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Not a good look.

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Get ready for your head to explode.

In the middle of TEDxBrussels talk on March 5 that focused on censorship, a male event organizer walked onto the stage and physically dragged the female presenter off. And the kicker? The theme of the entire TEDx event was Brave New World as in, yes, the Aldous Huxley book about a dystopian future wherein an all-powerful state controls the lives of its citizens.

And it only gets worse from there.

According to the TEDxBrussels website, the presenter, artist Deborah De Robertis, was in the middle of a piece addressing past censorship of her artwork. The forcible removal of her from stage was so absurd, reports the Netherlands newspaper NRC Handelsblad, that audience members initially applauded thinking it was a statement about censorship.

It wasn't.

This was made clear by a statement TED staff posted to their blog.

"Today at TEDxBrussels, an independently organized TEDx event, speaker and performance artist Deborah De Robertis was forcibly removed from the stage by one of the events organizers, who objected to the talks content," the group notes. "We have reviewed the situation and spoken with the organizer. While we know there are moments when it is difficult to decide how to respond to a situation, this response was deeply inappropriate."

What was so allegedly objectionable that in the eyes of organizers it merited force to silence? Why that would be De Robertis projecting photos of one of her past works, which included nudity. NRC Handelsblad reports that she was in the middle of doing this when she was organizers lost it. And in a truly messed up moment of painful irony, the man who grabbed her and pulled her across the floor appeared to remove the artist's shirt exposing her breasts in the process.

TED's response was swift. "We are immediately revoking the TEDxBrussels license granted to this individual," concluded the TED staff statement.

But this was not enough for De Robertis, who tweeted several statements following the incident demanding a chance to present her talk in full.

Clearly, the event organizers have a lot to learn about censorship and art. Maybe they should attend a conference addressing that very issue... oh, wait.

Go here to read the rest:
TEDxBrussels censors presenter mid anti-censorship talk

The role censorship plays in governing people is truly something one must grasp to understand contemporary international and domestic politics.This sample research paper reflects how government leaders and organizations have continued to use censorship in an effort to control people more effectively.

Conservative views are a group of beliefs that have not experienced much in the way of change. Through the censorship of modern thought, expression and belief, conservative minds have been able to preserve their noticeably closed minded way of doing things. Censorship dates back as far as the age of antiquity and further with Socrates being one of the first notable figures to perish at its hands. Some have come to view the government as a savior for censoring what they consider wrong, while others see the government as overly authoritative in its attempt to pass judgement upon what is right or acceptable for the masses. While censorship is often viewed as a relatively moralistic venture, throughout history, it has actually been one of the key tools by which governments have maintained their control.

Over the years the fight for censorship has proven to be dangerous for those who oppose it. History has shown that even though the government was created to help people, their views of what they consider "corrupt" or "profane" have frequently been called into question. According to BeaconForFreedom.org:

Perhaps the most famous censorship in ancient times is that of Socrates, sentenced to drink poison in 399 BC for his corruption of youth and his acknowledgement of unorthodox divinities.(Newth).

Many think that the government hides the truth behind the guise of protecting the innocence of youth, while others believe that the world is safe from the true evils that surrounds them. Some decisions that governments have made have left endless questions about why censorship ever came into existence. While government policies still insist that freedom of expression is an inherent human right, it seems to feel that it can place limitations upon how far this freedom extends. Whether it is music, newspapers, or media, the government will always play a hand in the extent to which free expression can be exercised, though the view of its use in America has changed as time has passed.

While the censorship of music has cause the greatest stir in modern history, the age of censorship first appeared in print. In early years of the mass marketed press, owners wallowed in defeat if their newspapers were censored, often experiencing a shutdown of their businesses if censorship was employed. In America, the freedoms granted by the 1st amendment to the Constitution are often called into question by censorship. Though many elements of censorship have changed where the free press is involved, not all views of what should be shared is taken lightly. The censorship of the printed word doesnt just affect newspapers read around the world. High school press papers are well known examples of censorship, due to the perceived "fragility" of young minds. This "preservation of youthful innocence" has long been a shield behind which the supporters of censorship have hidden. The decisions made may not be acceptable or fair to those who oppose them, but the protection of the innocence of youth will always be what is most important for many.

One example of censorship and the question of academic freedom was in the case of Hazelwood School District vs Kuhlmeier. Students who worked for the school paper at Hazelwood East in 1983 thought that it would be a noble idea to dedicate certain parts of the paper to students who:

Once the schools principal, Robert Reynolds, read the proofs of the articles, however, he wanted them removed from the paper. With this decision being made, the students in charge of the paper were outraged, accusing the principal of censorship of freedom of press. Even though the students who were interviewed in the articles were not named, the principal still felt that it was too much of a risk to take in allowing the newspaper be read by other students and teachers. Reynolds feared that the students who were talked about in these articles would be discovered and that it would have been a matter of time before harm came to them.

