How Cointelpro Works

How Cointelpro Works

by Susan Basko, Esq.

The other day, a true troll lawyer who is suing "half the people on the internet" posted a link to a cointelpro-created blog article that is supposed to cause people to think ill of me. The article, which is several years old, is a classic example of cointelpro.  In this age of the internet, cointelpro smear pieces have lasting power.

 The cointelpro smear piece against me emanates from early Occupy Los Angeles and keeps being revived by the cointelpro agents and their dupes. Before the OccupyLA camp started, there were planning meet-ups. Some of my family and friends were involved, and I gave some legal advice, such as to get porta-potties and that it is legal to sleep at night on the sidewalks in Los Angeles. After the OccupyLA camp got situated in the park by City Hall, it soon was infiltrated by paid agents.  Some of those agents formed a group that was supposedly more radical. This is a common technique to draw in the fringe elements and often, to entrap them. That supposed radical group was engaging in hardcore smear campaigns against many of the people who were doing the most positive work in running the camp, the media, and the finances.  I was quietly advising many of the people who were being smeared by this supposed radical group.  The supposed radical group had (and still has) a tumblr that is used to attack others, in typical cointelpro fashion.

Now watch how cointelpro works: One day, I was doing some trademark work and I noticed that 2 different people had applied for trademarks on the Occupy LA name.   One was an application by a person who was trying to "own" the OccupyLA name for himself as an organization and the other was trying to own the name for commercial products.   I thought it was important for the OccupyLA group to retain its own name and trademarks and not allow ownership of the name to be usurped by individuals looking to make a profit.

I emailed my findings about the trademark applications  to the editor of the OccupyLA website, for which I wrote many articles.  The editor asked me to put it in writing what could be done about the trademark applications and to list how much it would cost to deal with it.  I wrote him a simple explanation of the range of possibilities:  I could keep an eye on the situation and wait and see if the two trademark applications that were pending made any progress and report back to him as any changes took place, and this would cost nothing.  I could mount challenges to the two trademark applications by writing and filing letters and this would cost whatever the fee was for that, with my time donated.  The most aggressive tact would be to challenge the pending applications as well as to file trademark applications for the main real OccupyLA group, in the same categories that were in the pending applications.  The government filing fee on each category is $300.  So while I was willing to donate a good chunk of my time, this aggressive proposal would still cost a few thousand dollars.  Depending on the available budget, the group could choose the wait-and-see approach, the aggressive approach, or somewhere in between.

The editor of the OccupyLA site forwarded my emailed report to a few people, among them at least one of the cointelpro agents in the supposed radical group.  Soon, this person was creating a fantasy that I was greedy, that I was hoping to be paid "big money" that increased with each time he wrote the smear story.  First it was $1000, then $3000, then $10,000.  And the smears became outlandish.

When one is dealing with cointelpro agents, there is no dealing.  If you tell cointelpro agents that the thing they are saying is untrue, they simply create more lies.  I had been watching for  months as these same cointelpro agents worked hard to chase off the most productive people at OccupyLA. The victims of the cointelpro smear campaigns were concerned for their reputations, and rightly so.  I too, was concerned for my reputation. I knew the cointelpro agents who were working OccupyLA were fierce, highly trained at disinfo campaigns, at stopping productivity, and at causing rifts and divisions.

The same cointelpro tumblr and twitter account are still up and running and still maintained by obvious cointelpro agents. They still post links to their smear articles to try to harm the reputations of the people who helped productively with OccupyLA.

The reality is that I gave many hours to the people of OccupyLA and continue to give free legal advice and assistance to those who ask.  This happens behind the scenes.  The other reality is that while the camp was going, I was the one steering in many of the donations. Donations were money, food, water, tents, blankets, clothing.   I never asked anything of OccupyLA, but rather, offered to assist with the trademark situation and told what the costs would be.

The important thing to understand is that cointelpro agents weave their fantasies to scare off productive people, to create divisions, create confusion or fear, all to stop societal change from taking place.

