What is the effect of WikiLeaks for Freedom of Information? by Päivikki Karhula. FAIFE

Posted by Celia Walter | 24 Jan, 2011

IFLA Committee on Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE)

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Impact of the cable leaks on intellectual freedom

What is the possible impact of WikiLeaks? Is it going to increase or restore the space of free speech or advance transparency of public documents? Or is it going to have the opposite effect and make governments strengthen their restrictions and increase different forms of Internet censorship?

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There are several valid concerns and evident signs about stricter legislation and more in depth surveillance practices which may find their grounds on WikiLeaks...

Another a crucial issue is the protection of sources. What will happen to journalists' rights to publish leaked information?

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The consequences of losing a right to protect sources may lead to extreme transparency, but does it lead to the kind of transparency which would support democracy and civil society? American journalist, Claire Berlinski reveals the faulty logic of this kind of philosophy in her statement: "The hypocrisy and double-standard of journalists, in particular, who fail to understand why the government must sometimes protect its sources of information is mind-blowing. Journalists, of all people, should understand this better than anyone else. Many sources would lose their jobs, their reputations, their liberty or their lives for talking to journalists on the record. If the people who spoke to us didn't think we could keep their names out of the story, they would never open their mouths again. Would that make the world more transparent?"

Library and information field and WikiLeaks

According to the ALA (American Library Association), WikiLeaks relates to many policy issues including access to government information, censorship and the blocking of web sites, government secrecy and the over-classification of government information, treatment of whistleblowers, government transparency and the legalities surrounding classified information. Presently, it looks like WikiLeaks has raised dozens of political and legal questions which will take time to respond to.

 

Also, in the library field there have been controversial approaches to WikiLeaks.  Library of Congress have blocked access to WikiLeaks...

From FAIFE's point of view it would be valuable to focus on the direct and indirect censorship effects of WikiLeaks in different countries, organizations and libraries. However, as indicated, WikiLeaks may also be used as a case to support such new bills, surveillance practices and use of technologies which extend capabilities of censorship and data surveillance. Unfortunately, there is not yet much evidence of the development trend towards another direction: to strengthen transparency and increase the space for freedom of speech within the aftermath of WikiLeaks.

Link to html version of article in full:

http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/what-is-the-effect-of-wikileaks-for-freedom-of-information

Link to pdf version of article in full:

http://www.ifla.org/files/faife/publications/spotlights/wikileaks-karhula.pdf

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Right to Know Campaign: "Let the Truth Be Told! Stop the Secrecy Bill"

Posted by Celia Walter | 9 Sep, 2010

Over 200 civil society organisations and numerous prominent individuals have endorsed a civil society statement titled "Let the Truth Be Told! Stop the Secrecy Bill".

The statement characterises the Protection of Information Bill as fundamentally undermining the struggle for whistleblower protection and access to information and as  reminiscent of our apartheid past. The statement calls for a redrafting of the Bill to comply with the constitutional values of access to information and freedom of expression.

The Right to Know campaign will also be announcing plans to raise public concern about the Protection of Information Bill and other threats to the freedom of expression through a week of action that will commence on 19 October 2010 (the commemoration of Black Wednesday). The statement will remain open for further endorsements through the campaign website.

The 200 odd organisations endorsing the statement include Afesis-Corplan, the Alternative Information Development Centre, Amnesty International, Black Sash, Ceasefire Campaign, CIVICUS, Democracy Development Programme, Diakonia Council of Churches, Earthlife Africa, Freedom of Expression Institute, Gay & Lesbian Network, Idasa, Institute for Security Studies, Open Democracy Advice Centre, M&G Centre for Investigative Journalism (amaBhungane), National Welfare Forum, Palestine Support Committee, Professional Journalists’ Association, Section27, South African History Archives, and the South African National Editors Forum as well as various social movements including Equal Education, Social Justice Coalition, Social Movements Indaba, Treatment Action Campaign, and the Unemployed People’s Movement.

Over 400 individuals have also endorsed the Statement, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nadine Gordimer, Prof Kader Asmal, Zakes Mda, Dr Max Price, Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Zackie Achmat, Pieter-Dirk Uys, Mary Burton, Mazibuko K Jara, Andrew Feinstein, Richard Spoor, Andre Brink, Terry Bell, Laurie Nathan, Pierre de Vos, Max Du Preez, Paul Graham, Pippa Green, Prof Hoosen Coovadia and Breyten Breytenbach.

A full list of endorsing organizations and individuals will be released at the Statement launch.

http://www.right2know.org.za/

Resources

The documents for download below contain all the information needed to stay informed on how the bill will affect society.

Included is the actual bill that is being proposed, as well as a plain language version of the bill and various submissions to parliament by civil society.

The page is regularly updated with the latest documentation on the bill.

Documents / URLs

- Protection of Information Bill - In plain language
- Protection of Information Bill
- Submission from the Institute for Security Studies and the Open Society Justice Initiative to the Ad Hoc Committee considering the Protection of Information Bill
- Community Media Views
- South African Human Rights Commission submission
- South African History Archive and Nelson Mandela Foundation [SAHA and NMF] submission
- South African Media and Gender Institute [SAMGI] submission
- COSATU submission
- M&G Centre for Investigative Journalism Submission
- M&G Centre for Investigative Journalism Briefing Note What is wrong with the Protection of Information Bill
- Protection of Information Bill, Statement by Cardinal Napier
- Right2Know
- Video of R2K Cape Town Launch

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Protection of Information Bill and the Media Appeals Tribunal: A step-by-step guide

Posted by Celia Walter | 7 Sep, 2010

Cutting through the confusion: A step-by-step guide to the Protection of Information Bill and the Media Appeals Tribunal

Written by: Dario Milo and Okyerebea Ampofo-Anti of Webber Wentzel.This article was originally published in the Saturday Star on 7 August 2010  Webber Wentzel Media Practice Group News, p.5-7. [pdf]

In recent weeks there has been much publicity about the Protection of Information Bill and the ANC's proposal for the establishment of a Media Appeals Tribunal and how both of these developments represent a serious threat to media freedom. Unfortunately some media reports have tended to conflate the two issues and one could be forgiven for feeling confused. What follows is a broad overview of both issues...[More]  From Polity.org.za


 

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