Music has long been a target of censors and continues to be one in the 21st century. For many, censorship represents all that is wrong with the world and that secrets and hidden truths are concealed behind the walls of government. For many parts of the world, the eyes of the people are closed to the secrets carried in their government due to censorship which has been attributed to the concealment of:

Still other atrocities remain hidden behind the veil of censorship, keeping the public ignorant to them. For some, censorship can either hurt a community or raise its values to higher standards. However, censorship does protect the innocence in situations where safety can be compromised. In the Hazelwood School District case, it is conceivable that protection was needed due to harm that could have come to the students that were discussed in the school paper. The newest target of censorship is understandably the internet. There has long been a cry to the government to impose regulations on content available online.

Censorship may not always be fully understood or appreciated by those it is designed to "protect", but it is sometimes needed for the building of the core values of youth. Like any new policy, law, or rule, there are elements that are not liked or respected. Boundaries will always be tested with censorship, because some believe that no one, particularly the government, should be the judge of what is right and what is wrong beyond established law. Figures of authority will eternally strive to "protect the innocent" that they feel cannot judge or fend for themselves. However, there will always be those who stand in opposition. Certainly, it can be said that there are some things that we probably should not know or see due to its graphic nature and ability to disrupt the emotional well-being of our otherwise happy lives. The question that remains, however, is who gets to decide this?

Newth, Mette. The Long History of Censorship. 2010. Norway.< http://www.beaconforfreedom.org/liste.html?tid=415&art_id=475>.

Zeinert, Karen. Free Speech: From Newspapers to Music Lyrics. New Jersey. Enslow, 1995.

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Yes, were back at CPAC, and, as always, with a panel that addresses one of the most urgent issues of the day:

Suppression of Conservative Views on Social Media: A First Amendment Issue

Major social media platforms such as Google, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube have created the new town square, having become the primary portals through which Americans receive news today. On these platform, the Left has a monopoly. The social media giants are moving actively to erase and hide any viewpoint or person that does not conform to the progressive values for which they stand.

This has resulted in massive losses of readership and revenue for conservative sites, and endangers the very freedom of our Republic by allowing only one point of view to be aired. The social media corporations today hold more power over the public discourse than any totalitarian regime ever held. They do not just target voices with whom they disagree, but they make sure that those voices are unable to sustain themselves.

This panel will discuss the magnitude of this phenomenon, and discuss ways that the power of these Leftist social media outlets can be limited, such that voices that dissent from the hard-Left agenda can again be freely heard.

February 23, 2018, 3:00 pm Chesapeake B-C

Panelists will include:

James Damore, Google whistleblower

Harmeet K. Dhillon, renowned free speech attorney

Dan Gainor, Vice President for Business and Culture, Media Research Center

Pamela Geller, Editor and Publisher, Geller Report, President, American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) and author of Fatwa: Hunted in America

Jim Hoft, Editor-in-Chief, Gateway Pundit

James OKeefe, Project Veritas

Marlene Jaeckel, Tech entrepreneur

America, the worlds first government based on individual rights and personal liberty, should be on the forefront of the defense of freedom of speech across the world, the light among nations, the shining city on a hill. Instead, social media giants, run by uniformly leftwing corporate managers, have become the new totalitarians. This evokes the worst totalitarian regimes in the history of the world. Never in modern history has such immense power been in the hands of so few.

Panelist James OKeefe added: Social media giants in Silicon Valley have quickly become the worlds most powerful media gatekeepers, even more powerful than the mainstream media.We exposed Twitter forsilencing and shadow banning people they do not agree with, and propagated their preferred views for political and financial purposes.

Panelist Dan Gainor said: Tech/social media companies are vastly more powerful than their old media predecessors in print and TV ever were. Weve already seen some of the dangers of what happens when that power is abused. This isnt just a panel discussion about what might happen. This is a wake-up call for the entire conservative movement.

Another panelist, Jim Hoft, observed: 2016 was the first election where conservatives fled the liberal mainstream media. After decades of smears and abuse they found the truth in conservative media online. Today there are forces working to make sure this does not happen again. Its time to stand up before its too late.

This groundbreaking panel discussion follows on the heels of Cant We Talk About This? The Islamic Jihad Against Free Speech, our shocking new film detailing the concerted effort by international organizations to compel the U.S. and other Western countries to curtail the freedom of speech and criminalize criticism of Islam.

This issue the suppression of the freedom of speech on social media affects all of us on the right. In fact, it is the most critical issue of the day: if we are stripped of the means to communicate with one another, its all over. It was free people speaking freely on social media, outside of the reach of the media establishment, that got Donald Trump elected President of the United States. When the left lost the election, they lost their mind.

We must not allow the left to strip us of the weapons we used to win that victory. Thats what well be fighting for at CPAC.

Pamela Geller is the President of the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI), publisher of The Geller Report and author of the bestselling book, FATWA: Hunted in America, as well asThe Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administrations War on America and Stop the Islamization of America: A Practical Guide to the Resistance. Follow her on TwitterorFacebook.

Follow this link:
GELLER: Social Media Censorship Panel at CPAC James Damore ...

[FACT comments: Readers should be aware that Thailands MICT is continuing its plan to consolidate the current ten international Internet gateways (IIG) into a single gateway to facilitate monitoring and censorship.

Even worse, the official Thai government documents leaked by TNN show that MICT is implementing plans to compromise encrypted SSL Internet transactions to pursue Thailands Great Firewall strategy.