Here is an interesting catch: Whenever I see this ludicrous cointelpro article claiming I somehow tried to make money by helping OccupyLA, I know that the person posting it is in touch with or working with the cointelpro agents.  Or the cointelpro agents see an ill-informed dupe and send them a link to their defamatory smear piece.   That's because any of the real people who actually helped with OccupyLA also had this same bunch write a smear piece on them.  Or many smear pieces.

Last I checked, new smear pieces were still being created by these same cointelpro operatives.   One of the agents often uses twitter to post a short, outlandish smear. I saw one where he posted saying a man I know was a rapist.  Just that.  A 140 character tweet with no further info, just labeling a very good, kind man a rapist.

There is little to nothing that can be done about cointelpro agents, other than to make people aware of what is going on, make them aware of the presence and work of the agents, and to gather the good, productive people into a safety net for each other.  Understanding the mechanisms of cointelpro and disinfo campaigns is important when trying to build a community or movement.  The powers that be very much want to control the people, the events, and the outcome.  Challenges to the status quo, challenges to have a better, happier, more fair society are frightening to those whose livelihood or luxury depend on quashing new ways of thinking and being.

So, when a person copies, quotes, or links to any of the cointelpro-created smear articles, this is a sure way to tell the person is either a cointelpro agent, a dupe, a fool, or just very naive and new to protest.

Barrett Brown's Plan to Overthrow the Government

Barrett Brown's Plan to Overthrow the Government

by Susan Basko

By now, you have probably heard that the U.S. government, on February 14, 2014, in the federal criminal case USA v Barrett Lancaster Brown, filed a sealed Opposition to Brown's Motion to Dismiss the first of three indictments against him and that in it, the U.S. alleged that Brown and Anonymous "secretly plotted the overthrow of the government."  At first glance, this sounds similar to people in the early 1960s afraid that young folks wearing bobby socks and dancing the Twist were plotting to overtake the nation with Communism.  At that time, those were serious concerns of quite a few people.  Today, there is serious concern that Barrett Brown may get prison time based on notions that seem just as far-fetched.

snippet of Docket in US v Barrett L Brown  

Why is the government filing sealed documents in a criminal case, which by the U.S. Constitution is supposed to be a process open to the public?  The docket, pictured in part above, shows that Brown's lawyers filed the Motion to Dismiss as Document 98.  Then there is a gap, with Documents 99 - 101 missing.  Those 3 documents are likely a motion by the government requesting to file an Opposition to Brown's Motion to Dismiss under seal, the Court Order giving the government the right to file that Opposition under seal, and the Opposition Reply itself.  In order to be able to file under seal, the government usually must state that the document contains information or allegations of crimes that are still under investigation.

Since the Opposition was filed under seal, we know of its contents only by the inferences that can be made and the quotes from it contained in Brown's Reply to the Government's Opposition, which can be read HERE.  Brown's Reply states that the government is alleging that Brown and Anonymous "secretly plotted the overthrow of the government." Since the document is filed under seal, this likely means the government is engaging in an active investigation into this alleged crime.  So, this is serious.

If you carefully read the law below, you will note that "overthrow of government" refers to that done by "force or violence," including by threats of violence against persons or property. If the government were able to prove that Brown or any member of Anonymous were advocating, publishing, or organizing to overthrow the government by force or violence, including by threats, then those who do so or who conspire to do so might be imprisoned for up to 20 years.  So, this allegation by the government is rather extreme, and not the ridiculous joke it seems at first glance.

The law that pertains to overthrow of government is
US TITLE 18  PART I  CHAPTER 115   § 2385 ADVOCATING OVERTHROW OF GOVERNMENT.   
Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State, Territory, District or Possession thereof, or the government of any political subdivision therein, by force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any such government; or

Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, or attempts to do so; or

Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof—

Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.

If two or more persons conspire to commit any offense named in this section, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.

As used in this section, the terms “organizes” and “organize”, with respect to any society, group, or assembly of persons, include the recruiting of new members, the forming of new units, and the regrouping or expansion of existing clubs, classes, and other units of such society, group, or assembly of persons.

