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<span class="date"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/12/join-eff-in-standing-up-against-internet-censorship">https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/12/join-eff-in-standing-up-against-internet-censorship</a><br>
<br>
December 7th, 2010 </span>
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<h1><a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/12/join-eff-in-standing-up-against-internet-censorship">Join
EFF in Standing up Against Internet Censorship </a></h1>
<i class="author"><span class="cat">EFF: Join EFF in Standing up
Against Internet Censorship <br>
<br>
<a href="https://www.eff.org/blog-categories/call-action">Call
To Action</a></span> by <a
href="https://www.eff.org/about/staff/shari-steele">Shari
Steele</a></i>
<div class="blogimage"> </div>
<p>Over the past few weeks, we here at EFF have watched as
whistleblowing website WikiLeaks has fueled an emotionally
charged debate about the secrecy of government information and
the people's right to know. We have welcomed this debate, and
the fact that there have been myriad views is the embodiment of
the freedom of expression upon which this country was founded.</p>
<p>However, we've been greatly troubled by a recent shift in
focus. The debate about the wisdom of releasing secret
government documents has turned into a massive attack on the
right of intermediaries to publish truthful information.
Suddenly, WikiLeaks has become the Internet's scapegoat, with a
Who's Who of American and foreign companies choosing to shun the
site.</p>
<p>Let's be clear — in the United States, at least, WikiLeaks has
a fundamental right to <a
href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=17571244799664973711">publish</a>
truthful political information. And equally important, Internet
users have a fundamental right to <a
href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=6728320798248524934&q">read</a>
that information and voice their opinions about it. We live in a
society that values freedom of expression and shuns censorship.
Unfortunately, those values are only as strong as the will to
support them — a will that seems to be dwindling now in an
alarming way. </p>
<p>On Friday, we <a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/12/amazon-and-wikileaks-first-amendment-only-strong">wrote</a>
about Amazon's disappointing decision to yank hosting services
from WikiLeaks after a phone call from a senator's office. Since
then, a cascade of companies and organizations has backed away
from WikiLeaks. A public figure called for the <a
href="http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Charge+Harper+aide+assassinate+Julian+Assange+comment+lawyer/3931327/story.html">assassination</a>
of Assange. <a
href="http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/04/paypal-suspends-wikileaks-account/">PayPal</a>,
<a
href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-20024801-503543.html">MasterCard</a>,
and <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11938320">Visa</a>
axed WikiLeaks’ accounts. EveryDNS.net <a
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/05/wikileaks-internet-backlash-us-pressure">pulled</a>
Wikileaks’ DNS services. Unknown sources continue to cripple
WikiLeaks with repeated <a
href="https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/11825920490868737">denial
of service attacks</a>. Even the Library of Congress, normally
a bastion of public access to information, is <a
href="http://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2010/12/why-the-library-of-congress-is-blocking-wikileaks/">blocking</a>
WikiLeaks. </p>
<p>There has been a tremendous backlash against WikiLeaks from
governments around the world. In the United States, lawmakers
have rashly <a
href="http://ensign.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?ContentRecord_id=a908e152-c766-a798-abd5-07da74b197b3&FuseAction=Media.PressReleases">proposed
a law</a> that <a
href="http://www.lawfareblog.com/2010/12/espionage-act-amendments/">threatens</a>
legitimate news reporting well beyond WikiLeaks. We expect to
see similar efforts in other countries. Like it or not,
WikiLeaks has become the emblem for one of the most important
battles for our rights that is likely to come along in our
lifetimes. We cannot sit this one out.</p>
<h3><a
href="https://www.eff.org/pages/say-no-to-online-censorship">Join
EFF in standing up against Internet censorship</a>.</h3>
<p> Download our <a
href="https://www.eff.org/pages/say-no-to-online-censorship">No
Censorship button</a> to display on your websites and social
networking profiles. Show the world that you are committed to
free expression and denounce censorship.</p>
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