Featured stories about Activism
Stories about Activism
Fake Russian fact-checkers spread propaganda about the war in Ukraine
PolitiFact analyzed this website and found its fact-checks that use well-known techniques of Russian propaganda — incoherence, a large number of claims, repetition of statements on obvious untruths — to confuse the public.
Charity treason: The legal practice of persecuting Russians who donate to Ukraine
Despite the authorities agreeing that sponsoring the Ukrainian army constitutes treason, in a year, there has not been a single reported criminal case instigated for such donations.
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.
How military supporters are using Telegram channels to suppress dissent in Myanmar
Pro-military people are urging the military authorities to take action against those who are pro-democracy, calling for detention, imprisonment, property seizure, revoking citizenship and travel documents — even the execution of political prisoners and rebels.
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.
Eight months of ‘fakes’ and ‘discreditation’: How the Kremlin’s new laws against anti-war dissent are applied online
Censorship and political repression are not new to Russia, but, in 2022, they reached new heights. Alongside new digital tools, new legislation allows the state to expedite and industrialise the repression of dissidents.
Ecuador: the temptation to control technology
Whether under the table or by legal means, organisations fear that the government will try to control telecommunications, especially during massive protests.
Ola Bini, the cyberactivist who causes panic in Ecuador
"There is a fear of the knowledge of the computer security and cybersecurity community.”
Unfreedom Monitor report: Data Governance
Advox research on data governance as a tool of digital authoritarianism is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Unfreedom Monitor report: Tanzania
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Tanzania is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Chinese social media platforms add hidden digital watermarks to track screenshot sharing
At least two Chinese social media platforms have added a script to their sites and applications to generate a hidden digital watermark to track the original user behind screenshot sharing.
Whistleblowing is a service to society: Interview with Disruption Network Lab director Tatiana Bazzichelli
Whistleblowers are painted as heroes or villains, but what motivates them? Global Voices spoke to Tatiana Bazzichelli, a writer who recently edited "Whistleblowing for Change," an anthology on the subject.
Iranian women’s rights activists face new online threats
Flooding social media accounts with fake followers and then mass reporting the accounts is a regular tactic used by state forces to silence rights defenders in Iran.
Access the Unfreedom Monitor database
The Unfreedom Monitor is an Advox initiative to deepen our understanding of the relationship between technology and authoritarian power. In the first phase of this project, researchers working in 11 countries and four key themes conducted analysis of incidents, narratives, and media items, to explain acts of digital authoritarianism and...
India pushes for storage of private data using technology built for anonymity
As VPNs and blockchain-based services are often designed to assure user anonymity and privacy, this direction might force many service providers to shut down operations in India.
News that’s fit to print
On World Press Freedom Day 2022, the spotlight is on the media’s important role as defenders of information integrity, especially in times of crisis.
‘We are living under constant video surveillance in Ecuador,’ says activist Anaís Córdova
"The millions of dollars being spent on video surveillance and facial recognition technologies is increasing."
Social media platforms in Sri Lanka briefly restricted amidst curfew and protests
Social media platforms in Sri Lanka, including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Viber, have been restored after a 16-hour ban imposed to quell anti-government protests amidst the ongoing economic crisis.
Still flattening the curve?: Increased risk of digital authoritarianism after COVID-19
In the face of state surveillance, control, and censorship, we need a solid plan to reclaim our digital rights and develop proper political and legal regulations to protect them.
Opacity and a lack of debate mark Brazil's ratification of the Budapest Convention
Experts warn that the roll-out was problematic, not least because the treaty may put citizen data in general at risk and open the way to criminalizing the work of InfoSec researchers and activists.