The law prohibits the overthrow of government by "force or violence."  "Violence" is defined under Federal penal code as:
TITLE 18  PART I  CHAPTER 1  § 16 CRIME OF VIOLENCE DEFINED
The term “crime of violence” means—
(a) an offense that has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person or property of another, or
(b) any other offense that is a felony and that, by its nature, involves a substantial risk that physical force against the person or property of another may be used in the course of committing the offense.  

Tweet in @BarrettBrownLOL timeline Sept 9 2012  

So, it is okay to advocate changing or overturning the government, just not by force or violence.  Now, let's take a look at the methods actually proposed by Barrett Brown.  Perusing Brown's Twitter timeline, this series of tweets (above) about the ICP is found.  The ICP is Insane Clown Posse.  In a move bordering on hilarious, the FBI recently declared the Insane Clown Posse to be a "gang." To be blunt, the ICP is a bunch of white trash fans of the ICP rap band.  They call themselves Juggaloes and paint their faces like clowns.  The females are called Juggalettes and dress like cheap whores. Sorry, there is no other adequate way to describe it. The Gathering of the Juggaloes is a yearly music fest, usually held at a very rural place in Southern Illinois, that involves drinking beer, sliding in mud, fighting, and listening to exceptionally crappy music.  If these folks go to one music fest a year, thank goodness it is the Gathering of their own kind.

Barrett Brown is clearly joking in these tweets.  The ICP members are no more capable of  "seizing Michigan" than they would be of using a fork properly.  These tweets are droll wit, portending an imaginary future when the ICP is a political force, rather than a musical farce.

Tweet in @BarrettBrownLOL timeline Sept 7, 2012 

Nearby on the Twitter timeline, there is this tweet, with hashtags that seem to be Brown calling #Anonymous to #revolution.  What is at the pastebin is shown below. It is a document obviously written by Barrett Brown, that he titles "Operation Pursuant."  It is an exhaustive listing of methods of communication and gathering, mostly via the internet.  This is a revolution of thought, to take place not in meeting halls, but on the internet.  NOWHERE DOES THE DOCUMENT EVEN HINT AT ANYTHING VIOLENT.  This is Brown's manifesto: that people should gather on the internet, discuss, research, and share their ideas and information.  If this is Brown's attempt to "overthrow the government," it is perfectly legal, totally Constitutional, perhaps even Jeffersonian.

Operation Pursuant - Barrett Brown

Ukraine Protest Support

Ukraine Protest Support 

please watch and share

Human Rights Watch asks OSCE to send a Human Rights envoy to Ukraine immediately:

2014_Ukraine_letter to OSCE Chairman

OSCE Guide to Peaceful Assembly:

OSCE Guidelines for Peaceful Assembly

Basic Venue Safety for festivals, Concerts, Shows, Protests, Parties

Basic Venue Safety

for Festivals, Concerts, Shows, Protests, Parties, and More

by Susan Basko

See also: Counter-Protesters and Counter-Demonstrators

When you gather a large group of people for an event, your top most priority should be their safety.  Disasters happen very quickly and are almost always avoidable.  The conditions that cause a disaster are almost always the result of those running the event taking a shortcut, not thinking things through, being lazy, or being cheap.   By "disaster," we mean something that causes multiple deaths or injuries. In a venue disaster, the deaths will usually be from smoke/fire, trampling, or crushing.

The place where the event is being held is the venue.  The venue may be indoors or outdoors. Disasters happen at outdoor venues, too.  Different types of events have different purposes, but the safety factors on all of them are quite similar.   Here are some basics:

Capacity:  Every venue, indoors or out,  has a maximum legal capacity of how many people are to be allowed in.  Exceeding the capacity is extremely dangerous.  The capacity of an indoor venue may be stated as one number if standing and another number if seated.  If a venue is such that patrons are flowing in and out, then you must use counters and see how many are inside before letting more in.

