MUSIC CENSORSHIP jail sentence for black artists playing song

Skengdo and AM: the drill rappers sentenced for playing their song https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jan/31/skengdo-and-am-the-drill-rappers-sentenced-for-playing-their-song?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

WEB 2.0 GOOGLE blocks ad-blockers boosting its ad revenue

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/01/22/google_chrome_browser_ad_content_block_change/

PHONE HACKING It Was The Sun Wot Dun It court told

Incredible that it's 7.5 YEARS since a panicked Murdoch closed the News of the World in the face of mainstream public fury over Milly Dowler and successful online campaigns to threaten advertisers with boycotts while they continued to place ads in the paper.

Murdoch was forced to put a humble face on, notably in his appearance before a parliamentary committee (when then wife Wendi Deng saved him from a custard pie!!!).

Nonetheless, as the issue has largely lost its heat, with advertisers free to finance the replacement Sun on Sunday without boycott threats and the Leveson proposals for a relatively mild toughening of press regulation largely defeated, with the support of the Tory government (and press!), and only the Labour opposition advocating following Leveson, it seems Murdoch has come through the crisis rather well.

He was forced by US shareholders to split the then toxic (and less profitable) print division from the film and TV wing, but this court case, which I'd bet will receive little if any coverage in the right-wing press (ie, most of it!) and therefore is less likely to become a broadcast (radio, TV) news agenda item either.

Phone hacking was widespread at the Sun, high court told https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/jan/22/phone-hacking-was-widespread-at-the-sun-high-court-told?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

Again, I doubt rival right-wing papers will cover or give prominence to this news story, which is in the top ten news stories in the Guardian mobile app this morning (so TWO headline stories on Murdoch!), but here's a reminder of Murdoch's alleged removal of an Australian PM. At least the second one he's accused of successfully plotting to undemocratically remove!

Lachlan Murdoch denies father Rupert ever said Malcolm Turnbull has 'got to go'

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/jan/23/lachlan-murdoch-denies-father-tried-to-get-rid-of-malcolm-turnbull?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

WEB 2.0 Zuboff surveillance capitalism as Google fined 44m

Lengthy feature (but tad quicker than reading the 600 page book!), but a tightly argued argument against technotopians

'The goal is to automate us': welcome to the age of surveillance capitalism.

And lo and behold, here's a major sign of governmental concern and fightback against the FAANGS ( Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google, Spotify) seizing of user data, the surveillance that Zuboff warns of. No surprise that this comes from Europe - France has fined Google e44m. As Google's breaches are ongoing that could rise to 4% of global revenue, so the already record 44m fine could eventually rise to 4bn!
Google fined record £44m by French data protection watchdog.

Rupert Murdoch will be rather pleased with this - he continues to complain bitterly about (especially) Facebook and Google's use of and profiting from his print media.

WEAK IPSO The Rock says Star made up front page quotes

Getting to the (Rock) bottom of this, the performer's response to seeing what he asserts are made up quotes on the Daily Star's front page was not to contact IPSO ... but to release a short video rebuttal through his social media platforms (specifically a video on his Instagram).

It's hard to argue against the notion that social media can be more effective than the formal regulator: Johnson's version is now very widely known, as opposed to a small correction buried somewhere inside months later.

The Rock says Daily Star fabricated 'snowflake' criticism.

PRESS OWNERSHIP 2019- IPSO and OfCom rulings

Another planned hub post

Evening Standard and Independent could face inquiry over Saudi funds

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/jun/13/evening-standard-could-face-inquiry-over-saudi-investment?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

Will the watchdog dare dismiss this impartiality case against Newsquest? https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/20/watchdog-nuj-impartiality-newsquest-union-ipso?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

Sale of Standard and Independent stakes to Saudi investor investigated

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jun/27/government-investigate-sale-evening-standard-independent-stakes-saudi?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

CIRCULATION Guardian most read trusted QUALITY

Still far behind the Mail and S*n

Guardian most trusted newspaper in Britain, says industry report https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/dec/17/guardian-most-trusted-newspaper-in-britain-says-industry-report?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

PRESS GOOGLE ignores court ban on naming suspect

New Zealand courts banned naming Grace Millane’s accused killer. Google just emailed it out https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/13/new-zealand-courts-banned-naming-grace-millanes-accused-killer-google-just-emailed-it-out?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

PRESS ONLINE ADVERTISING overtakes print at Mail but still falling overall

Mail Online ad revenues overtake print for first time https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/nov/29/mail-online-ad-revenues-overtake-print-for-first-time?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

PRESS No left left claims independent journalist

A lengthy piece by a former Guardian journalist now publishing through his own website, claiming that the centre-left press in Britain is a bastion of fake news antagonistic towards any left-wing figures or causes.

He obviously has his own agenda in saying this, but just as interesting is his claim that the paper's long-term vilification of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange reflects a profound hostility toward the new media and the challenge they represent to the 'status quo press'.

https://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2018-11-28/guardian-vilification-julian-assange/

Assange has declared an intention to sue for libel ... if he can raise the fees from crowdfunding.
https://twitter.com/AssangeLegal/status/1068344360830464002

WEB age rating adult sites hits complications

Millions of porn videos will not be blocked by UK online age checks https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/oct/18/millions-of-porn-videos-will-not-blocked-uk-online-age-checks?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

PRESS BIAS no left left? Guardian right on

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/liberal-press-not-left-wing-it-likes-think

OFCOM TV BAN Saudi-funded Iran station next?

Ofcom investigates TV network over interview praising attack in Iran https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/oct/02/ofcom-investigates-tv-network-interview-praising-terror-attack-iran?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

DCMS demand digital OfCom in Facebook report

Paul-Olivier Dehaye, a Switzerland-based data expert who was one of the witnesses called to give evidence, has fought for years to force Facebook to face up to its legal obligations. He called the report a damning and “comprehensive critique” of all social media companies, but particularly of Facebook. “It looks like the cops are finally arriving.”

The report sets out in great detail what is known about fake news, data targeting, Cambridge Analytica, Facebook and Russian interference, and issues a set of demands that includes new regulation, legislation, codes of ethics and police investigations. It calls for “algorithmic auditing”: for the heavily guarded secrets of the tech companies’ “black boxes” to be smashed open. And for a digital version of Ofcom that would make companies legally liable for harmful or illegal content.

‘Plucky little panel’ that found the truth about fake news, Facebook and Brexit https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jul/28/dcms-committee-report-finds-truth-fake-news-facebook-brexit?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

YOUTUBE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN Family of Five banned ... eventually

YouTube bans FamilyOFive 'pranksters' after child abuse conviction https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/19/youtube-bans-familyofive-pranksters-michael-heather-martin-child-abuse-conviction?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger