This Week In Techdirt History: November 26th – December 2nd

Five Years Ago

This week in 2018, consumer groups accused the FCC of weakening oversight of cell carriers under the pretense of battling text message spam, activists were making one last push to restore net neutrality via the Congressional Review Act, and senators were continuing to point out that US broadband maps suck. The FBI was demanding identifying info on thousands of YouTube viewers to prosecute a single bombing suspect, the UK was hosting theatrical Facebook hearings about fake news, and the EFF and ACLU were petitioning the court to unseal documents from the DOJ’s latest anti-encryption efforts. We also featured a three part series all about free speech written by Mike Godwin.

Ten Years Ago

This week in 2013, we learned that the White House declined Keith Alexander’s offer to resign so as not to let Snowden win, while we learned more about how the FBI quietly did a lot of the NSA’s spying, and explained how not caring about surveillance because you “haven’t done anything wrong” is a bad way to think. US TPP negotiators were accused of bullying and refusing to budge on ridiculous IP and corporate sovereignty demands, while TPP defenders took to the internet with talking points and inadvertently confirmed opponents’ worst fears. Meanwhile, Team Prenda’s shenanigans continued, as did its staggering losses.

Fifteen Years Ago

This week in 2008, telcos were asking for government money and claiming that the internet would collapse without it, while the Danish high court told ISPs they had to be internet police and block the Pirate Bay. The EFF blasted Apple for a fraudulent DMCA takedown, Hollywood’s DVD cash cow was drying up, and Blockbuster was trying to get into the set-top box game. A German court realized that music samples can be fair use, lawyers for the Dr. Seuss estate were targeting a town Christmas party, and Lori Drew was found not guilty of felonies but guilty of misdemeanors. Also, Reuters gave up on its ill-fated plan to have a full-time Second Life beat for a reporter.