At most venues, the legal capacity is posted on a sign on the wall.  If you make a habit of looking at these signs, you will see that most venues have a much lower legal capacity than you might expect.  The legal capacity is based on square feet, purpose, whether patrons will be standing or seated, and if seated, at chairs or at tables, number of exits, number of toilets, and other factors.  It is great for an event to draw a crowd, but if the crowd exceeds the capacity of the venue, it is dangerous.

Permits/ Inspections:  Almost every locale requires any venue to be inspected and licensed as a permanent venue or permitted as a special venue.  These permits and inspections go a  long way in providing for safety. Most locales will inspect the layout of the space, the exits, the smoke detectors and sprinklers, lighting, electricity, platforms and stages, structures, props and hangings, sanitation, and any food service.  Many locales have written laws, rules, or policies that spell these factors out in detail.  You should work with people who know the rules and follow them.  Buy the guidebooks and have your staff use them.

Layout:  The floor layout for an event should be done in advance to scale with a computer rendering.  It should be done according to the local laws.  By law,  there must be large amounts of space between two tables.  By law, there must be a very wide open space in front of and around any exit or pre-exit.  A pre-exit is the exit from a room to another space that is not the outdoors.  A venue may have 5 or  6 pre-exits from the event space to the outdoors.  Each pre-exit must be carefully planned and the space around it must be laid out properly.   At set-up time, the floor is measured and marked with chalk, so the layout matches the rendering.

Exits:  Disasters often happen because there are inadequate exits or exits have been blocked or locked. Even if a place has been inspected and licensed, if a manager or security guard gets it into their heads to lock exits, for their reasons of "safety," they can invalidate the license, invalidate the insurance, and endanger lives.  Never allow anyone to lock or block an exit.  If a venue has been licensed or permitted based on  a certain number of exits, if one of those exits is not functioning, at any time or for any reason, the entire venue becomes unsafe and usually also is invalidating its license and insurance and well as endangering lives.  If a venue needs to hire an extra set of people to stand by a door to make sure people do not sneak in, or whatever the concern is, then that is what must be done.  An exit cannot be locked or blocked for any reason.

Never allow any item to be placed in front of an exit. Items that some may be tempted to place in front of an exit include a ticket table, merchandise table or booth, autographs table, coat rack, etc.   Laws in most places require wide aisles or spaces between tables or between banks of chairs, and at least 10 feet of clearance in all directions at any exit.  Most places require lit "Exit" signs.  Venues should have emergency light systems that go on if the other lights fail, or in case of smoke or fire.

Exit Path:  The exit path should be designed so that each succeeding exit space is bigger and wider than the last.  This is equally important at an outdoor venue as indoors.  There was a terrible crushing disaster a few years ago at an outdoor festival where the exit gates led to a wide space that then led to a narrower tunnel.  Too many people got into the tunnel and people were crushed to death.  In an indoor venue, make sure the exit bath is not made narrower by lines to bathrooms, furniture, a snack bar, magazine racks, etc.  If the lights are out and the place is dark and filled with smoke, anyone walking or crawling to an exit should meet no obstacles.  Turn out the lights and try it.

Fire Hazards:  Disasters have been caused by such things as sound insulation that was not fireproof, use of pyrotechnics, decorations that were not flameproof, patrons using lighters to see, and other such things that, in hindsight, were easy to detect.  Absolutely any item that is used as a structure, decoration, prop, or furnishing in a venue should be flameproof or highly flame retardant.  Hold a lighter to it for 10 minutes and see if it burns.  Curtains, insulation, table cloths, upholstered chairs, decorations, etc. must all be flameproof.  Pyrotechnics or flame should never be used indoors and if outdoors, should only be run by licensed professionals in a space that has been inspected by a fire marshal.   Venues that bend these rules are the ones where a disaster is more likely.

Structures:  Collapse of stages or structures is sure to be disastrous.  Hire only a licensed, bonded, insured company and have the structures inspected by an outside source.  If a stage or structure appears to be top heavy, flimsy, off-balance, shaky, etc., it probably is.  Such situations may occur because those holding the event are trying to cut corners, save money, do things cheaply.  This is unacceptable.

