The Office for Intellectual Freedom sponsors IFAction, an email list for those who would like updated information on news affecting intellectual freedom, censorship, privacy, access to information, and more. Click here to subscribe to this list. For an archive of all list postings since 1996, visit the IF Action archive. Below is a sample of articles from January 14 —February 3, 2013.

In case you missed them, here are some of the news stories that hit immediately before, during, and after the ALA Midwinter Meeting!

Privacy and Cybersecurity

Facebook’s Bold, Compelling and Scary Engine of Discovery: The Inside Story of Graph Search

Rights Group Reports on Abuses of Surveillance and Censorship Technology

Scientists Discover How to Identify People From ‘Anonymous’ Genomes

Student Expelled for Hacking After Investigating Security Hole

In a French Case, a Battle to Unmask Twitter Users

US Sentencing Commission site down, Anonymous claims responsibility (Updated)

Hackers in China Attacked The Times for Last 4 Months

 

Censorship and Free Speech

Library board keeps controversial book in teen section (Effingham, IL)

Obama calls for study on video-game violence

Lomas Hill School Officials: Publicly Apologize to Cecilia Hernandez for Unfair Dismissal After Showing “Milk”

Can One Word Condemn a Book?

‘White Privilege’ Lesson In Delavan-Darien High School Class In Wisconsin Draws Ire

Controversial painting in Newark Library is bared once again

Even if It Enrages Your Boss, Social Net Speech Is Protected

California Student Suspended for Newtown Poem

“Copyright for Librarians–the essential handbook”

Carlos Miller Arrested (Again) For Perfectly Legal Photography

Proposed US loyalty oath for students could be another image headache for Arizona

Tennessee ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Is Back, Now Requires Teachers To Tell Parents If Child Is Gay

School Promises In Settlement To Stop Removing Library Books For ‘Advocacy Of Homosexuality’ (Davis County, UT)

 

Articles about access to information issues below the break.

Access to Information

Promoting Diversification of Ownership in the Broadcasting Services

One-Fifth Of Women In Developing World Countries Think Internet Use Is Inappropriate For Them

Aaron Swartz’s Suicide Triggers Response from Top U.S. Lawmakers

Internet Freedom Day (January 18)

Related: EMI takes down “I Have a Dream” speech on Internet Freedom Day

Kim Dotcom’s new file locker “Mega” opens to the public

Copyright suit pits Fair Use against unlicensed distribution

France Proposes an Internet Tax

‘Curious’ Cuban net cable has activated, researchers say

Re-inventing Academic Publishing: ‘Diamond’ Open Access Titles That Are Free To Read And Free To Publish

Keeping the Internet Safe From Governments

Feds Pile On More Charges Against Anonymous Agitator Barrett Brown

German court rules internet “essential”

Mitch Daniels, in First Week as Purdue President, Talks Freedom of Opinion and Inquiry

76% of Libraries Don’t Have Enough Computers

School District Dumps $2 Million ‘Online Textbook’ Program After Discovering Some Students Can’t Afford Broadband

The Web-Deprived Study at McDonald’s

Libraries in the digital age: Do you know what yours offers?

Senators look to extend ban on Internet taxes

Six-Strike Policy Back On, To Begin In January; Verizon Wireless Enforcement Methods Revealed

 

Other

Interrogating the American Library Association’s “Core Values” Statement | Peer to Peer Review