International approaches to regulating socially undesirable speech on the Internet

(assignment developed by Kara Hart-Negrich)

Take a look at the OpenNet Initiative's website. Select at least two countries in the Global Internet Filtering portion (on the main page) and read the profiles and overviews of those countries. Compare and contrast the internet regulations in these countries.

Read Yulia A. Timofeeva, Hate Speech Online: Restricted or Protected? Comparison of Regulations in The United States and Germany, 12 J. Transnat'l L. & Pol'y 253 (2003), comparing internet regulation of hate speech in Germany and the US.

Look at some of Canada's policies:

Read this article on Canadian anti-hate legislation
The text of section 134.1 of Canada's Human Rights Act, proscribing hate speech on the Internet: <http://www.canlii.org/ca/sta/h-6/sec13.html>

Australia's Approach:

This website provides an overview of internet censorship laws in Australia.
Australia Labor Party's Program for "CyberSafety:" http://www.alp.org.au/download/labors_plan_for_cyber_safety.pdf
Read this article - http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/30/australia-joins-china-in-censoring-the-internet/
And this article - http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24452313-5013044,00.html

Thailand:

Read this article about Thailand's Computer Crime Act
And this unofficial translation of the Computer Crime Act