Stories about Access
We made the largest Mexican telecommunications operator stop blocking secure internet
Group effort, research, perseverance, and Global Voices' journalism played a key role
Myanmar activist poet convicted for protesting against internet shutdown
The protest featured the unfurling of a banner that read: “Is the internet being shut down to hide war crimes and killing people?”
The day Liberia shut down freedom of expression amid a mass protest
Last year, the Liberian government disrupted social media access to prevent live protest coverage and the mobilization of protesters, shutting down freedom of expression and the right to access information.
In Liberia, a new mobile phone tariff collides with digital rights
The cost-prohibitive surcharge will make it harder for everyday Liberians to get online, limiting digital access at the height of a pandemic when citizens need reliable information more than ever.
Students arrested for demanding internet facilities in Balochistan
A number of students were manhandled, baton-charged and arrested in Quetta, Balochistan, for protesting against non-availability of internet after their classes shifted online due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Internet shutdowns in Sudan: The story behind the numbers and statistics
In the last several years, Sudan experienced two major internet shutdowns that seriously prohibited basic communication and exchange during politically charged periods, causing exponential losses and risks.
COVID-19: Switching online is not an option in conflict-stricken countries in the Middle East
While the internet provides a lifeline in wealthy countries during COVID-19, this is not the case in conflict-stricken countries in the Middle East.
To fight COVID-19 in Myanmar, a call to end the war and internet shutdown in Arakan region
"During the global pandemic, we need to stop the war and internet shutdown to fight COVID-19 in Rakhine."
Two Iranian rights activists revisit the November 2019 internet shutdown
“Hundreds of protestors were killed in a matter of three days and most of the world was not aware of what happened.’’
#MarginalizedAadhaar: Is India's Aadhaar enabling more exclusion in social welfare for marginalized communities?
India's biometric-based digital ID Aadhaar seems to bring more exclusion to marginalized communities rather than solving it.
New report makes grim predictions for ‘Fortress RuNet’
The most recent annual report by Russian NGOs Agora and Roskomsvoboda draws some troubling conclusions about what lies in store for the RuNet in years to come.
What do we know about the ‘Great Firewall of India’?
After a six-month-long internet shutdown, access to only 301 white-listed websites has been granted in Jammu and Kashmir, whereas social media, VPNs and many other sites remain banned.
US tech companies should push to remove sanctions on Sudan
With a nearly 12 million-strong community of young internet users and innovators, Sudan presents a ready and dynamic market for U.S. tech companies—but first economic sanctions must be lifted.
Supreme Court of India declares internet ban in Jammu and Kashmir unconstitutional
The blockout, imposed since August 2019, has affected the lives of millions of people in Jammu and Kashmir, depriving them of the basic right to access the internet.
Sudan needs strong network neutrality laws to match its growing internet boom
As internet access becomes more available to a wider range of Sudanese citizens, a lack of net neutrality regulations means that violations in Sudan occur easily and often.
Internet disruption: different terms for different tactics
Now more than ever it is vital for internet users to understand the different vocabulary being used to describe internet interruptions and how they work.
Deadline looms for biometric SIM card registration in Tanzania
The biometric SIM card registration process means Tanzania joins a growing list of African nations gripped by the biometric data and digital identification revolution in Africa.
Longest internet disruption in Myanmar’s Rakhine state sets dangerous precedent
"There has been no evidence that the disproportionate decision has had any positive effect on reducing the conflict, which remains pervasive."
What lies ahead for the RuNet in 2020?
Interview with Alexander Isavnin, a researcher at the Internet Protection Society, on the Russian government's next steps to regulate and control cyberspace.
Taxing dissent: Uganda’s social media dilemma
Uganda’s social media tax essentially amounted to an internet shutdown, driving thousands offline and silencing dissent for others.