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Revelations continue about Facebook, Cambridge Analytica, and the massive passing around of user data. Read PEN America’s assessment of the free expression issues raised and the criticality of transparency and accountability. Demonstrators surround Sacramento Kings arena to protest police shooting. Former Fox News anchor sues Bill O’Reilly for defamation. Federal prosecutors dismiss assault charges against most of the Turkish president’s security guards in the beating of protesters in Washington D.C. melee. -Dru Menaker, Chief Operating Officer

The most pressing threats and notable goings-on in free expression today

U.S.

Why Facebook users’ data obtained by Cambridge Analytica has probably spun far out of reach
Data on millions of Facebook users that a firm wrongfully swiped from the social network has probably spread to other groups, databases, and the dark Web, complicating Facebook’s pledge to safeguard user privacy. Privacy expert Paul-Olivier Dehaye suspects the data has already proliferated far beyond Cambridge’s reach.
WASHINGTON POST

Protesters block NBA arena over fatal Sacramento police shooting
Protests erupted in Sacramento four days after Stephon Clark, an unarmed black man, was shot by police in his grandmother’s backyard. Demonstrators blocked the entrance to an arena where an NBA game was scheduled Thursday, chanting “Black Lives Matter” and the name of the 22-year-old who was killed.
CNN

Former Fox News anchor sues Bill O’Reilly, alleging defamation
Laurie Dhue, who worked for the cable news network from 2000 to 2008, was one of five women whom the New York Times reported to have received settlements related to O’Reilly’s actions and behavior at the company. Dhue claims that the former Fox host defamed her when he defended himself against sexual harassment accusations.
WASHINGTON POST

Charges Have Been Dropped Against Most Turkish Officers in D.C. Clash
U.S. officials said no one pressured prosecutors to drop charges for political reasons. Instead, the decisions were the result of investigators misidentifying some suspects and failing to develop enough evidence against others, according to the officials and an attorney who provided legal advice to defendants in the case.
WALL STREET JOURNAL

YouTube Bans Firearms Demo Videos, Entering the Gun Control Debate
YouTube will ban videos that promote or link to websites selling firearms and accessories. Additionally, it will prohibit videos instructing how to assemble firearms. YouTube has placed greater restrictions on content several times in the past year, responding to a series of issues with inappropriate and offensive videos.
BLOOMBERG

 
Global

China releases jailed Tibetan blogger, but tightens restrictions on freedom of expression *PEN Case List
The arrest and sentencing of Drukar Gyal, better known by his pen name Shokjang, reflected a tightening of restrictions that has been felt especially hard in the disputed ethnic-minority regions of Tibet and Xinjiang, where Chinese officials have long feared separatism.
THINKPROGRESS

Another journalist has been gunned down in Mexico
Leobardo Vazquez Atzin, who recently launched an independent news page via Facebook, was killed outside his home in Gutierrez Zamora. He is at least the second Mexican reporter slain this year in a nation that ranks among the deadliest for journalists. In 2017, journalists were killed here at a rate of about one a month.
LOS ANGELES TIMES

Ahead of polls, Malaysian cabinet approves fake news Bill
The Malaysian cabinet has approved a controversial Bill to counter fake news and plans to table it in parliament next week amid fears that it will be used to crack down on dissent ahead of looming polls. Critics have questioned the need for the Bill, with human rights advocates worried it could infringe on free speech.
CHANNEL NEWS ASIA

Free speech in Turkey dealt fresh blow with sale of independent media outlets
“With this huge takeover, including Hürriyet, Turkish mass media industry comes under the direct political control of President Erdoğan,” tweeted Kadri Gürsel, a veteran journalist who was recently released from prison pending trial over his work.
THE GUARDIAN

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