A council has taken legal action against Twitter to try to discover the identity of a blogger behind allegedly libellous statements.
South Tyneside Council went to court in California after three councillors and an official complained they were libelled in a blog called "Mr Monkey.
Independent South Shields councillor Ahmed Khan is suspected of being the author of the blog, which has made a series of unfounded allegations against council leaders.
Mr Khan, who denies being the author of the blog, said he was told by Twitter in April that a request had been lodged relating to his account and messages he had sent.
He said: "I don't fully understand it but it all relates to my Twitter account and it not only breaches my human rights, but it potentially breaches the human rights of anyone who has ever sent me a message on Twitter.
"This is Orwellian. It is like something out of 1984."
The Mr Monkey blog has made a number accusations against the council's Labour leader Iain Malcolm, as well as David Potts, the former Conservative leader who now serves as an Independent councillor, Labour councillor Anne Walsh and Rick O'Farrell, the council's head of enterprise and regeneration.
A spokesman for South Tyneside Council said: "This legal action was initiated by the council's previous chief executive and has continued with the full support of the council's current chief executive.
"The council has a duty of care to protect its employees and as this blog contains damaging claims about council officers, legal action is being taken to identify those responsible."
This is a worrying but not unexpected development. There is no doubt that rotten councils with lots to hide absolutely despise the growth of social networking/blogging sites which have broken the monopoly of news management. For a long time councils have been able to manage what news reaches the public by cosy relationships with local newspapers assisted by the promise of large advertising expenditure for those who toe the line.
The full BBC article on can be read here and let me use this opportunity to reiterate my warning that what you write on the internet can one day come back to haunt you. If you keep it factual and keep it legal you should have nothing to worry about, but start circulating wilful lies or malicious rumours not backed up with evidence and you one day may find yourself in the dock with Big Brother as your judge, jury and jailer. Tameside Citizen
12 comments:
32 brave anti fascist UAF, stood alone against 2000 EDL in Blackpool.
The EDL were demanding a re-opening of the case of a missing girl, linked to a local Muslim takeaway.
The EDL have the full support of the missing girl's family.
The fearless 32 UAF on their counter demo, demand that the case stays closed forever.
The family of the missing girl are now the target of anti fascists, because of their racist demand for the police to re-open the case.
The UAF and other anti fascists, are sicken, outraged, that the family wants the police to find out what happened to their missing daughter.
One anti fascist was quoted as saying: ''Who do they think they are! Next they will be comparing themselves to the Stephen Lawrence family!''
Respect to the brave 32 UAF in Blackpool today, who will campaign non stop, to keep the case of a missing young girl closed.
Funny old World.
Yet Councillor John Taylor, is FREE to make FALSE statements in his election leaflets.
When I first moved to my new house in Dukinfield, John Taylor told my new neighbours that I was removed from Hyde for causing trouble in the area.
He told my new neighbours that, if there was any trouble, my neighbours should let him know and he would get me off the grove.
Councillor Taylor stated in his 2010 election leaflet that I was guilty of racial harassment against a woman with mixed race kids.
Legal action in the good ol' US of A is not cheap. I trust that the bloggers of Tyneside will utilise Freedom of Information legislation to determine how much it does cost.
In the meantime I shall continue to publish information which is backed up by rigourous research to ensure absolute accuracy in what I publish.
Dear Leader of Tameside Council.
Why do Labour Councillors work with extreme groups like uaf and searchlight?
To smear the BNP.
Why do you need to work with these third party groups?
Does that mean I can't say, 'J*** T***** is a f****** c***' for example.
The modern Police's priority is good community relations not the murder of a young white girl. Compare this with the neverending resources and bloodhoundlike determination to continually try and retry someone in the Stephen Lawrence case until they get a conviction of any kind.
Take a look at the pathetic UAF paedo supporters who turned up in Blackpool yesterday.
I don't tend to make personal accusations so I should be alright. If not I've always got some friends from a previous life to help me out of a tight spot.
Its a grand shame that the EDL have jews manipulating them. Tommy Robinson is a decent chap, a regular Wat Tyler if you ask me and I reckon they could get things done. The same with BCG and perhaps Britain First.
I reckon they could get mass support but trurning that into power is one I can't figure out, probably have to wait for events to work to our favour.
Distributor of hate accosted while interfering in the electoral process.
Third party groups like uaf/searchlight have worked closely with John Taylor in Dukinfield since 2007.
The borough Solicitor knows all this, but turns a blind eye to Labour/third party collusion.
It's always in the Dukinfield ward. Mystifying.
Is there no way to stop R West for keep spouting the same thing over and over again He is spoiling the sie which gives us some interesting news items Roy off off off off
Above!
up, up, yours
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