Crushing: Crushing disasters happen when too many people get into one space at one time.  That's simple and logical, but preventing it is a fine art.  At outdoor venues with open lawn area, venues still often have the area just in front of the stage as a seating area, often with tickets. This is to prevent stage crush.

Even if an entire venue has seating, there can be crush if open seating, first-come, first in is used.  This is sometimes called "festival seating," a term that makes no sense, since the audience at a festival does not sit, but walks around.   This type of ticketing has been outlawed in some places.  It is much safer to assign tickets to seats.

Rowdy Patrons:  Patrons who are intoxicated or agitated can present a danger, obviously.  The usual techniques of screening at the entry and a good security force work well to prevent fights.  However, rowdy people are also the ones likely to cause a panic that leads to a rush to the exits.  A rush to an exit can happen quickly.  Security should be trained to isolate and contain any incident, so it does not result in a rush of people, with danger of a crush.  Making sure the venue is laid out properly and that it is not over capacity also helps avoid crush or rush.

Human Rights Defenders Risks

 Human Rights Defenders Risks

by Susan Basko

I was recently asked to assist in an international Consultation of Human Rights Defenders. In the consultation, we were making recommendations for the protection of people who are seen as Human Rights Defenders. I was asked to participate in the consultation because I actively defend the Human Rights of association, assembly, protest, speech, press, media, and technological use of media (such as live streaming, wifi, etc). The consultation was conducted by ODIHR (Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights) of OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe). There are 57 OSCE participating nations, and the U.S. is one of them. The Recommendations will be published in 2014. I have been invited to assist OSCE ODIHR with several major activities over the past couple years, based on my assistance to protest planners and media activists in the US. and worldwide. I distributed the consultation form to many others in the U.S.
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Once the Recommendations have been compiled, they will reflect trends of risks that are faced by those who defend Human Rights. The OSCE has 57 participating States from Europe, Central Asia and North America: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, fYR Macedonia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, and Uzbekistan.

BELOW I AM POSTING MY REPLIES TO THE QUESTIONS. The compiled Recommendations from the 57 nations will be available some time in 2014. I could have spent my entire reply on the shocking hate launched at me by disturbed sociopaths on twitter, but decided those sort of attacks by people with that type of social/ mental disorder are likely to be covered by others.

I feel greatly honored to be invited to assist in improving society within the 57 nations. My experiences with OSCE over the past two years have been meaningful and important. There is a great connectedness and commonality nation to nation between those of us protecting Human Rights. There is an energy of truth and goodness that can be felt when these people gather.

Question 1: Risks, threats and challenges
Which are the specific risks, threats and challenges you (or your organization) face as a result of your human rights work? 

Please provide a brief summary of the specific risks, threats and challenges (e.g. physical and verbal attacks and threats, legal persecution and harassment, restrictive NGO legislation, restrictions to freedom of expression, assembly and association etc.) you or your organization experiences and you consider should ideally be addressed in the OSCE/ODIHR Recommendation. If available, please also provide concrete examples of incidents or documented cases of abuses you/your organization faced. Please do not exceed the given word limit. For further details about specific incidents or cases you may want to include references to published documents or materials if available.

In your response, please also include if you or others belong to a group of human rights defenders that is at particular risk and whether you see specific gender-related challenges in relation to your work and the risks and obstacles you face.

Summary: Description of main risks, threats and challenges you/your organization face/s [MAXIMUM 700 WORDS] 
(e.g. physical and verbal attacks and threats; lack of effective remedies and impunity; legal persecution and harassment, criminalization, defamation campaigns; restrictive NGO legislation, obstacles in receipt of funding, burdensome administrative requirements and informal pressure; restrictions to freedom of expression, assembly and association; surveillance and undue interferences in private life; restrictions on freedom of movement and access to carry out human rights monitoring and reporting; lack of opportunity for participation in public affairs; impediments to access and communicate with international bodies and reprisals; etc.): 

Answering on behalf of self as lawyer and many organizations and individuals to whom I give assistance:

1) Activists are having Child pornography emailed to them in tricky ways, to set them up for legal troubles and prosecution. It is unknown who is doing this, probably individuals outside the government. Govt needs to be aware of this practice and beware of prosecuting. There is one known prosecution at this time of media activist in North Carolina.

