In the wake of last week’s introduction of a LibDem pro-web-censorship amendment to the Digital Economy Bill in the House of Lords, Open Rights Group executive director Jim Killock has a call to action for supporters of all the UK’s political parties to join ORG and its nonpartisan effort to promote liberty and openness in the digital realm.
(Incidentally, the LibDem Lords’ support for web-censorship has sparked a rebellion in the party, and there’s an exciting pro-Net-Neutrality, pro-freedom emergency motion that’s to be put to the party conference this coming weekend in Birmingham)
In Labour, Tom Watson, John Grogan and others have raised strongly their voices about disconnection, from their Labour values of social justice and progressive politics: but their party is pushing for the punishment of the innocent in the Digital Economy Bill.
The Conservatives, the friends of liberty in markets, remain supportive of the opposite, through of disconnection and harsh IP enforcement in the Digital Economy Bill.
What can we do to make our political representatives understand the consequences of their actions, and how they are being misled into working against their own values? Protests, letters, press work, this all helps, but we need a deeper change.
In companies, board rooms, and in every social network – voices that understand the impacts of the digital age are needed. From the Greens and the Pirate Party – we need greater dialogue and connection with groups like ours.
In short – we need a much bigger movement, crossing every political and social divide. We need you. We need you to join ORG.
What the Lib Dem web blocking amendment shows: we need more members, from every walk of life
(Thanks, Jim!)