Stories about Censorship from January, 2016
Netizen Report: Change is on the Horizon for Iran. But Let’s Not Forget Human Rights.
Protesters in Poland say no to unchecked surveillance, Kuwait tightens laws on critical speech, and an exiled Bangladeshi blogger tells his story.
#Justice4Morocco: 7 Defenders of Free Expression Face Trial
Since the mid-2000s, the regime of King Mohammed VI has systematically targeted and persecuted Moroccan citizens working to hold their government accountable to its people.
Meet the Thai Facebook User Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison for Insulting the Monarchy
"It made me question why Thailand is still so poor, and why the poor in Thailand are so repressed.”
Chinese Netizens Climb Over the Great Firewall to Go After Advocates of Taiwanese Independence
A mainland Chinese netizens’ movement aimed at silencing pro-independence Taiwanese "through civilized methods” has become a humourous emoji battle and a tech lesson in scaling the Great Firewall of China.
Russian LGBT Activist Fined for ‘Propaganda of Homosexuality’ Online
LGBT activist Sergey Alekseenko was accused of "gay propaganda" after posting a quote from a state regulator's report describing another LGBT community on social media.
Internet Censorship in Pakistan is Not Just About YouTube
If at all, Internet regulation in Pakistan has been based on ad-hoc decisions that are made in the absence of transparency and accountability.
Netizen Report: Egyptian Activists and Authorities Brace for January 25 Protests
Egyptian activists confront rising tensions approaching the 5th anniversary of the 2011 revolution, Morocco is blocking VoIP apps and China unveils a new assault on circumvention tools.
China is Blocking Circumvention Tools With Help of Cloud Service Providers
Experts estimate that between 1% and 3% of China's internet users are using circumvention tool to visit overseas websites. But this could change with new restrictions.
Moroccans Protest Ban of VoIP Calls, Including Whatsapp, Viber, Facebook and Skype
Moroccans have decided to boycott telecom companies for blocking VoIP services to teach them a lesson. Do such boycotts work?
Ukrainian Separatists Block 100+ News Websites in ‘Lugansk People’s Republic’
News websites in the self-proclaimed "Lugansk People's Republic" are being censored as separatist authorities seek to minimize the "destabilizing" influence of the Ukrainian media.
Printers Censor Another New York Times Article, Shedding Light on Pakistan's Stifled Speech Environment
"...this blank space in the newspaper speaks volumes about the conditions under which we live and write in Pakistan today."
Netizen Report: Keeping the Spotlight on Syria’s Independent Media
As protests continue in Ethiopia, Bahrain is contracting for new Internet filtering tools. Meanwhile, another Ecuadorean politician faces jail time for critical tweeting.
Two Arrested and then Released for Taking Selfies with Burning Dubai Hotel in the Background
Two men who posted their selfies on social media with Dubai's 63-storey The Address hotel on fire in the background were arrested -- and then released.
Saudi Arabia Arrests Samar Badawi for Tweeting on Behalf of Her Jailed Husband
Saudi Arabia arrested human rights activist Samar Badawi today allegedly for tweeting on behalf of her jailed husband, prominent human rights lawyer Waleed Abulkhair.
Ethiopia Protest Videos Show State Brutality, Despite Tech Barriers
Since student protests erupted in Ethiopia last November, mobile phone videos have offered a glimpse of the government's deadly crackdown on demonstrators.
What to Expect From Russia's State Censor in 2016
The head of Russia's state censor discusses the normalcy of media restrictions, the efficacy of blocking online resources, tackling messenger apps, and much more to come in 2016.
