Dr. Walid Al-Saqaf is a Yemeni researcher and technologist based in Sweden with a specialization in big data, Internet policy, and new media. He is known for his interdisciplinary academic background since he has a B.Sc. degree in computer engineering and a PhD degree in media & communication. Walid had created Alkasir as a tool to map and circumvent website censorship in 2009. More recently, he created Mecodify in 2016 in his capacity as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Stockholm University. Walid is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Internet Society.
Latest posts by Walid Al-Saqaf
Privacy vs. Free Speech? Questioning the Conflict
"In the Arab world...we are still struggling to have our voices heard. I cannot accept the idea that the fight has now moved to the area of surveillance and away from free speech."
The Internet as a Catalyst for Change in Yemen
ISOC-Yemen Chair Walid Al-Saqaf maps out goals for increasing Internet access and using the Internet to promote economic growth and government transparency.
Yemeni authorities prevents 6 newspapers from distribution
Yemeni government ordered the confiscation of six national newspapers, whose copies were pulled from the news stands and markets across the country yesterday alleging their role in promoting secessionism and anti-unity rhetoric. The move, according to observers, is unprecedented in recent Yemeni history and marks a serious downturn in the country's level of press freedom, which had already suffered several blows in the recent past.
Yemeni online journalist sends urgent appeal after death threats and hacking of his website
Mohamed Al-Jabali, the editor of Akhbaralasr news website is the latest casualty in a wave of intimidations targeting bloggers and online journalists in Yemen. In a statement made yesterday, Al-Jabali appealed for protection after receiving death threats in the capital Sanaa from the regime’s security apparatus. This comes just after his website was also hacked. The hackers, whom Al-Jabali said are elements of the regime, published a sarcastic entry on the front page with a picture of a monkey and an insult on the owner of the website Al-Jabali.
Yemeni blogger appeals to prevent possible assassination
In a rather emotional entry posted on his blog, Nashwan Abdu Ali Ghanim, a Yemeni blogger with blogs on maktoobblogs.com and kitab.com called upon international advocacy groups and the Arab Bloggers Union to come for his rescue upon escaping 'three failed assassination attempts'. Ghanim believes that his latest blog entry noting the involvement of senior Yemeni officials in the plotting of the attack carried out against the U.S. embassy in Sana'a on September 17, 2008 triggered a new wave of harassments and life-threatening acts.
Yemen: Loui Has Been Set Free!
Yemen Hurr website announced yesterday in a press release that its founder and editor-in-chief Loui Al-Moayed has been released from prison yesterday after about more than 70 days in detention....
