Stories from July, 2016
Turkey Adds Wikileaks to a Long List of Blocked Websites
Blocking information is second nature to Turkey's government. But Turkish netizens are still questioning the value of the leak itself.
As Constitutional Referendum Nears, Thailand Intensifies Censorship
"If Thailand's military junta wants its referendum to be seen as credible, it must stop harassing journalists covering the campaign and let information flow freely to the public."
Chinese Reformist Magazine Shuts Down to Resist Authorities’ Hostile Takeover
"The crackdown on Yanhuang Chunqiu and today's takeover indicates that Xi's government wants to educate its officials into 'fools' like the rest of the society."
PokéStops or Stopping Poké? Iran Reacts to the Pokémon Go Phenomenon
How has one of the most restricted Internet environments, with censors on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, reacted to Pokémon Go?
Iranian Hardliners Want to Stop Blocking Twitter — to Defeat Saudi Propaganda
Iranian hardliners, typically champions of Internet censorship, are calling on the government to stop blocking Twitter in order to counter Saudi Arabian propaganda against Iran.
Ethiopia Locks Down Digital Communications in Wake of #OromoProtests
#OromoProtests content on social media has triggered many attempts by the government to limit digital traffic and block telecom services in Oromia.
Imprisoned in Iran for Posting Jokes on Facebook, A Computer Engineer Awaits His Appeal Verdict
Political prisoners in Iran are routinely singled out for harsh treatment, which often includes denial of medical care.
A New Species of Beetle Named After President Xi Is Blacklisted on Chinese Social Media
"An act of ass kissing now turns into ass kicking…"
Chinese Censors Are Making Sure Social Media Only Shows Positive Flooding News
"The propaganda is good at turning a disaster into a positive story and making human errors invisible."
#ShutDownZim: Will Social Media Protests Drive Zimbabwe to Build a ‘Great Firewall'?
This is the first time Zimbabwe has staged a "shutdown" over government dysfunction by organizing on social media. But protests could trigger new forms of censorship.
