Featured stories from August 2012
Stories from August, 2012
Colombia: CELE Analyzes Constitutionality of Bill Lleras 2.0
The Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information (CELE, according to its Spanish acronym) requested to be considered as “friend of the court” in order to provide inputs for the discussions around the unconstitutionality of Bill 1520, also known as "Bill Lleras 2.0", which reforms the copyright regime in Colombia.
Infographic: You Are Not Safe Online!
This infographic shows the various ways that your online information is at risk.
Netizen Report: Malaysian Edition
This week's Netizen Report starts in Malaysia, where activists staged a Web blackout to protest Section 114A, which overextends liability for content posted by users on a network. From there, we move to Myanmar, which has made promising steps toward freedom of expression by ending prior censorship of newspapers by government. From there, we turn to Pakistan, South Korea, India and beyond.
Tips for Citizen Journalists Using YouTube's New Face Blur Tool
This guest post from WITNESS provides tips on using YouTube's new facial blurring tool.
“Don't Fear the Internet”: To Create is to Express Yourself
Creating, informing, and thinking differently have always been viewed with suspicion. In a new video, NGO Derechos Digitales encourages Internet users to "not fear the Internet" and to support an online environment that allows for the democratization of culture.
“Don't Fear the Internet”: Copyright and Online Freedom of Expression
At this stage of the "Don’t fear the Internet" campaign we will focus on how some specific copyright laws and practices end up discouraging the use of the Internet for human expression. Here are five introductory answers to a problem that unites global activism against SOPA, ACTA, TPP, etc.
Assange Asylum Granted After Threats from UK Authorities
This morning, Thursday 16 August, 2012, in a press conference streamed from the website of the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Ricardo Patino declared that the country would grant asylum to the Founder and Editor of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange. This comes after threats by UK authorities to remove Assange from the Embassy.
Middle East and North Africa Netizen Report: First Edition
In this first edition of the Middle East and North Africa Netizen Report, we look at various threats facing netizens in the region, from the widespread use of a surveillance tool called FinFisher to new censorship measures facing Jordanian Internet users. The edition also covers issues in Bahrain, Iraq, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Syria, Morocco, and more.
Netizen Report: Search Edition
This report starts off in the Googleplex, looking at a series of challenges Google has faced over the management of its search results. From there, we turn to other Sovereigns of Cyberspace, including Craigslist, Facebook and Apple, each of which is reshaping the Internet environment through a series of policy changes. Then we turn to Hong Kong, the Ukraine, and beyond.
Hong Kong: Google Search Engine Sued for Defamation
Albert Yeung Sau-shing, the Chairman of Emperor Group in Hong Kong is suing Google Inc for defamation. He claimed that when searching his name, both in Chinese and English, in Google's search engine, there are listed items that defame him. He demanded the court to issue injunction to Google for...
“Don't Fear the Internet”: Chile's Voto Ciudadano initiative
"Don’t Fear the Internet", an initiative that seeks to highlight the importance of online freedom of expression, looks at the case of "Voto Ciudadano" (Citizen Vote), a platform that gives citizens the opportunity to vote on different issues.
Netizen Report: Pan-African Edition
This week's Netizen Report starts out in Sub-Saharan Africa, where we look at how Pan-African organizations and a number of countries are debating issues of free expression online. From there, we move on to cover the latest developments in the struggle for freedom and control of the Internet in Myanmar, China, France, United States, the United Nations, Facebookistan, and beyond...
Hong Kong: Citizen Media Office Attacked
Yesterday (August 8 2012), 4 masked men rushed into a citizen media advocacy group's office and smashed its computer equipment. [Disclosure: the writer of this article is a member of the organization.] The organization is Hong Kong In-Media, a non-profit organization aiming at promoting the development of independent and citizen...
Argentina: New Study Analyzes Human Rights Impact of Online Surveillance Practices
"Online surveillance: What does monitoring and detecting content on the Internet mean?" is a new article by the Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information (CELE) of the University of Palermo, Argentina.
“Don’t Fear the Internet”: An Infographic
We’ve already shown you how the Internet, without freedom of expression, loses its value; and how this right involves things as simple as choosing a domain name. Now we present a new infographic from our campaign #NoTemasaInternet (Don’t fear the Internet) where we want to show, in simple and didactic terms, some of the things you can do on the Internet thanks to your right to freedom of expression.
Tweeting the Principles of Internet Freedom
In an effort to promote the principles of an open Internet, Mera Szendro Bok encourages readers to tweet the Declaration of Internet Freedom.
Brazil: Congress to vote on “Bill of Rights” for Internet users
The Marco Civil da Internet, a "bill of rights" for Internet users proposed in Brazil, would represent a paramount advance in country's progressive digital policymaking agenda. Officials expect the law will come to a vote on August 8. Rather than framing digital policy as a matter of criminal violations, the law sets rights for users and aims to balance these with the interests of online companies and law enforcement.
Netizen Report: Olympic Edition
This week's report focuses on the Olympics. While the opening ceremony celebrated freedom and creativity, the games have in reality been plagued by widespread censorship and restrictions online. In addition, we discuss the challenges Twitter has faced as a primary platform for discussions online during the Games. After leaving London, we go to China, Tajikstan and beyond.
