[bestbits] International groups sign-on statement on South African Draft Online Regulation Policy

[Jeremy Malcolm]

Dear all,

I am writing to present a new opt-in sign-on statement for your
consideration.  Not too long ago Anriette from APC posted a message to
this list about the Draft Online Regulation Policy on which the South
African Film and Publications Board publicly consulting.  The draft
policy is over-broad, and allows content to be blocked without a
judicial order.  Therefore many civil society groups in South Africa
have been actively mobilising against it.

One of the groups leading this fight (along with APC and others) is
Right2Know, and Micah Reddy from that organisation has contributed a
joint statement for international groups to sign in solidarity with
local activists:

http://bestbits.net/draft-online-regulation-policy/

This supplements, but does not replace, an existing petition that is
also linked at the bottom of the statement, and which you are also
encouraged to endorse.

This is a campaign that many of us can get since it does not raise any
issues that most participants have found divisive (such as
multi-stakeholder mechanisms or civil society funding), however it is
known some Best Bits participants have different views about child
protection and may not with to endorse.  This is totally fine, because
like all our joint statements, it is opt-in, being posted on our open
platform so that those who agree can endorse, and those who do not can
abstain from doing so.

Nonetheless I would like to encourage all of those who agree with the
statement to consider endorsing it.  Many thanks in anticipation of your
support.

-- 
Jeremy Malcolm
Senior Global Policy Analyst
Electronic Frontier Foundation
https://eff.org
jmalcolm at eff.org

Tel: 415.436.9333 ext 161

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