Wikimedia still hosting some pornographic images of children

Washington, May 11 (ANI): Despite starting a purging operation to remove pornographic images of children on its website, Wikimedia hasn’t managed to remove all the pictures.

Last week, after FoxNews.com asked dozens of Wikimedia Foundation’s corporate donors for comments about the vast pornographic content on the company”s educational servers, Wikipedia’s parent company began flushing the images off its site.

According to Foxnews.com, Wikimedia president Jimmy Wales said, “Much of the cleanup is done, although there was so much hardcore pornography on commons that there”s still some left in nooks and crannies.

“I”m taking the day off from deleting, both today and tomorrow, but I do encourage people to continue deleting the most extreme stuff.

“But as the immediate crisis has passed (successfully!) there is not nearly the time pressure that there was. I”m shifting into a slower mode.

“We were about to be smeared in all media as hosting hardcore pornography and doing nothing about it. Now, the correct storyline is that we are cleaning up. I”m proud to have made sure that storyline broke the way it did, and I”m sorry I had to step on some toes to make it happen.

“Now, the key is: let”s continue to move forward with a responsible policy discussion.”

The remaining images, which are drawings and not photos, are topics of contention with some arguing that they do not break any law of obscenity.

Wales however, seemed fickle minded about deleting the categories.

The FBI hasn’t confirmed whether an investigation will be carried out or not.

James Marsh, an attorney who represents victims of child sexual exploitation says, “Wikipedia has an undisputable affirmative corporate responsibility to keep such material off their sites, which are almost universally available in elementary schools and public libraries,” he said. “Every other content provider has to play by these rules. Why not Wikipedia?” (ANI)

Chinese officials revoke porn fine on man following public outcry

Yibin (Sichuan, China), Mar. 27 (ANI): The public bureau in Yibin, Sichuan province, on Wednesday revoked a decision to fine a man who allegedly downloaded pornographic content from the Internet, after his case provoked wide concern online.

According to the China Daily, the man was fined 3,000 Yuan for allegedly downloading pornographic videos and pictures. Nanxi county police, who caught the man red-handed, made the decision.

The case later aroused fierce criticism from the country”s netizens who claimed the county”s authority had violated the man”s civil rights. (ANI)

Dutch national Heum says he is not guilty

Chennai, Feb 27 (ANI): William Heum, the Dutch national, who was arrested last year in November under the new IT Act for digital child pornography has claimed innocence.

Speaking to the media persons here on Friday, Heum sought assistance from the Dutch Embassy, saying they should help him. He said the embassy is in constant touch with his lawyer.

Heum, 56, was earlier granted bail by the Saidapet Metropolitan Court in Chennai with a directive that he should appear before the cyber crime wing of the Tamil Nadu Police once in a week.

The cyber crime wing had arrested Heum on November 7 last year for uploading child pornographic content on the Internet.

Pornographic CDs and other incriminating documents used in the process were also recovered during the raid.

Heum however, claims he was arrested for being a social worker.

Heum was previously arrested by the Mahabalipuram Police in 2002 and charged with having sex with minors.

That trial is still on. (ANI)

Victoria Police officers’ emails too “racist and offensive” to be released, Police chief admits

Melbourne, Mar 25(ANI): Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Simon Overland has said the series of offensive emails shared among the state’s police officers are too “racist and offensive” to be released publicly.

According to reports, at least 100 officers could face the sack for these emails, which are said to contain racist, homophobic and pornographic content.

Overland did not confirm details of the emails, but said some were “extremely serious, and offensive”.

“We’re not talking about one item, we””re talking about multiple items,” News.com.au quoted Overland, as having told ABC Radio.

He also refused to confirm if the emails contained racist comments against Indian or African citizens, against whom there have been a string of racist attacks in the recent months.

“I””m not going to describe exactly the nature of the material in question. If the Victorian public were aware of the nature of that material, I believe that it””s of such a nature that it would cause significant concern within the Victorian community,” Overland said.

He further said some of the emails raise “real questions about a number of individuals’ suitability to continue with Victoria Police”.

The police chief also informed that the ethical standards department has been using computer experts to track the email.

Two officers have already been given a “Section 68”, whereby Overland notifies the officers that he has lost confidence in them and they must show cause why they should not be dismissed. (ANI)

Chinese Govt. delays orders on software designed to block pornography

New Delhi, July 1 (ANI): The Chinese Government has delayed the mandatory installation of the controversial “Green Dam-Youth Escort” filtering software on new computers that was scheduled to start today.

The software is designed to block violence and pornographic content on the Internet to protect minors, but users have repeatedly raised concerns about invasion of privacy.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which oversees the software installation, said that the delay came after “some computer producers said such a massive installation demanded extra time.”

It did not set a date for when the order to install the software would come into force. But the ministry will continue to provide free downloads of the software and equip school and Internet bar computers with it, Xinhua quoted a spokesman for MIIT, as saying.

“I would certainly not like such a program installed on my new PC,” said a 30-year-old art researcher.

“I assume the move is a result of mounting pressure in recent days,” he added, without revealing his real name.

In the interview with Xinhua, the MIIT defended the filtering software as “an act for public good,” and said it conforms to WTO rules.

The ministry held some foreign media and groups responsible for false reports about the software, which they described it as spyware that hinders freedom of online access.

The ministry also said that if any copyright dispute were to arise, the issue would be dealt with according to the law.

