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Acceptable Use Policy versus Free Speech

September 11th, 2010

News that Rackspace has discontinued hosting the website of the church of the pastor who had planned to burn the Qu'ran is getting some backlash about freedom of speech.

The Rackspace acceptable use policy apparently states that customers cannot use their service to "[promote or incite violence]". While I personally feel the pastor's idea is a very bad one, I don't think he intended in to incite violence, though I would be surprised if it didn't.

This raises the question about whether willful ignorance of crime or intent amount to the same thing. Looks like it is: Wikipedia states that courts usually state that defendants should know what their actions involve.

And as far as I know, inciting violence is not just against the acceptable use for Rackspace services, its also against the law!

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