Intellectual Freedom News 2/28/2020
Highlights
- Who should decide what books are allowed in prison? | NPR; “Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, says Tafolla’s story illustrates an important point: Denying incarcerated people broad access to reading materials doesn’t just interfere with their education.”We’re depriving prisoners of materials that they desperately want and need to affirm their humanity, to help them rehabilitate themselves, to occupy their minds and their hearts while they’re in prison,” she says.”
Censorship
- Toni Morrison’s ‘The Bluest Eye’ banned from Colton school curriculum due to sexually explicit content | ABC (CA)
- Parents push to remove book from Columbus Elementary School library | Columbus Sentinel (WI)
- Library officials weigh in on proposed “Parental Oversight Bill” | TN
- Racial slurs in literature spark conversation between educators, students and parents | Fox17 (MI)
- DFL group barred from using Columbia Heights Public Library | Star Tribune (MN)
- Puberty book in Ludlow middle school causing controversy among parents, administration | WWLP (MA)
- Libraries speak out against bill—would censor books | Missourian
- Library’s Tibet photo exhibit pulled by Chinese government | Queens Chronicle (NY)
- ‘Academic Freedom in the Age of Trump’ poster causes controversy, censorship concerns at UW-Milwaukee | Daily Cardinal (WI)
Privacy and Cybersecurity
- How schools are using kids’ phones to track and surveil them | CNet
- Google sued by New Mexico attorney general for collecting student data through Chromebooks | The Verge
- How your browser protects your privacy | The Verge
- Microsoft launches open-source privacy mapping tool | IAPP Privacy Tech’
- A run down of US Sen. Gillibrand’s proposed Data Protection Act | IAPP Privacy Tracker
- NYPD overhauls rules for DNA evidence in criminal cases | Wall Street Journal
- The Obama Open Internet Vote’s 5th Anniversary: Time to Talk About Network Neutrality For Big Tech | Forbes
- We want a more private internet, but we want to screenshot it too | Slate
- New bill strengthens school cybersecurity & protects children’s privacy | The Sentinel (CA)
- House Judiciary Committee poised to debate bill that would prevent NSA from reviving dormant surveillance program | Washington Post
- More than 150 academics sign letter opposing facial recognition surveillance on college and university campuses | MassLive
- Firefox starts encrypting domain names | Digital News Daily
Additional privacy posts, news, and updates are available at the Choose Privacy Every Day blog.
Access
- More libraries are doing away with fines | New York Times
- California will pay millions to settle suit claiming it violated childrens’ rights by not teaching them to read | Times-Herald (CA)
Net Neutrality & Broadband
- Net neutrality docket is now FCC’s busiest | Multichannel News
- How states are expanding broadband access | Pew Charitable Trust
- Here’s another chance to weigh in on the FCC’s net neutrality appeal | Wired
- Clarence Thomas regrets ruling that Ajit Pai used to kill net neutrality | Ars Technica
- Trump report bizarrely claims net neutrality repeal raised incomes $50B a year | Ars Technica
Academic Freedom & Campus Speech
- University of Oklahoma promises changes after student sit-in protests use of racial slurs | ABC News
- The university ‘free speech crisis’ has been a rightwing myth for 50 years | The Guardian
- Alt-Acs, the Great Google Revolt and the Value of Academic Freedom | Inside Higher Ed
Fake News, Free Press, Social Media
- First Amendment doesn’t apply on YouTube; judges reject PragerU lawsuit | Ars Technica
- Twitter is testing new ways to fight misinformation — including a community-based points system | NBC News
- How censorship stifles essential journalism during a crisis | CNN Business
- Many tech experts say digital disruption will hurt democracy | Pew Research (full report)
- The Electronic Closet: Investigating Accusations of Queer Suppression on Facebook and Instagram | Intellectual Freedom Blog
- Everyone agrees: Facebook, Twitter should block disinfo—but probably won’t | Ars Technica
First Amendment & Free Speech
- California jails sued after banning prison publisher. Why was one of its editors arrested? | Sacramento Bee (CA)
- SCOTUS Hears Oral Arguments in First Amendment Challenge to Crime of Encouraging or Inducing Immigration Violation | Constitutional Law Prof Blog
- Trump campaign sues New York Times over 2019 opinion article | New York Times
- The First Amendment protects activities adjacent to voting, but stops short of voting itself | Freedom Forum Institute
- SCOTUS Grants Certiorari on First Amendment Challenge to Anti-Discrimination Foster Care Policy | Constitutional Law Prof Blog
Around the Web
- Is the White House starting to censor public-health officials? | MSNBC
- Mississippi could ban internet porn | Y’All Politics
- Amazon removes books written by influential Nazi from sale following outcry | Newsweek
- Google defeats conservative nonprofit’s YouTube censorship appeal | Reuters
- City of San Antonio removes video work by Xandra Ibarra, prompting cries of censorship | Hypoallergenic
- Dita Kraus: The Librarian of Auschwitz | Intellectual Freedom Blog
- Missouri, Florida and the Criminalization of Libraries | Intellectual Freedom Blog
- From Lawyers to Language Practices: Two Hip-Hop Professors and the Living Legacy of 2 Live Crew | Intellectual Freedom Blog
- Parents Sue Madison School District Over Transgender Policy | Wisconsin Public Radio
- Losing and winning a book battle | Salmon Arm Observer (British Columbia)
- Culture of self-censorship in the arts revealed by survey | The Stage
- Banned and burned: Banning books should be a thing of the past | The News Record
- When diversity and inclusion clash with free speech–and why they don’t have to | PEN America
International Issues
- Internet shutdowns become a favorite tool of governments: ‘It’s like we suddenly went blind’ | Wall Street Journal
- Apple may be forced to disclose censorship requests from China | The Guardian
- Facebook, Google and Twitter Rebel against Pakistan’s censorship rules | New York Times
- Chinese censorship or ‘work elsewhere’: Inside Shutterstock’s free-speech rebellion | NBC News
- Journalism is under attack in India. So is the truth | Washington Post
- Egypt’s wave of censorship takes aim at street music | ABC News
- China sentences Swedish bookseller to 10 years in prison | Associated Press
- A Senator in Colombia Wants to Censor Reggaetón. Unrelatedly, What Year Is It Again?
ALA News
- OCLC, PLC report offers strategies for public libraries to respond to the opiod crisis
- Libraries ready to code awards microfunding on Digital Learning Day
- United for Libraries to host National Library Legislative Day webinar for members
- ALA receives two grants to help libraries in Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands
- Joint Working Group on eBooks and Digital Content in Libraries addresses library concerns
- Update from the Deaf Culture Forum at ALA Midwinter
- Games and Gaming Round Table announces Game On! Grants; due March 1
- ALA awards deadline extended; due March 2
- Application open for 2020 ALA Leadership Institute; due March 9
- ALSC and ACM accepting applications for Forum on Service to Immigrants/Refugees; due March 31
- ALA calls for 2020 L. Ray Patterson Copyright Award nominations; due April 1
- ALA seeks proposals for 2020 Diversity Research Grants; due April 15
- K-8 libraries invited to apply for $5,000 award recognizing outstanding programming; due May 4
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