· August, 2013

Stories about Advocacy from August, 2013

South Korea: Naver Provokes Push for Portal Regulation

  29 August 2013

Conservative party politicians and major news organizations are pushing for new regulatory measures aimed at Naver, South Korea's leading search and online content provider. In addition to dominating online advertising and content markets, Naver has been accused of prioritizing its own content in search results.

Russia's Political Firebrand: What Makes Navalny Tick?

  24 August 2013

Russia's best-known political blogger earned his fame fighting corruption in the private sector, but may now face five years' jail time on (possibly trumped-up) embezzlement charges. In the meantime, he's running for mayor of Moscow.

Advocates Condemn New Filtering System in Pakistan

  22 August 2013

IT Minister Anusha Rehman says the new system will allow the government to lift its nearly year-old ban on YouTube, leaving only “objectionable” videos blocked on the site. Meanwhile, many other sites will remain blocked.

Government Critic Arrested on Drug Charges in Mexico

  12 August 2013

Supporters suspect that Gustavo Maldonado was arrested in retaliation for his online activities. Just hours before his arrest on a small-scale drug charge, Maldonado posted a YouTube video accusing local officials of corruption.

A Starving Blogger's Vietnam Crusade

  10 August 2013

Vietnamese dissident blogger Dieu Cay, who is currently in prison, went on a 35-day hunger strike this summer in protest of prison conditions. Though repression continues, observers say that for every blogger that's struck down, several others rise to take his place.

Minister Ridiculed Over Website Closure Statement

  9 August 2013

Independent citizen media site the Zambian Watchdog switched to an Australian hosting company earlier this year in an effort to thwart attacks on the site. Readers ridiculed Zambia's Deputy Labor Minister when he mistakenly suggested that this would make the site accessible only in Australia.

Six Years in a Russian Prison for Sharing Porn?

  2 August 2013

A Russian blogger got in trouble with local authorities after reposting pictures from a nightclub's social networking page featuring half-naked patrons engaged in striptease contests and public sex acts.