Israeli Court Limits Blogs Freedom of Speech

Jameel writes:

Orthomom Redux? While Freedom of Speech is protected by the US Constitution, it’s a whole different ballgame in Israel. Disagree with your local municipal council? One blogger did…and found his blogger anonymity disappearing under court order to Google. (Till a few minutes ago, the blog could be found at the address: http://shaarei-tikva.blogspot.com/ and was entitled "What’s going on in Shaarei Tikva")

From Globes today:

In an unprecedented move, Google Inc. (Nasdaq:GOOG) has agreed to supply the IP address of an Israeli blogger who used "Google Blogger" for a blog in which he slandered Shaarei Tikva council members running for reelection. The election is being held today. So far as is known, this is the first time that Google forewent legal action in such a case.

The slandered Shaarei Tikva council members asked Google for the blogger’s name. They reached a settlement with the company on the basis of an Israeli ruling on the subject. The settlement stipulates that 72 hours before a hearing on the case at the Rishon LeZion Magistrates Court, the council members would leave the blogger a message on his blog summoning him to the hearing, or else his IP address would be handed over. The notice would invite the blogger to disclose his identity, participate in the hearing, or oppose the disclosure of his identity by filing a motion as "anonymous".

The court’s decision (in Hebrew) is here. Sources in Hebrew here, here, and here.