Senior Russian official calls EU ‘direct threat,' says Ukraine membership dangerous
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Arab News
7 minutes ago
- Arab News
Pro-Palestine online content in UK risks censorship, rights groups warn
LONDON: Pro-Palestine online content in the UK could be censored through the twin threat of the Online Safety Act and banning of Palestine Action, human rights groups have warned. Content in support of Palestinians published online could be misconstrued as supporting Palestine Action, a protest group that was proscribed under anti-terrorism laws on July 5, The Guardian reported on Saturday. Index on Censorship, Open Rights Group and other organizations have written to Ofcom, the UK's independent communications regulator, to request clarification on the matter. Signatories to the letter also warned that online content objecting to Palestine Action's banning could be misidentified as unlawful support for the group. Open Rights Group's Sara Chitseko, a pre-crime program manager, told The Guardian: 'Crucial public debate about Gaza is being threatened by vague, overly broad laws that could lead to content about Palestine being removed or hidden online. 'There's also a real danger that people will start self-censoring, worried they might be breaking the law just by sharing or liking posts related to Palestine and nonviolent direct action. 'This is a serious attack on freedom of expression and the right to protest in the UK. We need to ensure that people can share content about Palestine online without being afraid that they will be characterised as supportive of terrorism.' Major online social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok have been advised by Ofcom that they can avoid concerns about meeting the requirements of the Online Safety Act if they are more stringent with censoring content than is mandated by the act. The letter sent to Ofcom by the rights groups warned: 'This approach risks encouraging automated moderation that disproportionately affects political speech, particularly from marginalised communities, including Palestinian voices.' The UK, unlike the EU, lacks a mechanism through which users can appeal the censoring of their online content. Signatories to the letter — which was also sent to Meta, Alphabet, X and ByteDance, owners of the world's top social media platforms — called for the creation of a British dispute mechanism to discourage the censoring of lawful content. The letter added: 'We are concerned that the proscription of Palestine Action may result in an escalation of platforms removing content, using algorithms to hide Palestine solidarity posts and leave individuals and those reporting on events vulnerable to surveillance or even criminalisation for simply sharing or liking content that references nonviolent direct action. 'We are also concerned about what platforms understand by their legal duties regarding expressions of 'support' for Palestine Action.' An Ofcom spokesperson said: 'We have provided detailed guidance to platforms about how to identify the particular types of illegal and harmful material prohibited or restricted by the act, including how to determine whether content may have been posted by a proscribed organisation. 'There is no requirement on companies to restrict legal content for adult users. In fact, they must carefully consider how they protect users' rights to freedom of expression while keeping people safe.'
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Ukraine says it uncovers major drone procurement corruption scheme
KYIV: Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies said on Saturday they had uncovered a major graft scheme that procured military drones and signal jamming systems at inflated prices, two days after the agencies' independence was restored following major protests. The independence of Ukraine's anti-graft investigators and prosecutors, NABU and SAPO, was reinstated by parliament on Thursday after a move to take it away resulted in the country's biggest demonstrations since Russia's invasion in 2022. In a statement published by both agencies on social media, NABU and SAPO said they had caught a sitting lawmaker, two local officials and an unspecified number of national guard personnel taking bribes. None of them were identified in the statement. 'The essence of the scheme was to conclude state contracts with supplier companies at deliberately inflated prices,' it said, adding that the offenders had received kickbacks of up to 30 percent of a contract's cost. Four people had been arrested. 'There can only be zero tolerance for corruption, clear teamwork to expose corruption and, as a result, a just sentence,' President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram. Zelensky, who has far-reaching wartime presidential powers and still enjoys broad approval among Ukrainians, was forced into a rare political about-face when his attempt to bring NABU and SAPO under the control of his prosecutor-general sparked the first nationwide protests of the war. Zelensky subsequently said that he had heard the people's anger, and submitted a bill restoring the agencies' former independence, which was voted through by parliament on Thursday. Ukraine's European allies praised the move, having voiced concerns about the original stripping of the agencies' status. Top European officials had told Zelensky that Ukraine was jeopardizing its bid for European Union membership by curbing the powers of its anti-graft authorities. 'It is important that anti-corruption institutions operate independently, and the law adopted on Thursday guarantees them every opportunity for a real fight against corruption,' Zelensky wrote on Saturday after meeting the heads of the agencies, who briefed him on the latest investigation.
Saudi Gazette
6 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Trump orders deployment of two US nuclear submarines after Medvedev warning
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said Friday he has ordered two U.S. nuclear submarines to be deployed 'to the appropriate regions' following what he called 'highly provocative statements' from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. In a social media post, Trump said the move was precautionary, adding, 'Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances.' Speaking to reporters before departing the White House for his Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey, Trump said, 'A threat was made by a former President of Russia (Medvedev), and we are going to protect our people.' Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, lashed out at Trump on Monday, warning that U.S. pressure on the Kremlin over the war in Ukraine risked escalating into a wider conflict between Washington and Moscow. On X, Medvedev wrote, '50 days or 10 ... He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn't Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country. Don't go down the Sleepy Joe road!' He escalated his remarks in a separate Telegram post, invoking the Soviet-era 'Dead Hand' nuclear system — an automated launch mechanism designed to retaliate if the country's leadership were incapacitated. The system is widely believed to remain operational. — Agencies
