Stories from October, 2013
Why Didn’t Arab ‘Civil Society’ Discuss Human Rights at IGF?
At IGF 2013, only one session was devoted to Internet policy issues in the Arab World. How is it that panelists at this session barely breathed a word about human rights violations in the region?
Netizen Report: Surveillance Looms Large at IGF Bali
This week, we report on Japan's anti-leaking bill, new IP measures in Italy and NSA surveillance fallout in Germany, France, and Indonesia.
Argentina and the New Surveillance Tech: Watching Your Every Move
Be careful where you look, what you touch, and how you walk -- the government may be watching. Ramiro Alvarez Ugarte explains how Argentina's biometric data collection system infringes on citizens' privacy.
Hong Kong Activists Organize, Prepare for Online Attacks
As they ramp up campaigns for election reform and other key changes in 2014, civil society activists and tech community members are developing a strategy for shielding their efforts from online attacks.
GV Face: Advox at #IGF2013
Live from Bali, Indonesia, watch Advoxers Hisham Almiraat, Ellery Biddle, Sana Saleem, Nighat Dad, and other friends of GV talk about what's at stake for user rights at this year's event.
Rouhani’s Tweets Leave Users Wondering: Does Real Change Lie Ahead?
Iran's new president has become a regular Twitter user, despite the fact that the site, along with Facebook and countless other sites, remain blocked inside the country. Could this be a sign of bigger changes for Iran's Internet?
Ethiopian Journalists Challenge Anti-Terrorism Law
Two independent online journalists have filed a complaint against Ethiopia at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. They are challenging the country’s abuse of its anti-terrorism law to suppress free speech.
Brazil: the New Internet Freedom Champion?
Dilma Rousseff's UN speech was met with praise from digital rights advocates around the world. Human rights lawyer Eduardo Bertoni argues that this is a positive development, but actions speak louder than words, he cautions.
Internet and Statecraft: Brazil and the Future of Internet Governance
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has pledged to make Brazil an international pioneer for human rights online. Policy expert Carolina Rossini weighs in on what this could mean for the future of the global Internet.
Venezuela: Chavez Recording Hits the Web, Top-Level Domain is Blocked
On September 28 and 29, Venezuelan Twitter users reported that all .co domains and shortened urls were blocked on government-owned ISP, Cantv.
Zambia: Careful What You Say — the President is Listening
Ethnic group leaders in Zambia are finding government surveillance devices planted under their thrones and even in their bedrooms.
GV Face: Fighting for an Open Internet in Brazil
This week on GV Face, Global Voices' weekly video hangout series, we talk with Brazil author Raphael Tsavkko, Internet policy expert Carolina Rossini and Joana Varon, an author of Brazil's Marco Civil da Internet bill.
From Brazil to the World: the Marco Civil and Internet Governance
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff delivered a searing critique of US government surveillance programs at the UN this fall and presented Brazil as a leader in upholding human rights online. Will she follow through on her promise?
“Lesbianism” and “War Games”: Russian Internet Censorship Continues
Russian website Looo.ch was presumably blocked for hosting an art project: two multimedia "textbooks" titled "Homosexuality for Children" and "Lesbianism for Children," which are meant to be a "satire of Russian homophobia."
Netizen Report: NSA Tries to Unmask Anonymous Users
In this week's report, surveillance abounds: new Guardian leaks reveal that the NSA is targeting users of the Tor online anonymity network, Zimbabwe introduces a new SIM card registration rule, and Russia beefs up on digital surveillance tools ahead of the Sochi Olympics.
Southeast Asia: Dictatorships Are Gone, But Censorship Hangs On
Both off and online, censorship is still enforced in several Southeast Asian countries through the use of draconian laws and strict media regulation.
Will China's “Free Trade Zones” Include a Free Internet?
Government officials are scrambling to dispel rumors that free trade zones in Shanghai and Shenzhen will include access to an open Internet.
My Friend is Getting Tortured for Blogging
Safy is a regular guy who has worked as an IT officer until he saw his friend get shot by riot police during the first weeks of the revolution. He could not be the ‘regular guy’ after this.
Will Ecuador Criminalize Slander on Social Networks?
New proposed measures against slander and libel on social networks, including mandatory installation of surveillance cameras at Internet cafes, could have a big impact on free expression and privacy.
Netizen Report: The Internet Shutdown in Sudan
This week, Peru's Congress skirts civil liberties, Brazil beefs up on surveillance tech, and India's Supreme Court balks at biometric data collection.
