Stories from October, 2012
Hong Kong: Battle against 50 Cents at Wikipedia
Editor note: Below is a translation of the article: Battle at Wikipedia – Counterbalance Brainwashing and Slanders through Participation, originally published [zh] in inmediahk.net in Chinese. The article is about...
Netizen Report: Malawi & Zambia Regulation Edition
This week's Netizen Report begins in Malawi and Zambia, both of whose governments have begun to restrict Internet freedom. From there, we move to China and Hong Kong, where Tencent's mobile phone service WeChat has begun to censor message content. Then, to the United States, Bahrain and beyond.
Syria: Cartoonist Detained For Criticizing Assad
Syrian cartoonists who dare to critique Bashar Al-Assad are paying a heavy price. Akram Rslan is the latest victim in a long list of oppressed voices and dissident artists.
Global Voices Seeks Advocacy Editor
Global Voices seeks an Advocacy Editor to manage its online freedom of expression content. Global Voices Advocacy seeks to build a global anti-censorship network of citizen media and online activists throughout the...
The Public Voice: Privacy Rights are a Global Challenge
October 22, 2012 is an important day for global civil society defending privacy and free speech. The Public Voice coalition will be hosting a global conference in Punta del Este,...
France: Photos and Impressions from the World Forum for Democracy 2012 in Strasbourg
The first World Forum for Democracy took place in Strasbourg, France, from October 5 - 11, 2012. The co-editor of Global Voices in French was in attendance and reported on the conversations that took place.
Netizen Report: Subpoena Edition
This week, we begin in California, where Chevron is facing criticism after subpoenaing information from the email accounts of Google, Yahoo and Microsoft users in an $18 billion lawsuit against the company by Amazonian Indians in Ecuador. From there, we move to Uzbekistan, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and beyond.
An Open Letter On Global Voices Advocacy
An Open Letter from Hisham Almiraat, the new Director of Global Voices Advocacy.
Four tweeps arrested in Bahrain
According to the Ministry of Interior of Bahrain, “four arrested for misuse of social media.” However, the charges mentioned in the report seem to be very vague – “defaming public figures on...
Global Voices Introduces New Advocacy Director, Hisham Almiraat
We're very excited to announce that Hisham Almiraat, a long-time member of the Global Voices community, is the new Director of Global Voices Advocacy.
MENA Netizen Report: Blasphemy Edition
We continue our monthly exhaustive MENA Netizen Report with the current 'Blasphemy Edition.' It discusses the repressive online policies that ensued the turmoil caused by the YouTube movie 'The Innocence of Muslims." The report continues with an overview of various national policies and related thuggery cases.
Netizen Report: Cyberattack Edition
This week's Netizen Report begins with a series of state-sponsored cyberattacks on Gmail users, the second in five months to be reported by the search engine giant. We then move to Iran, which reported cyberattacks against the nation's infrastructure and communication companies. From there, we travel to China, Cuba and beyond.
Latin America and the Caribbean Netizen Report: Free Trade Edition
In this edition, we focus on recent free trade agreements and the challenges they pose in the digital age. To fulfill the requirements of a free trade agreement with the United States, the Congress of Panama approved a law last week that will impose severe penalties for violating copyright and will make it almost impossible for the accused to be able to present their cases in court.
Hong Kong: Derivative work Concern Group Condemns YouTube for Deletion of Authorized Work
Editor's note: Google has responded to this post, saying: We take down videos when a content owner informs us that the video infringes their copyright. If the content owner is...
Cuba: Blogger Yoani Sanchez Arrested, Released After 30 Hours in Custody
Award-winning Cuban blogger and human rights activist Yoani Sánchez was arrested last night in the eastern province of Bayamo, where she had traveled to attend and report on the trial of Angel Carromero, a Spanish national accused of vehicular manslaughter after a car crash that killed renowned democracy advocate Oswaldo Payá and activist Harold Cepero. Carromero traveled to Cuba in July to meet with human rights activists on the island.
Netizen Report: Cybercrime Edition
This week's Netizen Report begins in the Philippines, where a new law meant to combat cybercrime is being protested against for potentially jeopardizing freedom of expression. Then, we move to Paraguay, which recently blocked access to website ABColor.me without a warrant, and onto Sweden, Sudan and beyond.
Global Voices on Net Censorship
In a new series we will take a glance at what's being reported on Global Voices Online, for an indepth look at how netizens the world over are reacting to increased Internet censorship.
Vietnam: Government Jails Three ‘Dissident’ Bloggers
Three Vietnamese bloggers have been convicted by a local court for allegedly spreading anti-government propaganda. One of them will serve a prison term of 12 years. Human rights groups immediately condemned the verdict and warned against the creeping online repression in the country.
