https://mediaanddemocracyproject.substack.com/p/our-mad-hero-of-the-month-stephen
#FreeSpeech #CivilLiberties #politics
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https://mastodon.social/@VerdantSquareRadio/116354142844963923
#news #arts #left #commentary #radio #publicradio #community

NOW PLAYING == Cannabis Legalization News 4/5/26: Federal Legalization by Executive Order?! | April Fools Special 😂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykG8RfQAHPM
#news #cannabis #medicalcannabis #business #law #civilliberties #marijuana #health #medicine #wellness #vsn #radio #DiverseSpectrumOfTheLeft #SupportIndependentMedia

Restore Britain is saying things many privacy-minded people want to hear, especially on Digital ID and the Online Safety Act.
But Cyber Waffle's caution is fair: saying the right thing is not the same as proving you can deliver it.
That is the real question here. Not whether the rhetoric sounds good, but whether a very new party can turn bold promises into actual law without watering them down the moment pressure hits.
Track record matters. A credible route to delivery matters. Political maturity matters.
So yes, watch Restore Britain. Scrutinise them. But do not switch off your critical thinking just because the slogans land well.
Too early to trust, or worth keeping on the radar?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6pu04yaWm0
#RestoreBritain #RupertLowe #DigitalPrivacy #DigitalID #OnlineSafetyAct #UKPolitics #Privacy #CivilLiberties

This is one of the better free speech developments we've seen in a while.
The Home Office says non-crime hate incidents are being scrapped, lawful free speech should not be recorded, and police should stop being dragged into everyday online rows and focus on actual crime instead.
That does not mean every harmful Act is suddenly protected. The stated aim is to stop policing lawful speech while still responding where there is genuine harm, safeguarding risk, or serious community tension.
That is a meaningful shift, at least on paper. Now we need to see whether police forces actually apply it consistently in the real world.
Gov source:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-response-to-non-crime-hate-incidents-final-report
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-ybrpy-DGo
Do you think this will meaningfully protect lawful speech, or will the culture stay the same?
#FreeSpeech #DigitalRights #CivilLiberties #UKPolitics #FreedomOfExpression
Any U.S. #CivilLiberties Lawyers out there?
#Ohio House Passes Bill That Would Effectively Ban #Drag
(#WTF)
https://www.them.us/story/ohio-house-passes-bill-that-would-effectively-ban-drag
The FAA "Temporary" Drone Restriction Blatant Attempt to Criminalize Filming ICE
#HackerNews #FAA #Drone #Restrictions #FilmingICE #CivilLiberties #PrivacyRights

Legal intern Raj Gambhir was the principal author of this post.The Trump administration has restricted the First Amendment right to record law enforcement by issuing an unprecedented nationwide flight restriction preventing private drone operators, including professional and citizen journalists,...
Which UK party actually cares about digital privacy?
Right now, it feels like trust is the real shortage.
The Conservatives built the Online Safety Act and pushed for stronger age verification. Labour is enforcing the age-check regime, while digital ID is still under consideration by the government. A few opposition voices sound better on civil liberties, but slogans are easy when you are not the one holding power.
That is why more people are asking a harsher question: not who talks best about privacy, but who has actually earned trust not to build a permissioned internet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SbsGRQsGgQ
Which party, if any, do you trust to defend digital rights?
#DigitalPrivacy #OnlineSafetyAct #DigitalID #UKPolitics #Privacy #CivilLiberties

Tell the Government to scrap digital ID plans
The Government has launched a consultation on a proposed #DigitalID scheme. Tell the government that you oppose a sweeping digital ID system that would reduce our #CivilLiberties.
https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/campaigns/no2digitalid/#respond #privacy #HumanRights
Essex Police scanned 1.3 million faces in public spaces with live facial recognition. The Cambridge evaluation found that, in the force's operating setting, it identified only around half of the watchlist subjects who passed the cameras, observed demographic differences, and found no statistically significant short-term crime reduction. The ICO also says deployments were paused over identified inaccuracy and bias risks.
If a system is this intrusive, "trust us" is not enough. The burden should be proof, safeguards, transparency, and accountability.
How much biometric surveillance should the public accept when the evidence is this shaky?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJVYP-15I9s
#Privacy #Surveillance #FacialRecognition #DigitalRights #CivilLiberties #UK
