No more bitchy blogs?

"Today, the Council of Europe (an influential quasi-governmental body that drafts conventions and treaties) is to finalize a proposal that would force all Internet news organizations, moderated mailing lists and even web logs (blogs) to allow a right of response to any person or organization they criticize. This would mean that you would be required to post the responses as well as authenticate their origin and make the responses available for some period of time. This will likely have a chilling effect on Internet communication (at least in Europe)."

I guess if we follow suit in the USA, Mr. Bush will have to hire new staff to write all the responses for him.

Comments

Guess I won't be hosting Talk Stink on a European Union server anytime soon.

Then again, I always welcome feedback and the chance to publish it.

Hey, there's hope; I saw a story today where the chairman of the EU equivalent of the FCC will soon meet with "holier-than-thou, public-opinion-be-damned" Michael Powell of the US FCC. This kind of Fairness Doctrine will soon be abolished in the EU, too.

Not that I despise the guy or anything.

Sarcasm in this case is understandable, but this is actually not a laughing matter. If you'd like to read an English reaction to this latest "right to reply" idea, go here.

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