Federal Judge’s Order to Shut Down Web Site Raises Censorship Questions

The Feb. 15th order by a Federal judge, which attempted to shut down an entire web site by wiping its name from the Internet Domain Name system, is raising serious censorship questions. The judge issued the order at the request of the Swiss-based Julius Baer Bank, which claimed the web site, Wikileaks.org, had published stolen, confidential bank records. Wikileaks.org exists as a whistleblower site, often publishing information meant to remain secret. The site contains a vast amount of protected speech, wholly unrelated to the bank, notes CDT General Counsel John Morris. “A court order disabling access to an entire web site goes far beyond what the First Amendment permits,” Morris said.