Media freedom Internet "cookbook" presented by OSCE's Miklos Haraszti

VIENNA, 16 December 2004 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, today presented a publication prepared by his Office which voices concern over limitations of access to the Internet and offers "recipes" on how to preserve the freedom of the Net.

The book, The Media Freedom Internet Cookbook, also aims to help users and governments fight "bad content", for example hate speech, without jeopardising freedom.

Recommendations stress the unique possibilities the Internet offers in tolerance building and awareness raising.

"There are attempts to control, condition and curtail the Internet's various media types," said Miklos Haraszti. "The OSCE democracies, when they address what their governments or communities see as "bad content", should know that they can go too far."

"Regulatory activism can lead to suppression of freedom regardless of whether this censorship was intended or came as a consequence of ignorance. I intend to warn about the dangers over the Internet just as I do in the case of 'classic' censorship in the print press or the broadcast media, " he added.

The book is a result of major findings of the Second Internet Conference which was organized by the OSCE Media Representative in August 2004 in Amsterdam. An evaluation of the outcomes of the Media Freedom Internet Cookbook will take place during the Third Amsterdam Internet Conference in 2005.

The 270-page publication can be ordered from the Office of the Media Representative or can be downloaded from the link below.