California-based Solid Oak claims the Green Dam has ripped off its CyberSitter software and it has threatened action in China.

Neither of the two developers of the filter – which cost the government 41.7 million yuan were available for comment on Tuesday. (ANI)

Google says it will clean up porn results from its Chinese portal

Beijing, June 21 (ANI): Google Inc. has announced that it would take all necessary measures to comb out pornographic results in its Chinese-language portal, Google.cn.

“We are undertaking a thorough review of our service and taking all necessary steps to fix any problems with our results,” a statement from Google’s headquarters in Silicon Valley in the United States said.

Search engine giant’s communications director of Asian-Pacific Region, John Pinette, has confirmed that the company’s representative in China had met with government officials to discuss problems with the Google.cn service and its serving of pornographic content.

Google’s declarations come in the wake of Chinese authorities criticizing some of the search results served up by Google violated the country’s Internet regulations and laws.

On Thursday, the China Internet Illegal Information Reporting Center (CIIRC) had “strongly condemned” Google’s Chinese portal for providing links to pornography and lewd information.

The California-based Internet searching company had been warned twice for providing those pornographic links by the CIIRC in the first four months this year.hina Daily quoted Google’s statement as saying that the thorough review was a “substantial engineering effort” and the company “have addressed the large majority of the problem results.”

Jessie Zhang, a staff with Google’s PR agent in China, also provided a similar statement, saying that it would continue to communicate directly with Chinese government on its services in China and the progress of the current problem’s solving.

The national office for Internet pornography crackdown said further actions would be taken depending on Google China’s implementation of the orders.

In the past month, 1,001 Web sites had been blocked by Chinese authorities for distributing porn and other lewd material and more than 4,000 web sites that were shut down also had been investigated, according to the CIIRC. (ANI)

Clerics: We don’t want to ban Facebook, we use it – Indonesia

AKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) — Indonesian Islamic clerics say they have not called for a ban on popular social networking sites like Facebook, and that they are avid users themselves.

According to media reports, the clerics in East Java had banned the faithful from gossiping and flirting on social networking Web sites such as Facebook and Friendster. They also demanded an end to “lewd and pornographic” content, the reports said.

However, Muchammad Nabil Haroen, a spokesman for the Liboryo Islamic Boarding School, told CNN Monday that they were not after a ban and that he and several other clerics had Facebook accounts.

Haroen said that a meeting of about 700 clerics at the boarding school last week had issued guidelines on the use of online networks and mobile phones, saying Web sites like Facebook should only be used for “positive” purposes like networking and seeking old friends.

“If Facebook is used for negative purposes like drug dealing or prostitution, then it’s forbidden,” he clarified.

If it was used for such offences the clerics could push for a fatwa or edict, he said.

He stressed that the clerics’ statement was only a recommendation for the Indonesian Council of Religious Scholars and the Nahdlatul Ulama, one of the country’s largest Muslim organizations, to consider.

Choli Nafis, deputy head of Nahdlatul Ulama’s Fatwa Commission, confirmed the organization had received the recommendation but said: “Facebook is just a tool, like a car or a television. If people use it in a good way, there’s no need to ban it.”

Nafis too, uses Facebook.

The most recent fatwas include bans on smoking in public and the practice of yoga that incorporates religious rituals like chanting and meditation. These have largely been ignored by Indonesian Muslims.

A survey cited by alexa.com, which tracks Internet traffic, and that appeared in The Jakarta Post, found that Facebook was the top ranked site in Indonesia.

Nearly four percent of all Facebook users come from Indonesia, making it the largest source of visitors after the United States, United Kingdom, France and Italy, alexa.com found.

Obama’s Deputy Attorney General nominee used to represent Playboy

Washington, Feb.5 (ANI): President Barack Obama’s pick for deputy attorney general, David Ogden, used to represent Playboy, and in one case, he successfully paved the way for blind people to enjoy the magazine at the Library of Congress.

According to Fox News, questions are now being asked whether it would be proper to name a strident defender of Playboy and other purveyors of nudity as the number two at the nation’s top law enforcement agency.

“There’s essentially a question of propriety,” said Brian Burch, president of the religious conservative group, Fidelis — which released a critical report on Ogden’s past representation.

Burch co-signed a letter this week to committee members raising flags about Ogden, up for deputy attorney general, and other nominees.

At a time when Congress is engrossed in a debate over stimulus, Fidelis argues Ogden was engaged in the wrong kind.

One of Ogden’s triumphs came in 1986, when he argued against the Library of Congress’ decision to stop publishing Braille editions of Playboy magazine. He won, on behalf of the American Council for the Blind, Playboy and other plaintiffs.

Afterward he was quoted as saying he hopes the decision doesn’t create a burden but “that’s the price of violating people’s First Amendment rights.”

Ogden also represented Playboy two decades ago in pushing for the federal court to stop then-Attorney General Edwin Meese from releasing a “black list” of distributors of allegedly pornographic content. He won that as well.

Ogden frequently represented clients, not all of them nudie-magazines, who challenged what they saw as censorship and unconstitutional restrictions.

Burch said Ogden’s legal work does not disqualify him for the job of deputy attorney general. But he still said the Senate should vote against him.

The National District Attorneys Association, however, says Ogden has an “institutional perspective” of the agency and is an impressive candidate.(ANI)