1. Lecture 3 Freedom of speech
IT and Ethics
Lecture 3
Freedom of speech
1/3/2019
Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

2. What do we need freedom of expression for?
To express agreed upon ideas?
Or to express ideas which are controversial?
Late case (not from the Internet):
Pictures of Mohammed which depict him (which in itself is a problem) in unfavourable ways which have hurt the feelings of the Muslim society
Similar pictures of Christian functioners commonplace (Kaleva)
Does this promote or discourage discussion on the potential problems claimed?
Problem: discussion too sensitive, let’s fire it up a bit
Another problem: difficult to be a member of society in Denmark (or in EU) already if a Muslim
Cf. Nazi pictures of Jews from previous century
1/3/2019
Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

3. Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems
Vedder & Wachbroit (2003) Reliability of information
on the Internet: Some distinctions
Internet
Originally ‘total’ freedom of speech
…for those who could connect to the ‘Net
Social pressures
Technological pressures
-> Own culture developed
Reliability of information?
Random site?
Wikipedia?
According to late studies, almost comparable to the best encyclopaedias available
-> Web-literacy?
1/3/2019
Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

4. User base grown exponentially
Wresch (2003) Perspectives on the right to publish:
Global inequalities, digital publications, and the legacy
of revolutionary France
User base grown exponentially
No longer (in the west) a mono-culture group
Social pressures localised
Technological pressures frowned upon
Possibilities to publish ones views?
Most of humanity not able—and freedom of expression becoming more limited all the time already
Blogs a new development which enables more freedom of expression
Or to even view…
1/3/2019
Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

5. Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems
Restricting employees to using to business only
Liability issues; some lawsuits even handled due to insulting s
Lesson: read what you are about to send before you send it…
Spam? Freedom of speech?
1/3/2019
Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

6. Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems
USENET news
Groups try to stick to their topics
Misbehaving persons harassed out of the group (sometimes successfully, other times not)
Some groups international -> conflicting cultures
Spam? Freedom of speech?
Most groups unmoderated; basically one can send anything there
Netiquette
1/3/2019
Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

7. Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems
Bulletin boards
Some moderated, others cleaned afterwards, some not moderated in any manner (except law)
Note, that there was an attempt to include this in the law in Finland, that the bulletin board keeper would be accountable for messages published
Various issues
Often offered with another service
Medical questions
Wedding boards
Etc.
Many newspapers and journals have bulletin boards available in the net. Normal restrictions apply (i.e. per printed) – or do they?
1/3/2019
Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

8. Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems
IRC
Most channels in IRC moderated
Moderators have ‘absolute power’ within the channel
Freedom of speech guaranteed by anyone being able to create a channel of their choice – excluding the ones already created (which still means unlimited amount, but not necessarily as good choices)
Freedom of speech also guaranteed by +channels, where moderation not possible
1/3/2019
Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

9. Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems
Chats
Some moderated, others not
Mainly ‘dating’ or other ‘light’ issues such as hobbies but more serious ones coming as well
Some related to another media
Yle-X, Kiss FM, various television shows etc.
Some offered as extended services from some organization selling something
1/3/2019
Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

10. Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems
Blogs
Anyone can put up a blog – if they have the resources, which are most often negligible (at least in the west)
Some blogs in some countries can be shut down for various reasons. Examples:
France: Hate sites; Promoting Nazism for example illegal (Yahoo! sales of Nazi-regalia illegal in France -> US sales must be blocked)
Finland: Sites that insult others illegal
Some libraries in Finland use “parental control” programs which limit access to certain pages
1/3/2019
Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

11. Restrictions to free speech
Moderation
Personal information required?
Access to indecent material
Access to violent material
Parental controls
Hate-sites, –mails, –news etc.
Culture dependent, however
Critical ethics have questioned the freedom of speech as western culture imperialism – the speakers are dominantly western
1/3/2019
Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

12. Restrictions by countries
Some countries restrict some forms of expression in the net (see France and Finland as examples previously)
Other countries try to control all if not most kinds of free speech
Muslim nations (not all, but arab ones especially)
As a curiosity: the system for Saudi-Arabia was designed and implemented by Finns…
China
Singapore
1/3/2019
Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

13. Digital Rights Management
Kerr & Bailey (2004) The Implications of Digital Rights
Management for Privacy and Freedom of Expression
Digital Rights Management
Wide adaption of DRM SW
Can reduce Fair Use
Currently with DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) even legal fair use practices not possible with DRMd media
Can reduce Public Domain
Currently with DMCA even works which belong to public domain not necessarily accessible due to DRMs
1/3/2019
Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

14. Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems
Demonstration case
How have Blogs affected the freedom of speech?
Read a few blogs, try to find some controversial ones
In an international context, how can things published in Blogs be controlled?
Should they be controlled?
1/3/2019
Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems