Advox is a project of Global Voices Online. We seek to build a global anti-censorship network of bloggers and online activists throughout the world that is dedicated to protecting freedom of expression and free access to information online.
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Latest posts by Advox
Shutdowns, throttling and stifling dissent online: Africa’s new normal, Part I
African governments are using school examinations and politically charged moments as an excuse to effect digital blackouts or clamp down on social media.
October – A bleak month for freedom of expression in Sri Lanka
This article offers a snapshot of challenges to freedom of expression in Sri Lanka during the month of October, 2020.
Internet throttling, SMS blocking in days leading up to election in Tanzania
With just 24 hours before election day, internet users in Tanzania and Zanzibar, have reported widespread limited access to internet services including social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter.
Pakistan lifts ban on Tiktok with conditions
Pakistani social media users strongly reacted to the ban on TikTok and initiated #UnBanTikTok #TikTokbanned hashtags against it and criticized the telecom industry regulator.
For journalists in Kenya, ‘2020 is the worst year on record’
Since the novel coronavirus outbreak in Kenya in March, more than 47 cases of arbitrary arrest, assault and harassment have been perpetrated against bloggers, online activists and human rights defenders.
Rights groups in Tunisia mobilize against police protection bill
Article 7 of the bill grants security forces immunity from prosecution for the use of excessive and lethal force against citizens in situations “they deem dangerous”
Facebook denies accusations of fuelling hate speech and pro-BJP bias in India
On September 16, Facebook India’s chief issued a statement denying accusations that the social media giant is making profits by giving a platform to hate speech in India.
In Sudan, women and minorities targeted by online harassment lack legal protections
Sudan currently does very little to protect women and other minority groups and communities from harassment, putting their ability to exercise their fundamental rights online at risk.
Policing the digital frontiers: Is India weaponizing technology to silence civil society?
In the word's largest democracy, the targeting of human rights defenders through spyware poses a threat to fundamental rights and freedoms, including freedom of expression and privacy.
Holocaust denial should be considered hate speech, survivors demand of Facebook
Hate speech is a criminal offense in most European countries that experienced the horrors of World War II, but the US does not have such laws at the national level.
Lebanon protests: Authorities prey on digital spaces to silence criticism
While social media and WhatsApp have been extensively leveraged by demonstrators to organize, document, and sprawl the protest, Lebanese authorities have resorted to identifying and persecuting dissidents.
Social media in Latin America: Caught between a rock and a hard place
As researchers, it is very difficult to know how, or even if, high profile global announcements are actually impacting users in Latin America.
Al Jazeera Balkans crew attacked at a right-wing opposition party protest in Skopje
Assaulted female journalist insisted on reporting the incident to the police and tracking the attacker, as a way to stand up to a culture of impunity for violence against journalists.
A Chinese city withdraws ‘civility code’ following online criticism
Suzhou – a Chinese city near Shanghai – launched a “civility code” in early September to rank citizens’ civility. As negative comments flooded in, the city called an end to the testing.
In DR Congo, will new legislation protect citizens’ digital rights?
In Democratic Republic of Congo, a citizen movement is underway to reclaim digital rights that have been violated for years under a vague and outdated legislation.
Why Malawi urgently needs a data protection law
In January 2018, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) announced a mandatory national sim card registration exercise tied to the national ID process.
Moderating harmful content online in Sudan: Policies and measures
In Sudan, social media platforms struggle to enforce guidelines and rules regarding content deemed harmful such as hate speech and disinformation.
We made the largest Mexican telecommunications operator stop blocking secure internet
Group effort, research, perseverance, and Global Voices' journalism played a key role
Surveillance in Lebanon: A crisis of privacy
Intrusions on citizens’ privacy in Lebanon are pervasive and often conducted without proper judicial oversight.
Why women’s rights and digital rights go hand-in-hand on Namibian Twitter
In Nambia, a Twitter campaign to legalize abortion drew waves of attacks against feminist activists, but as a result, parliament has agreed to discuss Nambia's outdated abortion laws.
