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20 August 2010

MediaWatch

Stig threatened with lawsuit, Facebook launches feature, South Korea blocks North Korea’s activities

By Staff Blogger

The Stig, the anonymous stunt driver from BBC’s Top Gear, has been threatened with legal action by the broadcaster over plans to publish his autobiography which would disclose his identity.

Facebook has launched a new location-based feature that enables users to “check in” at a location and to see others in the same place. The feature has reignited the debate around the privacy of users’ data on the social network.

South Korea has blocked North Korea’s recently-opened Twitter account because its Communication Standards Commission concluded that the tweets are illegal under the decades-old National Security Law.

A Venezuelan ban on violent images in the press has been retracted after an outcry about infringements of press freedom. President Chávez has accused his political opponents of exaggerating the issue of violent crime in the country.

A Bangladeshi newspaper editor has become the first person to be sentenced for contempt of court by the country’s Supreme Court. Mahmudur Rahman, acting editor of the opposition-affliated daily Amar Den, was arrested in June and his paper shut down because it was said to be printed illegally.

And from the commentators today:

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Nick Petrie rounds up new trends in media consumption.

Paul Smith looks at the longer-term implications of Facebook’s new location feature.

Jon Slattery collects the quotes of the week, including gems from Katie Price, Peter Preston and Stephen Glover.

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