Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\cocoartf949\cocoasubrtf540 {\fonttbl\f0\fswiss\fcharset0 ArialMT;}
{\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;\red34\green34\blue34;\red0\green22\blue231;} \margl1440\margr1440\vieww9000\viewh8400\viewkind0
\deftab720 \pard\pardeftab720\sa240\ql\qnatural
\f0\b\fs24 \cf2 BY RYAN SCHUESSLER \b0 \
\b ANCHOR LOGAN TITTLE\'a0 \b0 \
\ In an unprecedented move, Twitter has blocked
a member\'92s account at the request of authorities for the first time in the company\'92s history,
creating a debate on internet companies\'92 roles in the free exchange of ideas.\
According to the {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/twitter-bans-neo-nazi-account-in-germany-at-police-request/2012/10/18/29df9b3c-192c-11e2-bd10-5ff056538b7c_story.html"}}{\fldrslt
\cf3 \ul \ulc3 Washington Post}}, Twitter announced Wednesday that it blocked users
in Germany from viewing the account of neo-Nazi group Besseres Hannover, at the request of
German authorities.\ Twitter\'92s legal counsel also {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK
"https://twitter.com/amac"}}{\fldrslt \cf3 \ul \ulc3 tweeted}} the announcement, noting
the company had previously established its right to withhold content, and "We\'92re using
it now for the first time...re: a group deemed illegal in Germany.\'94\
Twitter {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://blog.twitter.com/2012/01/tweets-still-must-flow.html"}}{\fldrslt \cf3 \ul \ulc3 announced}} the new policy
on its blog in late January, foreseeing international growth and entering
\b "countries that have different ideas about the contours of freedom of expression...Starting
today, we give ourselves the ability to reactively withhold content from users in a specific
country -- while keeping it available in the rest of the world.\'94
\b0 \ However, the account in question is still
visible to users outside Germany and its making its way around the web.\
Besseres Hannover\'92s account has more than 600 followers -- and that number has been
growing since this story broke. The group tweeted daily until late September, when German
authorities disbanded it. Though, someone {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "https://twitter.com/hannoverticker"}}{\fldrslt
\cf3 \ul \ulc3 tweeted}} on the account today, in English, complaining about Twitter\'92s
decision:\
\b \'93Look at this regime: They gossip viciously about China and Russia but none about them.
Freedom for Germany!\'94 \b0 \
The move has sparked mixed feelings on the blogosphere. A writer for Slate Magazine {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK
"http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/10/18/twitter_censors_neo_nazi_group_besseres_hannover_is_first_user_blocked_under.html"}}{\fldrslt \cf3 \ul \ulc3 says}} it will be difficult
for free-speech activists to complain about shutting down a neo-Nazi group\'92s Twitter
account.\
\b \'93By coincidence or design, however, the first instance of Twitter applying its
new censorship policy is one that seems likely to provoke outrage from only the most ardent
free-speech activists.\'94 \b0 \
But a writer for VentureBeat {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://venturebeat.com/2012/10/18/twitter-now-censoring-tweets-on-a-per-country-basis-for-the-first-time/"}}{\fldrslt
\cf3 \ul \ulc3 says}} despite the content of the group\'92s message, censorship is universally
wrong.\
\b \'93We already live in our own personal social media reality bubbles. Now Twitter
is providing entire countries with their own reality bubbles.\'94
\b0 \ German police sent {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK
"https://www.chillingeffects.org/notice.cgi?sID=625342"}}{\fldrslt \cf3 \ul \ulc3 the formal request}} to shut
down the account on September 25.\ \
}