Podcast: Ryan Giggs, super-injunctions, and censoring Twitter

By | May 23, 2011, 7:52am PDT

Summary: Podcast: With Zack Whittaker, explaining the super-injunction row implicating soccer player Ryan Giggs, Twitter censoring itself, and its move to London.

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This podcast, recorded earlier this morning, explains the Twitter row over super-injunctions in its entirety.

The super-injunction row that continues on, with names of alleged soccer players and ex-Big Brother contestants, among many other celebrities’ names flying around the micro-blogging website, could bring Twitter’s closer to legal implications when it brings an office to London later this year.

MP John Hemming only within minutes of this post going live, named the subject of the super-injunction in the House of Commons, as footballer Ryan Giggs (’CTB’).

In this podcast:

  • A run-down of super-injunctions and how they work;
  • Super-injunctions in practice — the ’soccer player example’;
  • Questions regarding the possibility that Twitter is censoring ‘trending topics’ to prevent name disclosure;
  • Examining Twitter’s involvement in controversy and their track record of advocating freedom of speech and defying gagging orders;
  • The consequences of ‘retweeting’ and the implications on US citizens;
  • Twitter’s move to London and the implications on UK ’subpoenas’;
  • Many super-injunction questions answered.

Questions and answers: if you have any questions on super-injunctions, how they work, why they even exist or anything else for that matter, ping a comment below this post.

In slightly lighter news, Twitter has been searching for a European headquarters for months, settling on London as reportedly first choice.

But even amid the super-injunction row, the Financial Times reports that Twitter will still be making its way across the pond to London regardless.

It is not yet clear whether Twitter’s London office will form part of the East London ‘Tech City’ as announced by the UK coalition government late last year.

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Topics

Zack Whittaker, a criminologist who studied at the University of Kent, Canterbury, is a journalist, writer and broadcaster.

Disclosure

Zack Whittaker

I worked briefly with Microsoft UK in 2006 but no longer have any connection with the company. Regardless, I remain impartial and unbiased in my views.

I don't hold any stock or shares, investments or industrial secrets in any company, but have signed confidentiality agreements with a number of UK and U.S. organisations, whose names I am not at liberty to disclose.

I was involved with Kent Union, the University of Kent's student union, undertaking voluntary, non-salaried, elected positions between early 2009 and mid-2010.

No other company, body, government department, non-governmental organisation or third sector organisation employs me or pays me a salary in any capacity whatsoever.

As a freelance journalist, whenever expenses are given and taken by a company that is not CBS Interactive, these will be disclosed in each relevant post to ensure transparency.

I currently work with a UK law enforcement unit, but this is an entirely separate position which bears no connection to other work.

(Updated: 23rd October 2011)

Biography

Zack Whittaker

Zack Whittaker, criminologist who studied at the University of Kent, UK, is a journalist, writer and broadcaster.

After studying criminology at university, though still in his early-20's, he has already had a series unconventional work and voluntary positions. He has worked with researchers studying neurological illnesses like Tourette's syndrome (which he suffers from), has given lectures on the nature of disabilities in the public community, and occasionally ends up speaking on television and radio discussing the events of the day.

He first had academic work published at the age of 22, then still an undergraduate, and has been cited by a wide range of publications: from the Huffington Post, Business Insider, AllThingsDigital, The Atlantic Wire and CBS News.

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RE: Podcast: Super-injunctions and censoring Twitter
FAULKNE 13th Oct
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Wow, this is just stupid (not the post Zack, just nonsense the post is about lol). I mean, is all this truly necessary? I need to read up on all this, because I don't know enough about it right now, but it just seems beyond ridiculous to me.
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Contributr
RE: Podcast: Super-injunctions and censoring Twitter
zwhittaker Updated - 23rd May 2011
@Bates_ I agree. It has reached a point where all but everyone knows -- but nobody is allowed to say anything (but people do). Listen to the podcast when you have a minute -- it explains everything.
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My view from the USA is simply that the law in Britain re super injunctions/privacy was written purely for the financial benefit of Attorneys and Solicitors and has no relationship to reality, as usual sucking up to the EUSSR laws which have for some time concealed the activities of wealthy criminals.
@robert@...

Gagging the press has been an issue in the UK long before the EU existed. Not really a fan of the constitution worship common amongst some Americans but we could really do with a First Amendment right now.
but this superinjunction stuff is crap. It's only practically available to the wealthy and the celebrity set, and it's apparently only used to cover up frivolous misbehavior like affairs.

If I were Andrew Marr, I'd probably want to be proud of the fact that that women still found me appealing.

For a country that has the maturity no to be offended by the 'page 3 girl', superinjunctions are ridiculous and the law should be scrapped.

Meantime, there should be a US industry devoted to reporting every detail of anything prohibited by superinjunctions in the UK. TMZ, Enquirer, where are you?
@HollywoodDog

Agreed.

And it's not like we can trust the courts to correctly decide the distinction between privacy and freedom of expression. After all, they granted Trafigura an injunction preventing newspapers from reporting the dumping of toxic waste off the coast of Africa.
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Message has been deleted.
HollywoodDog Updated - 23rd May 2011
Does the Hot Gossip Act of 2011 regulate football chants as well?
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