Stories about Censorship from December, 2016
Bangladesh Blocks 560 Porn Sites
Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country, where many people have expressed concerns about the spread and consumption of online pornography. But it is also a democracy.
In 2016, a Toxic Political Smog Spread Over China and Hong Kong
For more than two weeks, 23 Chinese cities have been under a red alert warning citizens to take extreme precautions in light of a toxic smog that has invaded their territories. The smog cloud carries more than 300 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter, which is hazardous to human health. Netizens have…
‘The Long Arm of the Kremlin': Kazakh Man Goes to Prison for Insulting Vladimir Putin on Facebook
With traditional media in the country heavily restricted, social media is an obvious forum for information warfare between the Kazakh nationalists and ethnic Russians.
When They Censored Messaging Apps on Election Day, Montenegrin Regulators ‘Acted Legally’
Political oppositionists and prominent members of the country's civil society say the government's crackdown on social media harmed Montenegro's freedom of expression at a time when it was most needed.
Thailand’s New Computer Crimes Law Threatens Free Speech and Encryption
"The law's most serious shortcoming is in its giving too much power for authorities to make their own judgement whether certain actions may be deemed in violation of the law."
Social Media Sites Blocked in Kazakhstan on 25th Anniversary of Independence
Activists reported that Facebook, YouTube, and other social media websites were inaccessible in Kazakhstan on Friday, the 25th anniversary of the country's independence from the Soviet Union.
Belarus Moves to Block Tor in Fight Against Online Anonymity
Belarus is ramping up efforts to crack down on Tor. But does Minsk actually have the ability to block the anonymity network?
The High Cost of Algeria's Crackdown on Speech: Life and Freedom
Will the Algerian government acknowledge the high cost of silencing its critics before more lives are lost or destroyed for a mere Facebook post?
Netizen Report: Sudanese Activists Sustain Calls for Civil Disobedience, Despite Arrests
Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
The Thin Line Between Political Censorship and Fighting Fake News in Iran
Iran wants to regulate social-media news accounts with more than 5,000 followers because of the dangers of fake news. But what about the danger to free speech?
Russian Blogger Launches Campaign to Annul Anti-Extremism Law He Was Convicted of Violating
Blogger Anton Nossik wants to annul Article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code, a catch-all statute that prohibits "ctions aimed at the incitement of hatred or enmity."
Sudanese Government Targets Activists, Stifles Media Coverage of Civil Disobedience
The civil disobedience action began on 27 November after the government removed subsidies on electricity, fuel and medicine.
