Latest posts by Guest Contributor
From Myanmar to Thailand: Displaced journalists tell their stories
"I still have concerns that police will raid our office and arrest us because we have no permit to operate a news agency."
How online disinformation fuels religious, ethnic and sociopolitical tensions during Bangladesh’s regime change
The month-long student-led mass movement that led to the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was marred not only with violence, but also a surge in mis- and disinformation.
War on citizens: How the junta’s VPN ban is strangling communication in Myanmar
"People should not underestimate what the regime is doing. Yet at the same time, they should not succumb to unwarranted fear. The regime can’t control everything."
Implications of the EU Digital Services Act on critical voices in Serbia: Challenges for civil society organizations and investigative journalists
Europe’s Digital Services Act (DSA) will have a significant impact on the digital environment, both within the European Union and beyond.
Iran’s women, digital rights and human freedoms
While the Iranian government’s tactics reflect a global issue, the world must remember and celebrate the unique courage of Iran’s women, who stand tall in the face of adversity.
Media control, a threat to Nigeria's democracy
Nigeria was ranked 123rd out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index for 2023.
Zimbabwe election aftermath sees human rights defenders and opposition supporters under siege
Critics claim the ongoing post-election harrassment is reminiscent of the late president, Robert Mugabe, who after failing to gain the majority vote in the 2008 election resorted to violence against opposition supporters.
The press and human rights in Trinidad & Tobago
"I believe press freedom is intrinsically aligned to a wide swathe of freedoms and human rights ..."
A Russian girl drew anti-war picture. Now she is in a children's shelter and her dad is under arrest
One year ago, a fifth-grade student, Masha Moskaleva, drew an anti-war picture. Now, her father faces up to three years in prison and Masha may be sent to an orphanage.
The future of mass surveillance in Serbia
Serbian government withdraws – for the second time – draft law governing the work of police with provisions enabling invasions of privacy, after civil society outcry and international pressure.
Rights organization OVD-Info gives an overview of repression in Russia in 2022
In 2022 in Russia, there were more than 21,000 arrests and at least 370 defendants in criminal cases for anti-war statements and speeches. More than 200,000 Internet resources have been blocked including 11 sentences in cases of state treason.
Employees of Hungarian-owned TV in North Macedonia conduct partial strike over unpaid salaries
Since 2018, money funneled through Hungarian companies have bolstered media peddling populist propaganda in Slovenia and North Macedonia.
An internet with borders: A perspective from Pakistan
Pakistan recently adopted new rules imposing fines and bans on services that fail to take down and restrict content within short time frames.
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.
Building safer online spaces in Myanmar
“Facebook was, and continues to be, the favored tool for disseminating hate speech and misinformation against the Rohingya people, Muslims in general, and other marginalized communities.”
Moderate globally, impact locally: A series on content moderation in the Global South
''Even as the platforms have grown and spread around the world, the center of gravity of these debates continues to revolve around D.C. and San Francisco.''
How COVID-19 is intensifying content moderation’s flaws
Internet platforms have always struggled with free expression, misinformation, and hate speech. But the COVID crisis has elevated those problems to a new level
Refugees in Ethiopia's camps raise privacy and exclusion concerns over UNHCR’s new digital registration
Biometric registration enables refugees to secure a digital ID that gives them access to aid. Their use has raised serious concerns about privacy and exclusion among refugees in Ethiopia.
Myanmar disables internet access in conflict areas of Rakhine and Chin states
The government and operators did not specify when access to the internet will be restored.
Three days behind bars for the ‘crime’ of journalism: Diary of a Nigerian journalist
Investigative journalist Samuel Ogundipe spent three days in detention on spurious charges and was denied access to his lawyer. Now free on bail, he is telling his story.
