Hacked Health Firm HCRG Demanded Journalist 'Take Down' Data Breach Reporting Citing UK Court Order
A U.S.-based independent cybersecurity journalist has declined to comply with a U.K. court-ordered injunction that was sought following their reporting on a recent cyberattack at U.K. private healthcare giant HCRG, citing a lack of jurisdiction. The law firm representing HCRG, Pinsent Masons, demanded that DataBreaches.net "take down" two articles that referenced the ransomware attack on HCRG, stating that if the site disobeys the injunction, it may face imprisonment or asset seizure. DataBreaches.net published details of the injunction in a blog post, citing First Amendment protections under U.S. law.
- The use of UK court orders to silence journalists is an alarming trend, as it threatens to erode press freedom and stifle critical reporting on sensitive topics like cyber attacks.
- Will this set a precedent for other countries to follow suit, or will the courts in the US and other countries continue to safeguard journalists' right to report on national security issues?