Stories from June, 2015
Pakistani Digital Rights Advocate Nominated as TIME's Next Generation Leader
'If youth is speaking for a cause, they have the ability to bring change. They only have to be consistent.'
Local Chinese Authorities Use Internet Slang ‘Ziganwu’ in Their Propaganda Recruitment
'Ziganwu' are Internet commenters not officially affiliated with authorities but who nevertheless ardently defend the government. China's Sichuan education office has adopted the term as part of recruitment efforts.
Ugandan Authorities Jail Facebook User for “Offensive” Comments About President Musveni
Robert Shaka, a Ugandan IT specialist, is in jail for allegedly running the controversial TVO-Uganda Facebook page. But multiple sources, including TVO-Uganda, say Shaka has been wrongly accused.
Hong Kong Social Media Activists Under Fire as Key Electoral Policy Vote Approaches
Local legal experts suspect that authorities are exploiting Hong Kong's cybercrime laws in an effort to suppress political speech online.
Digital Citizen 3.1
Digital Citizen is a biweekly review of news, policy, and research on human rights and technology in the Arab World.
Russia Moves Forward on ‘Right to be Forgotten’ Bill Despite Industry Protests
Lawmakers insist on adopting the new legislation that would require search engines in Russia to delete links to information and content online based on user requests.
Netizen Report: WikiLeaks, TPP and the Ethics of a Leak Economy
Experts debate the ethics of WikiLeaks bounty for TPP documents, Macedonian activists discover broad-based wiretapping programs, and China censors numbers on the anniversary of Tiananmen.
Facebook Responds to ‘Stop Political Blocking’ Petition by Russians and Ukrainians
In a statement posted to Change.org on June 8, Thomas Kristensen, Facebook’s director of policy for Eastern Europe and Russia, explained that the social network stands by its moderation policies
Monitoring Mexico's Midterm Elections with #BreakTheFear
During last Sunday's elections in Mexico, the free-speech organization ARTICLE 19 ran a campaign called #RompeElMiedo (#BreakTheFear) to monitor the safety of journalists and human rights activists
Iran Increases Internet Surveillance Ahead of Parliamentary Elections
Iran's Deputy Interior Minister Zolfaghari announces heightened security in anticipation of the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Befeqadu Hailu: An Ethiopian Writer Who Refused to Remain Silent
In the words of Wole Soyinka, “books and all forms of writing are terror to those who wish to suppress the truth.” Befequadu is in jail because he writes.
‘Writing Code Is Not a Crime': Jailed Iranian Web Developer Saeed Malekpour Turns 40
"It is not justice to keep a talented software engineer in jail just because the software he developed was used by others for reasons deemed illegal by the Iranian government."
Netizen Report: In Quest to Tame Internet, Kremlin Targets Privacy Tools
Ellery Roberts Biddle, Mohamed ElGohary, Weiping Li, Hae-in Lim, Tetyana Lokot, Kevin Rothrock and Sarah Myers West contributed to this report. Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world. A Russian court recently ruled to block...
China's Internet Police Launch ‘Speech Inspections’, Chill Critical Voices
The launch of the "Internet Police Inspection and Law Enforcement" program implies a more coordinated effort in the incrimination of online speech.
Iran Sentences Atena Faraghdani to 12.5 Years for Cartoons
A Revolutionary Court in Tehran has sentenced artist and civil rights activist Atena Faraghdani to 12.5 years in prison for publishing on Facebook cartoons and criticisms of the government.
Tor Use in Russia Spiking in Response to Kremlin's Censorship Efforts
As the Kremlin steps up its efforts to enforce Internet censorship, search engine data shows a growing number of Russians use Tor to circumvent content blocking.
How Safe Are Internet Search Engines from Russian Censorship?
Saddling Internet search engines in Russia with new regulations raises special concerns, given Moscow's recent track record for reinterpreting Internet laws in ways that inhibit civic freedoms online.