If you are reading this blog, you probably have an interest in censorship issues. Well, right now, there's a fight going on in the U.K., a long-overdue attempt to reform that country's libel laws. What brought this to the fore and has garnered so much attention is a libel suit against Simon Singh, who is being sued by the British Chiropractic Association over a statement he made a while back.
This case is important, because it doesn't just affect Simon. It affects everyone who writes anything online. If you think that you are safe, keep in mind that if anything you write ends up being distributed in the U.K., you can be sued there. It is a haven for libel tourism. The U.K. libel laws can basically function as a means of bullying people into submission; wealthy plaintiffs can sue critics into silence and submission.
So what can you do about it? You can sign a petition. Right now, they have about 17,000 signatures. They need 100,000. So go to the petition and sign it. If you do, let me know.
I signed just now & have twittered this post.
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