If this still does not worry the ordinary person who relies on the Internet every single day, SSL is what makes online banking secure, among many other sorts of Internet transactions and all online commerce possible.

Put away that credit card!]

Single Gateway .... SSL

Thai Netizen Network: May 26, 2016

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Man-in-the-Middle Attack

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FACT - Freedom Against Censorship Thailand ...

By Andre Damon 18 January 2018

Behind the backs of the US and world populations, social media companies have built up a massive censorship apparatus staffed by an army of content reviewers capable of seamlessly monitoring, tracking, and blocking millions of pieces of content.

The character of this apparatus was detailed in testimony Wednesday from representatives of Facebook, Twitter, and Googles YouTube before the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, chaired by South Dakota Republican John Thune.

The hearing was called to review what technology companies are doing to shut down the communications of oppositional political organizations. It represented a significant escalation of the campaign, supported by both Democrats and Republicans, to establish unprecedented levels of censorship and control over the Internet.

Armed with increasingly powerful artificial intelligence systems, these technology companies are free to remove and block the communications of their users at the behest of the government, in a seamless alliance between Silicon Valley and the major US spy agencies.

Monika Bickert, head of Global Policy Management at Facebook, told lawmakers that the social media giant now employs a security team of 10,000 people, 7,500 of whom assess potentially violating content, and that, by the end of 2018 we will more than double the security team.

This group includes a dedicated counterterrorism team of former intelligence and law-enforcement officials and prosecutors who worked in the area of counterterrorism. In other words, there is a revolving door between the technology giants and the state intelligence and police forces, with one increasingly indistinguishable from the other.

Bickert pointed to the growing use of artificial intelligence to flag content, saying Facebook does not wait for these bad actors to upload content to Facebook before placing it into our detection systems, bragging that much of the propaganda removed from Facebook is content that we identify ourselves before anybody else has a chance to view it.

She added that Facebook has partnered with over a dozen other companies to maintain a blacklist of content, based on unique digital fingerprints. This means that if a piece of content, whether a video, image, or written statement, is flagged by any one of these companies, it will be banned from all social media. This database now includes some 50,000 pieces of content and is constantly growing, officials said.

In other words, the technology giants have created an all-pervasive system of censorship in which machines, trained to collaborate with the CIA, FBI, and other US intelligence agencies, are able to flag and block content even before it is posted.

Juniper Downs, global head of Public Policy and Government Relations at YouTube, likewise boasted that Google uses a mix of technology and humans to remove content, adding that YouTube relies on a trusted flagger program to provide actionable flags based on the flaggers experience with issues like hate speech and terrorism, words that imply that these trusted flaggers are connected to US intelligence agencies.

Machine learning is now helping our human reviewers remove nearly five times as many videos as they were before, Downs said, adding that Googles censorship machine is virtually automated. She said that this year there will be 10,000 people across Google working to address content that might violate our policies.

Downs declared that since June YouTube has removed 160,000 videos and terminated 30,000 channels for violent extremism. The company has reviewed over two million videos in its collaboration with law enforcement, government, and NGOs.

Downs stated that Google is actively engaged in promoting what she called counter-speech, that is, the promotion of propaganda narratives. She also pointed to Googles Jigsaw program as deploying targeted ads and YouTube videos to disrupt online radicalization, and redirecting users to content that Google approves of.

The hearing also featured the testimony of Clint Watts, a former FBI official, former US Army officer, fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and a leading promoter of social media censorship.

Watts presented the hearing with an unhinged justification for what these massive powers might be used for, in a hypothetical scenario he dubbed Anwar Awlaki meets PizzaGate.

The greatest concern moving forward, he said, might likely be a foreign intelligence service, posing as Americans on social media, infiltrating one or both political extremes in the US and then recruiting unwitting Americans to undertake violence against a target of the foreign powers choosing.

In this formulation, social opposition, what he calls the political extremes, including left-wing politics, is the product of foreign intervention and therefore treasonous. It is also defined as terrorist in content and therefore criminal.

Watts expressed extreme fear over the widespread growth of opposition to the policies of US imperialism. He arrogantly decried, Lesser-educated populations around the world predominately arriving in cyberspace via mobile phones will be particularly vulnerable to social media manipulation.

The content of Thursdays testimony points the far-advanced preparations for the establishment of police state forms of rule.

The effort to control speech online is driven by a ruling elite that is immensely fearful of social opposition. Amid growing social inequality and the ever-mounting threat of world war, broad sections of the population, and in particular the working class, are increasingly disillusioned with the capitalist system. Having no social reform to offer, the ruling elites see censorship as the only means to prop up their rule.

Given the explosive content of the statements made at Thursdays hearing, it is extraordinary that they received no significant coverage in either the print or broadcast media.

The hearing took place just one day after the World Socialist Web Site carried its live webinar, Organizing Resistance to Internet Censorship, featuring WSWS chairperson David North and journalist Chris Hedges.

Google is blocking the World Socialist Web Site from search results.

To fight this blacklisting:

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Facebook and Google outline unprecedented mass censorship at ...