Backpage.com wins injunction vs Chicago sheriff over adult ads

A federal appeals court on Monday ordered an injunction blocking the Cook County, Illinois, sheriff from pursuing any effort to stop credit card companies from handling transactions for Backpage.com, a classified ad website that the sheriff said promotes sex trafficking. The 7th U.S.

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Ellen Pao resigns as Reddit CEO in fresh sign of turmoil

By Sarah McBride SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Ellen Pao resigned as acting chief executive of Reddit Friday in the latest sign of turmoil at the site, recently roiled by the firing of a popular employee and ongoing tensions over the limits of free speech on its social-news platform. Reddit co-founder Steve Huffman, also a co-founder of travel site Hipmunk, will become chief executive. Alexis Ohanian, another co-founder who has been working as executive chairman of reddit, will work “alongside” Huffman, said Reddit board head Sam Altman in a statement on Friday

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BlackBerry snags two new domain names as Android chatter heats up

By Euan Rocha TORONTO (Reuters) – BlackBerry Ltd , which has been coy about its ambitions to make a mainstream Android smartphone, fueled more speculation about its plans this week when it scooped up two Android-related domain names. The purchase of the domain names is particularly interesting since BlackBerry Chief Executive John Chen has declined to confirm a June Reuters report that said the company was planning an Android phone

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Indian PM Modi defends ban on Delhi gang rape documentary

By Nita Bhalla NEW DELHI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has defended his government’s decision to ban a controversial documentary film about the fatal gang rape of a woman in New Delhi, saying it was to ensure the dignity of the victim was protected. The film “India’s Daughter” – which features an interview with one of the men who raped and tortured a 23-year-old woman on a bus in December 2012 – was banned in March as his comments were considered to be derogatory towards women.

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India’s top court upholds free speech on the Internet

By Suchitra Mohanty NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India's top court struck down a law on Tuesday that gave authorities powers to jail people for offensive online posts, a verdict hailed as a victory for free speech in the world's largest growth market for the Internet. Section 66A of the country's Information and Technology (IT) Act was challenged in the Supreme Court by law students, bloggers, writers and rights groups following arrests across the country for statements posted on social media sites

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