2) The U.S. government is sending National Security Letters to activists and freezing assets. The NSLs state that the person or organization or someone else is under investigation, cooperation is demanded, and not even the letter can be revealed. I am not allowed to give details, but I am aware of several of these that have had the effect of stopping participation.

3) The U.S. government and its contractors are using Twitter personas to stalk, harass, belittle and demean others. This is obvious to regular twitter users and has a chilling effect.

4) U.S. government is prosecuting journalist Barrett Brown for posting a link online to materials that were hacked. Raises dangerous practice of prosecuting people for posting links and puts HUGE damper on press freedom and communication freedom. This is a giant issue and entire US and world should be in opposition to this prosecution. Brown was writing about US govt using private companies for surveillance and linked to online info about the companies. Indictment has about 12 counts for one link with potential of decades in prison.

Specific examples of incidents and documented abuses (please add references to published materials as may be required) [MAXIMUM 400 WORDS]: 

1) Activists being emailed child pornography to set them up for prosecution:
Happened to Luke Rudkowski, Dan Johnson, Stewart Rhodes, and about 12 other people that I am aware of as a lawyer. There is one known federal prosecution based on possession of a Child porn image, of a man who is a media activist. Case is federal and in Middle District of North Carolina, but I am not at liberty to write the man’s name yet, but it is a fed case on pacer.gov

Info and Video about Dan Johnson et al:
http://subliminalridge.blogspot.com/2013/07/child-porn-emailed-to-activists-to-try.html

Info on Luke Rudkowski:
http://subliminalridge.blogspot.com/2013/07/attempt-to-set-up-journalist-with.html

2) National Security Letters: By law, cannot give details. But I am aware:
http://subliminalridge.blogspot.com/2013/11/national-security-letters-help.html

3) Persona Mgmt: http://occupypeace.blogspot.com/2011/12/fake-profiles-used-for-spying.html

4) Barrett Brown prosecuted for posting a link:
http://subliminalridge.blogspot.com/2012/12/barrett-brown-charged-with-posting-link.htm
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Question 2: Recommendations
Based on the protection gaps and needs identified above: What measures should OSCE participating States take in order to strengthen the protection of human rights defenders and guarantee an enabling environment conducive of their work, both domestically as well as across the region?

If relevant specify by which state actors (e.g. government, regional and local authorities, public officials) the measure(s) should be taken. Also include: (a) what specific mechanisms and procedures participating States should put in place domestically to guarantee the protection of human rights defenders (recommendations concerning domestic processes/mechanisms for implementation); and (b) what participating States should do to support the protection of human rights defenders and promote an enabling environment in third countries (recommendations concerning protection of human rights defenders abroad). 

Measures participating States should take in order to strengthen the protection of human rights defenders and guarantee an enabling environment conducive to their work, including recommendations concerning (a) domestic processes/mechanisms for implementation; and (b) protection of human rights defenders abroad. 
[MAXIMUM 1000 WORDS]

1) Governments and people and organizations should be made aware of this new practice of tricking people into downloading Child pornography images onto their computers in order to set them up for later legal troubles. Some of the images are being sent embedded in pdf files. Governments should set up a specific and obvious protocol for anyone to whom this has happened. Awareness, education, training.

2) The U.S. practice of sending National Security Letters in what appears to be a misuse of their purpose should be addressed. The NSLs are supposed to be used for important anti-terrorism purposes and are now being used to thwart protesters, media, etc. Awareness, education, training, legal challenges.

3) Practice of using social media for COINTELPRO and harassment of activists should be forbidden.

4) Governments should be barred from prosecuting the use of links/ hyperlinks by anyone online, including activists, journalists, independent media, researchers, or ANYONE. Links should not be treated as a wrongdoing or crime in any way.