Stories about Censorship from December, 2014
Protests, Blackouts, and a Bill of Rights for the Internet: Advox in 2014
From Egypt to Ethiopia to Tajikistan to Turkey, our authors wrote what they saw on the ground, on the Internet, in court and behind bars.
New Protest Facebook Page Already in Place as Kremlin Moves Navalny Verdict Forward
As thousands of Russians joined a January 15 protest against the verdict in the trial of opposition leader Navalny, the court suddenly moved the verdict announcement to tomorrow, December 30.
Pro-Democracy News Site's Relaunch After Umbrella Revolution Raises Eyebrows in Hong Kong
House News' founder shut down the site in July, saying he was 'terrified' of political pressure from Hong Kong and Beijing authorities. He's now rebranded the site as Stand News.
Defying Hacker Threats, Sony Releases Film The Interview on Google Play and YouTube
Earlier this month, Sony pulled their planned release of the political comedy, succumbing to threats by a hackers group that the US claims is linked to North Korea.
Navalny Protest Rally Facebook Event Page Blocked in Russia
Just one day after supporters of Putin critic Alexey Navalny set up a Facebook event page for a protest rally in his support, the page has been blocked in Russia.
The Russian Internet is Not Free. A New Tax Might Make it Even Worse.
The Russian government is now considering its own variant of an Internet tax, and wants to make all Russian Internet users pay for consuming copyrighted content online.
Freedom of Speech is a Top Target in Erdogan's War on the ‘Parallel State’
In Turkey, 31 journalists and police officers are being charged with directing and founding and belonging to an armed terror organisation.
Netizen Report: Kyrgyz News Site Censored in Central Asia for ISIS Coverage
This week, Japan cracks down on whistleblowers, Sweden pounces on the Pirate Bay and Spain's "Google tax" shows its teeth.
Fear of ISIS Threatens Media Freedom in Kyrgyzstan
A Kyrgyz media outlet refused government requests to delete a reposted video of Kazakh children training in ISIS camps. Now it is partly blocked in both countries.
Jailed Female Photo Journalist on Hunger Strike in Vietnam
Convicted of plotting to "overthrow" the Vietnamese government, Minh Man was sentenced to nine years in prison. Now she is on hunger strike.
Azerbaijan's Image Cracks with Arrest of Watchdog Journalist
The arrest of investigative journalist Khadija Ismayil, on trumped up charges, will test the limits of Azerbaijan's gleaming global image.
Netizen Report: Draft Security Law in Kenya Could Bring Surveillance, Stiff Penalties
This week GitHub takes a hit in Russia and UK "safe" Internet filters block Germany's historic hacker club site.
A New Filtering System Could Slow Down RuNet. And Then There's the Censorship
Internet filtering at ISP level might become reality in Russia by the end of 2014. This would slow down Internet speeds and introduce more surveillance and censorship in the RuNet.
Why Going Viral Was a Source of Fear for One Hong Kong Citizen Journalist
Hung Lai Fong published an article under her real name about Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests, and when it became widely read, she began to fear retaliation from China.
Russian Prosecutors Say Man's Reaction to Ethnic Riot Was Hate Speech
Konstantin Sankov stands accused of "calling for hostile acts against a group defined in terms of national identity." If convicted, he could go to prison for 5 years.
China's Censorship Authorities Are Not Fans of Foreign TV
Two popular subtitling sites closed their doors at the behest of Chinese authorities. Netizens and TV fans are angry about the decision.
Netizen Report: Iranian Facebook User Sentenced to Death for Allegedly Insulting the Prophet
This week we look at many forms of censorship in Iran, new surveillance tactics in the UK, and the latest reverberations from the Right to Be Forgotten ruling in Europe.
Ethiopia's Zone9 Bloggers Face the Limits of International Law
The Zone9 case proves that in Ethiopia, international human rights standards -- and even national law -- are employed or ignored as political powers please.
Selfies, ‘Sandwich Parties’ and ‘The Hunger Games': How Activists Have Challenged Thailand's Martial Law
Six months have passed since the army grabbed power and declared martial law in Thailand. During this time, Thai citizens have used various forms of protests against the junta.
Morehshin Allahyari's Art on Iranian Censorship Will Soon Be Out of This World
Iran’s censored Internet is a theme that features prominently in Morehshin Allahyari's art, some of which will soon be headed to outer space as part of the Forever Now project.