Stories from November, 2013
Japan’s ‘State Secrets’ Bill Passes Lower House
Japan's House of Representatives passed the controversial State Secrecy Protection Bill on Tuesday, November 26 despite criticism from journalists and human rights advocates.
Will Tunisia's ATT Ring in a New Era of Mass Surveillance?
"Hello darling! Your beloved 404 is back." Activists fear that a new government agency, charged with investigating ICT-related crime, may usher in a new regime of surveillance and censorship.
The Internet as a Catalyst for Change in Yemen
ISOC-Yemen Chair Walid Al-Saqaf maps out goals for increasing Internet access and using the Internet to promote economic growth and government transparency.
Protesters, Journalists Speak Out Against Japan's National Secrecy Bill
The controversial bill seeks to impose tougher penalties for leaking national secrets. Critics fear it could curtail media freedom and the right to information.
Ecuadorean Activists Say No to Cybercafe Surveillance
A new amendment to Ecuador's penal code would obligate cybercafe owners to video surveil their customers and leave ISPs with hefty new data collection requirements.
How LINE Censors Users in China (and How to Get Around it)
New research from the Citizen Lab investigates government pressures on Asian companies developing instant messaging apps, information controls on LINE apps, and implications for users.
Mexican Voter Data for Sale at Buscardatos.com
Personal information aggregator buscardatos.com has been selling private voter data from the IFE, the federal administrator of elections in Mexico.
Netizen Report: Will the EU Create its Own Internet?
This week, mass surveillance-mania hits Nicaragua, Russian bloggers face detention merely for their retweets, and Google announces plans to appeal a filtering order on “Nazi” orgy pics.
China: Over 100,000 Weibo Users Punished for Violating ‘Censorship Guidelines’
Tens of thousands of Sina Weibo users are being punished for posting "personal attack comments" or re-publishing messages posted by other users. Welcome to China's ever-broadening battlefield of online censorship.
Cyber Stewards Network and Local Activists Investigate FinFisher in Mexico
Security researchers have found evidence that FinFisher, the big bad wolf of spy technologies, is being used in Mexico. Local advocates are using these findings to bring legal action to federal agencies involved in surveillance.
Digital Citizen 1.2 المواطن الرقمي
Digital Citizen brings you the latest human rights and technology news from the Arab World. This month we look at activist persecution in Palestine, Saudi activists' Women2Drive campaign, and ongoing threats to bloggers in the region.
Journalist Dubbed ‘Macedonian Assange’ Arrested in Serbia
Macedonia releases one journalist and arrests another. Journalist Zoran Bozinovski was arrested in Serbia on November 7, 2013 on an Interpol warrant requested by Macedonian authorities.
Venezuela’s President Announces Web Blocking on Live TV
On Saturday, November 9, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced publicly the government's decision to block several websites that track the unofficial price of foreign currency.
Thai Media Groups Reject ‘Internet Censorship’ Bill
The Thailand government is proposing amendments to its already draconian Computer Crimes Act that would allow authorities to block websites without seeking court approval.
Chinese Government is “Winning” Internet Ideology Battle
In August, the Chinese Community Party launched a campaign against unauthorized political commentary online -- according to a new study, the campaign is working.
Netizen Report: China Targets Dalai Lama for Spreading “Propaganda”
This week we look at gaming "addiction" in South Korea, political activist persecution in Vietnam, and Apple's first "transparency" report.
Documenting Violence on Video in Western Sahara
Curated by our partners at WITNESS, a series of videos tell the story of a young separatist protester who activists say was killed by Moroccan forces while calling for the autonomy of Western Sahara.
Russian Internet Surveillance: Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss
In the latest news from Russia's slow but inexorable march to tighter control over the Internet, the Russian security apparatus is expanding its surveillance requirements for Russian ISPs.
