At @nypl and around the globe, readers and writers are standing in solidarity with @SalmanRushdie and celebrating his tireless advocacy for freedom of expression and the plight of imperiled writers around the globe. #StandWithSalman
“I thought novels were a waste of my time until I read Rushdie. Then I realized— they are totally another way to capture the truth.” Vivek Gidla on why he came to #StandWithSalman.
🧵Journalists: with the election just a week away, the best thing you can do to keep yourself safe from online attacks is to prepare ahead of time.
If you only have two minutes to spare, watch this Tiktok about password hygiene and make a plan to secure your 10 most sensitive accounts. (2/5)
Already have your accounts locked up? You’re ahead of this curve! Watch this two-minute TikTok about how to reduce the visibility of your private information online. (3/5)
🧵A writer's published work should not be yanked from circulation because it sparks public outcry or sharp disagreement. At its best, literature is a bridge, connecting us across differences; writers help guide the rest of us across that bridge. latimes.com/world-nation/s…
Individuals are free to respond, rebut or criticize as they choose. But to erase the work of a writer who sought to grapple with the complexities of the war in Gaza in her own life is to set a dangerous precedent at odds with the freedom to read and the values of free expression.
The pressures on US cultural institutions in this moment—from without and within—are immense. Those with a mission to foster discourse should do so by safeguarding the freedom to write, read, imagine and tell stories—protecting liberties that will point us to a better future.
As of Sept 29, X will collect new user data including "employment and educational history, as well as biometric data. The company also plans to use that data in new ways, most importantly to train AI. Have this in mind before you hand over your data to X." mashable.com/article/x-twit…
For X Premium users, the company will give an option to provide a government ID & a selfie image for verification purposes. The company may extract biometric data from both the government ID & the selfie image for matching purposes, the company told CNN.
“We may collect & use your personal information (such as your employment history, educational history, employment preferences, skills and abilities, job search activity & engagement, and so on)… to share with potential employers when you apply for a job." bbc.com/news/technolog…
The freedom to read is under assault—particularly in public schools—curtailing students’ freedom to explore words, ideas, & books. In the 2022–23 school year, PEN America recorded 3,362 instances of book bans in US public school classrooms & libraries.
PEN America's new report highlights the disproportionate number of bans occurring in Florida — where over 40% of all book bans took place in the 2022-23 school year.
#BannedBooks #BannedInTheUSA
The movement to ban books has increasingly focused on content perceived as “sexual” or “inappropriate.”
However, more than 75% of all books banned are books specifically written and selected for younger audiences. Fewer than 25% are classified as an adult book.
🧵PEN America works tirelessly to defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. Here are some of the latest ways PEN America is speaking out. pen.org/pen-america-sp…
PEN America released Booklash: Literary Freedom, Online Outrage, and the Language of Harm—a report that warned against the cancellation of books due to online outrage and called for a broad recommitment to the freedom to write & the freedom to read. (2/x) https://t.co/3Jg7Bwe3MVpen.org/report/booklas…
“Authoritarians silence the most vulnerable voices first so that you might get used to it, but it’s highly unlikely to stop there,” said PEN America's @summerelopez discussing book banning at Monadnock Summer Lyceum.
🧵Journalists rely on confidential sources to report on matters of vital public concern. Law enforcement's sweeping raid on The Marion County Record and confiscation of its equipment almost certainly violates federal law & puts the paper's ability to publish the news in jeopardy.
Such egregious attempts to interfere with news reporting cannot go unchecked in a democracy. Law enforcement can, and should, be held accountable for any violations of The Record's legal rights. (2/2)
Police stage 'chilling' raid on Marion County newspaper, seizing computers, records and cellphones - @KansasReflector kansasreflector.com/2023/08/11/pol…