troubled, and I am, Castinetti added. I dont always agree with the commentary of the people who appear on Saugus cable, but what I do agree with is that they have the right to say it.

Peatridge on Tuesday night said the handbook is just a draft and is in progress, but noted its 90 percent complete.

It will be fine-tuned and we will make sure the final draft is proper, the First Amendment is protected, Peatridge said. That whole paragraph we will fine-tune once the lawyer looks at it.

Peatridge did, however, say that regarding programming, the board doesnt want to see any shenanigans.

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Selectmen fear censorship at Saugus TV

First it was the media, now it is the artists.

Censorship in the birthplace of the so-called Arab Spring - Tunisia- is back.

The government has already been accused of clamping down on reporters. And now, two Tunisian artists have been charged. Their crime: creating sculptures that the authorities say are harmful to public order and good morals.

"What has been happening since Morsi took power is completely different from freedom of speech, something we did not see before. It's on TV, in newspapers, people are insulting the president, telling lies, inciting people, calling for the killing of the president. I don't think this has anything to do with freedom of speech."

- Nader Omran, a representative of Egypt's Freedom and Justice Party

Nadia Jelassi's work is of a veiled woman surrounded by rocks and suggests she is being stoned, while Mohamed Ben Slama's work is of a child with ants streaming from a schoolbag that spelt out "God".

Jelassi, on being questioned by a judge on August 28, said: "I felt like I was in the times of the [Spanish] Inquisition. The investigative judge asked me about my intentions behind my works that were on exhibit and whether I had intended to provoke with this work."

The works of both artists were exhibited in a show in the town of La Marsa last June. The night the exhibition ended, protesters set fire to police stations, courts and other buildings. One person was killed and dozens injured.

Jelassi and Ben Slama face up to five years in prison if convicted.

On Monday, Human Rights Watch called on the Tunisian authorities to drop the charges against the two sculptors for their art works, adding that the "criminal prosecutions of artists for works of art that do not incite violence or discrimination violate the right to freedom of expression".

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Was the revolution lost in Tunisia and Egypt?

A dozen Ukrainian journalists stood up and raised anti-censorship banners when President Viktor Yanukovich yesterday hailed his country's march to media freedom at the World Newspaper Congress in Kiev.

"Ukraine has made its way, without exaggeration, from total censorship to an open society," Mr Yanukovich told the conference as his security guards ripped banners saying "stop censorship" from protesters' hands.

Mr Yanukovich did not react to the silent protest.

Ukrainian opposition and Western rights watchdogs have accused Mr Yanukovich of cracking down on media freedom after coming to power in the former Soviet republic in early 2010. In July, three months before the October parliamentary election, tax police raided the office of TVi, a television station often critical of the government.

Although a tax-evasion case against TVi's chief executive has since been dropped, the station says local cable companies are either dropping it or moving it to more expensive packages, cutting the station's viewer base. Mr Yanukovich said the alleged lack of media freedom in his country was due to ignorance and misinformation.

After winning the February 2010 presidential election, Mr Yanukovich quickly consolidated power by forging a majority coalition in parliament and installing allies in key positions.

Last October, a local court sentenced his arch-rival and defeated presidential contender and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to seven years in prison for abuse of office after a trial criticised by the West as an example of selective justice.

Despite calls by the European Union for the release of Ms Tymoshenko, Mr Yanukovich refused to intervene and analysts say this may affect the EU judgement on the fairness of Ukraine's 28 October parliamentary poll.

Reuters.

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Ukrainian journalists stage silent protest against government censorship