21 May 2007

Flickr censorship row for Yahoo!

Yahoo! has been forced to apologise in a row over censorship on its popular photo website Flickr.

Photographer Rebekka Gudleifsdottir posted pictures on the site that were later stolen and sold on by a UK-based online gallery.

Ms Gudleifsdottir wrote a post on the site raising the issue, which was supported by around 450 fellow users.

However, her comments were deleted, leading to outcries of censorship and Yahoo! has since moved to apologise for its "mistake".

Flickr's co-founder, Stewart Butterfield, said: "I have a pretty good idea that we screwed up - and for that I take full responsibility (actually, several team members are fighting to take responsibility).

"There are several policies which will be changing as a direct result of this incident and the goal is that nothing like this ever happens again."

Yahoo! had no role in the sale of the photos, of which online gallery Only Dreemin sold 60 prints of eight photos taken by Ms Gudleifsdottir.

She told BBC News that she had asked for official documents that Only Dreemin said they had proving the photos were bought from a third party in good faith.

"When my lawyer requested that they send a copy of these documents, to prove that this transaction had indeed taken place, we heard no more from them," Ms Gudleifsdottir revealed.

She added that she had intended to hire a UK lawyer to proceed with the case, but did not have the money to do so.

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