If you enjoy freedom of expression and the unencumbered exchange of ideas, please pay attention to this story.I read this story in more than one place, but here's as good a link as any to read about Comcast blocking the emails of an organization called afterdowningstreet.org. This organization wants to look into possible impeachable offenses committed by the Bush administration in its Iraq-attack. Here's what happened to them:
"We didn't know it, but for the past week, anyone using Comcast has been unable to receive any Email with 'www.afterdowningstreet.org' in the body of the Email...
Comcast effectively censors discussion of particular political topics, and impedes the ability of people to associate with each other, with absolutely no compulsion to explain itself. There is no due process. A phrase or web address is tried and convicted in absentia and without the knowledge of those involved.
Now, did Comcast do this because it opposes impeaching the President? I seriously doubt it. Apparently the folks at Symantec did this, and Comcast condoned it. But why?
Well, we have no evidence to suggest that these 46,000 complaints actually exist, but we can be fairly certain that if they do, they were generated by someone politically opposed to our agenda. There's simply no possible way that we've accidentally annoyed 46,000 random people with stray Emails and mistyped addresses. We've only been around for a month and a half, and we haven't spammed anyone. In fact, during the course of trying to resolve the problem, Comcast assured us that they knew we hadn't spammed anyone. And once we'd gotten Symantec's attention, they didn't hesitate to lift the block.
But it had taken serious pressure to find out what the problem was and who to ask for a remedy. We only solved this because we could threaten a flood of negative attention."
I don't care what your political affiliation is; this is chilling. If you call yourself American or in any way support democracy, this is just wrong WRONG WRONG.
It is also a warning salvo. What else can/will they do to curtail our freedom to communicate?
