Trafigura and the Streisand effect

[policywonk]

Anyone fancy a heavily redacted discussion?

[policywonk]

Streisand effect

[policywonk]

I think I can post this

[Ewe]

I don't really know enough but this little link is a fairly good summary. Not had a chance to really read much about it yet though... damn job.

It makes me very glad that we have free press in the form of twitter and blogs. Surely people realise that you hide information that easily anymore?

[llaregguBOO]

I wondered how long it would be before someone started a thread on this. What are we allowed to say? Nothing. Incredible.

[Bleh]

They are complete and utter bastards. I don't think they should be allowed to operate, and should be closed down ASAP. They go around flouting law like there's no tomorrow, and yet fail to see how intrinsically evil they are (have kind of strong feelings about this).

[Bleh]

Propping up regimes and flouting sanctions

[Bleh]

[disclaimer - had no clue about potential link between Guardian and said company, just like sounding off about them because they're so evil]

[sayanything]

Scarily, MN crashed when I first clicked on this link.

[policywonk]

Am in complete agreement with the honourable Bleh

Can't get your link to work, Ewe but this is another good one. Agree with your last point - what kind of highly-paid idiot thinks this sort of thing will actually work? (Although the Grauniad reports that this sort of injunction is increasingly common, and only a few of them provoke this sort of storm, so I suppose the answer is that too many of the bastards get away with it).

[Bleh]

This does raise an interesting issue around the internet and freedom of speech. As ISPs are legally responsible for information posted on their webpages, they are more reluctant to allow people to do it. The internet is a great tool for freedom of speech, but also for oppressing it.

[theDeadPirateRoberts]

Lots on Twitter now. Is it time for the revolution? [excited]

[theDeadPirateRoberts]

Does this link work for Ewe's?

[Bleh]

Tried to logon onto FB to make some comments, but it's NOT WORKING [freaks out and runs around a bit].

Man, I wish it was time for a revolution. I have heard from reliable sources that there is doubt in the industry as to how they acquire some of their oil (hopes this is vague enough not to be pulled).

[policywonk]

Ooh, Twitter is now saying that Carter Ruck has caved and media is allowed to report the question

Yes, bleh, could go either way I suppose - internet has been pretty effectively suppressed in China after all (extreme example I know).

[southeastastra]

can anyone explain simply what's going on? as i'm thick tired and can't read all the links

[Bleh]

Yip. Guardian's saying they're allowed to report that MP Paul Farrelly was asking about Trafigura and the Oil Spill.

[Bleh]

SEA - Trafigura is an evil company
. Basically, massive oil spill in Cote d'Ivoire, they deny responsibility, people die, thousands ill, Chairman arrested, let go after they managed to reach an "agreement" and "settlement" with the Cote d'Ivoire governement worth a few million dollars.
Class action court case brought in London, Trafigura continue to say "we're not responsible", was due to go to trial this month, but at the last minute they managed to reach an out of court settlement worth a few £100mn.
The Guardian then wanted to report a question raised by an MP, but were not allowed to do that by a law firm called Carter Ruck (incidentally, also employed by Trafigura). It now turns out that yes - the question was raised about Trafigura.

[Bleh]

There is also an ongoing enquiry in the Netherlands into their activity; the US is planning on extending their sanctions regime against Iran to include companies who supply refined petroleum (one major supplier - Trafigura) and there's a Jamaican bribery investigation.

Fabulous company; wonderful ethics.

[policywonk]

bleh's summary is right except that it wasn't a spill, it was absolutely deliberate dumping of waste that Trafigura knew to be toxic in heavily populated urban areas on Cote d'Ivoire.

What I don't understand is why, when Guardian has already reported so much and Trafigura has offered to settle with the families of those who were injured or killed (running into the hundreds), the injunctions are coming now - is there more stuff that hasn't yet come into the public domain?

[policywonk]

anyway, after that thread the other day about how 'nasty' and whatever-else-it-was that the Guardian is supposed to be, can I just say - this sort of thing is why the Guardian pisses over almost every other newspaper in this country.

[southeastastra]

blimey - thanks for clarifying

[theDeadPirateRoberts]

yy PW - Hurrah for the Guardian!

[theDeadPirateRoberts]

Grauniad link here

[HolidaysQueen]

Cynical and contemptuous beyond belief. By the way, it's very easy to find out the email addresses of the two lawyers working for Trafigura on the Carter Ruck website (I just did it) if anybody fancies starting a letter writing campaign...

Love The Guardian. In fact despite everything they do so badly, I do love our press at times like this.

[ProfYaffle]

Those e-mail addresses doing the rounds on Twitter atm, suspect campaign may have already begun ...