Date: Mon, 2 Nov 1998 09:57:26 -0600 (CST)
From: "Harry M. Cleaver" <hmcleave-AT-eco.utexas.edu>
Subject: AUT: Is Sweden's New Anti-Internet Law Part of a Fascist Trend There?



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 1998 17:31:43 -0800
From: Franklin Wayne Poley <culturex-AT-vcn.bc.ca>
To: LABOR-L-AT-YORKU.CA
Subject: Is Sweden's New Anti-Internet Law Part of a Fascist Trend There?

Pierre: I am utterly shocked and dismayed by this. So far the three email
opinions I have received are all in agreement. You could spend up to two
years in jail just for naming a political adversary in a public email. In
my three decades long adult lifetime I haven't come across any
legislation as draconian: antidemocratic to the point of fascistic.
It will play havoc with all kinds of legitimate political activity on the
internet such as welfare-workfare reform, labor union activism and
partisan political contests. But I have to see its long-term objective as
staving off the advent of direct electronic democracy itself and
preventing the use of internet to hold politicians accountable.
   Well, if we can't harangue the individual Swedish politicians, we'll
have to harangue the whole damned country! What are they going to do
then-declare war on Canada?
FWP.

On 1 Nov 1998, Pierre Lasson wrote:

> Please forward, if you think it merits attention.
> I cant post to CTRL.
>
>
> I can confirm that Malecki is right.
> A EU-directive from the 24th of October 1995 was implemented in Sweden the
> 24th of October 1998.
> This law is the law of the Union. Greece and Italy have also implemented the
> law. Portugal and the UK are close to doing so, if they haven't already.
>
> No EU country can refuse to pass the law. This is a binding EU-directive.
> Some countries are stalling. If they don't pass the law, any EU citizen can
> sue for damages, according to Prime minister Goran Persson.
>
> It is called the Data Privacy Act. The good thing with the law is that
> restrictions are placed on companies and organizations. They will have to
> apply for permission before creating registers. This is appreciated by some
> privacy groups.
> But the governments appoint the bureaucrats who are to decide about
> permissions. They will have enormous power.
>
> The law makes all mention of names without consent in email illegal in the
> entire EU. This is a law that cannot be upheld, of course, but critics can be
> targeted and the potential threat stifles debate on usenet and on the
> mailinglists.
> Although personal use of information has a certain protection, a paper
> register  with too much information on a football team, for example, may be
> illegal. It certainly is illegal if it is spread around without permission.
> The use, not the misuse, is criminalized and
> uncertainty is created.
> This law is a danger to free speech. Some of us feel as if some kind of coup
> has taken place.
> The Union shows totalitarian tendencies.
>
> Some groups have been given privileges: journalists, writers and "artists".
> We have a new aristocracy with a monopoly on free speech.
>
> The debate over here has centred on the restrictions on the individuals, not
> the organizations. In at least one other country, the restrictions on the
> individual have been played down, so as not to create an uproar.
> I recommend a visit at www.pul.nu
> There is a text in English there.
>
> >  -Caveat Lector-
> >
> > To follow up on this please contact Bob Malecki directly.
> >
> > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > Date: Sun, 1 Nov 1998 10:39:33 -0800 (PST)
> > From: Franklin Wayne Poley <culturex-AT-vcn.bc.ca>
> > To: Bob Malecki <malecki-AT-algonet.se>
> > Cc: Workfare-Discuss-AT-icomm.ca
> > Subject: Re: SV: DW: Sweden Outlaws Discussion Archives? (fwd)
> >
> > On Sun, 1 Nov 1998, Bob Malecki wrote:
> >
> > > >At 16:20 31-10-98 -0800, Franklin Wayne Poley wrote:
> > > >
> > > >>What do Europeans on the list think of this new law? If you can't
> > > >>mention the villains by name at risk of two years in jail, there will
> > > >>be quite a slow down in anti-workfare activism on the net.
> > >
> > > The law which came into effect last week is already in big trouble. All
> > > political parties here in Sweden have condemned it and are claiming that
> > > it denies the right to free speech.
> > >
> > > Most people here are completely ignoring it and some have made it a
> > > principle to fight it quite publically. So the law although now in place
> > > is not being implemented and is now been sent back to be worked over.
> > >
> > Thank you for the valuable feedback, Bob. You know I almost didn't post
> > this because I thought the very idea of such legislation was so far
> > fetched, even fascist, that it must have been misinformation. I'm serious.
> > That is why I almost just went for "delete and forget about it". Plus I
> > haven't seen it elsewhere on the discussion lists. It is of staggering
> > implications for the future of direct electronic democracy which is surely
> > the future for all of the European and North American democracies.
> > Imagine-up to two years in jail in Sweden for haranguing your political
> > enemies on the internet! With the rest of the European Union considering
> > that law for adoption. FWP.
> >
> > -> Workfare-Discuss, the list for fighting workfare internationally
> > -> To subscribe, send subscribe workfare-discuss to majordomo-AT-icomm.ca ->
> > List web site, http://www.icomm.ca/workfare/
>
> _snip_
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________________
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>

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