Yahoo!, Mumsnet and ISPs join forces to demand change in libel law

Yahoo!, Mumsnet and the Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) have written an open letter to the Prime Minister David Cameron calling for urgent reform of our libel laws. Currently, forum providers and ISPs are being forced to act as judge and jury over the content of websites, blogs and online discussions.

The effect is that libel threats are causing online content to be censored, even when the material is not actually defamatory.

The internet companies are angered that the multiple publication rule which they are bound by, predates not only the invention of the internet, but that of the light bulb.

The call for reform, comes in a week when a worrying report on the effect of our libel laws on online free speech has been submitted to the Ministry of Justice. The report which includes the results of a survey of bloggers and forum hosts highlights the chilling effect the law is having on online publication.

The Libel Reform Campaign of English PEN, Index on Censorship and Sense About Science has been advocating wholesale reform of our libel laws for a year, during which they have collected 54,000 public signatures for reform, persuaded half of all eligible MPs in the last Parliament to back reform and got a manifesto pledge from all three main political parties at the last general election.

A draft Libel Reform Bill is expected in the New Year.
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Watch: Stewart Lee on political correctness

The comedian Stewart Lee was interviewed on BBC Five Live this week, and Richard Bacon asks him about ‘political correctness’.

Lee talks about ‘Winterval’ too.