Stories from August, 2019
The case for reforming the Sudanese Access to Information Act
As Sudan launches a three-year transition to civilian rule, the country's freedom of information law should be amended to serve the public's right to know.
Human rights advocates petition the UN and AU over the detention of Nigerian protest leader
"The unfounded charge of terrorism that was subsequently laid against him was clearly only created to serve the purpose of silencing Sowore."
Netizen Report: The shutdown in Kashmir continues
Kashmir's communications blackout continues, Russia goes after 'illegal' protest videos online, and Google re-opens its office in Egypt.
Twitter reveals China’s information operations on Hong Kong protests
The 936 accounts were merely the active ones and there existed a larger network of approximately 200,000 accounts created to undermine the legitimacy and political positions of the movement in Hong Kong.
Mozambique pushes for SIM card registration, raising privacy and election monitoring concerns
The measure would make it easier for the authorities to identify the owners of registered SIM cards.
Tonga threatens to ban Facebook over anti-monarchy posts
"By trying to impose a ban the government will simply make itself look foolish or ineffective."
Mainland Chinese netizens face ‘pink terror’ of patriotic trolls amid Hong Kong protests
Those who do not toe the official party line are identified and subjected to doxxing
China inspects Hongkongers’ mobiles for protest photos and chats at border checkpoints
In the face of border searches, Hong Kong protesters are picking up new technology tactics to mitigate their risk.
Apprehension rises over the abduction of a Nigerian government critic
Dadiyata, a fierce critic of Kano State Governor Umar Ganduje, was abducted on August 1 and nothing has been heard of him since.
Indian government asks Twitter to remove accounts ‘spreading rumours’ about Kashmir
With the communication blackout inside Kashmir, netizens elsewhere resorted to Twitter to speak out against India's revocation of the region's autonomous status.
Withheld in Turkey: How the government exploits removal requests to silence critical and independent voices
For years, Turkey has been exploiting tools offered by social media platforms to restrict illegal content in a particular jurisdiction, to silence critical voices.
Nigerian activist arrested for calling for a nationwide #RevolutionNow protest movement
Omoyele Sowore was detained and charged under Nigeria's 2011 counter-terrorism law. He could face life imprisonment.
Who turned off Moscow’s internet during recent protests?
Evidence suggests that law enforcement agencies pressured mobile network operators to get part of the capital offline for the duration of the protests.
Netizen Report: Journalists are under fire from Cambodia to Cuba — and beyond
Across the globe, journalists are facin charges of everything from espionage to tax evasion.
UAE frees activist Osama al-Najjar after 5 years in detention
Despite serving his three-year sentence in March 2017, al-Najjar remained in arbitrary detention.
In Ethiopia, disinformation spreads through Facebook live as political tensions rise
Online conspiracy theories, political rants and rumors laced with communal hatred are now common genres in Ethiopian social media.
Tanzanian journalist faces trumped-up charges after abduction and detention
Freelance ournalist Erick Kabendera has written critically of Tanzanian President John Magufuli's increasingly repressive administration. Yesterday, authorities charged him with economic crimes, but critics say his only "crime" is journalism.
Sentencing of Turkish social media influencer sparks debate on free speech
A Turkish Twitter celebrity is being sued for allegedly advocating drug consumption, reigniting the debate about online freedom of expression
Netflix's ‘The Great Hack’ highlights Cambridge Analytica's role in Trinidad & Tobago elections
Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie may visit Trinidad and Tobago to talk to a parliamentary Joint Select Committee about campaign election interference — and who hired and paid the company.
Twitter campaign by Pakistani ruling party warns media against anti-state criticism
According to the government, the idea behind the series of tweets was not to ridicule but to ‘educate’ the media. However, the activists feel otherwise amidst troll attacks.
