Stories about Censorship from April, 2017
High-Profile Chinese Blogger Arrested for Online Comments, After Years of Police Harassment
Under China's "stability control" measures, it is increasingly common for netizens who are critical of the government to be summoned or detained by police.
Indian Government Bans 22 Social Media Platforms in Kashmir including Facebook, WhatsApp
"By presenting the other side to the Kashmir storyline, the locals once again were able to own....the highly complex and conflicted Kashmir narrative."
Netizen Report: Censorship Spikes in India, Subsides in Cameroon
The Internet is back on in English-speaking Cameroon, while social media has been shut down in Kashmir. Journalists in Maldives mourn the stabbing death of a blogger.
Three Ways the Russian Government Is Trying to Control the Internet
“The Internet was created as a special project by the CIA,” Vladimir Putin announced three years ago. Since then, Russian authorities’ faith in the Internet has declined even further.
Taiwan Tops Asia While Hong Kong Falls Four Places in Freedom of Press Index
"A majority [of media workers in Hong Kong] have expressed an increasing pressure which results in deliberate self-censorship."
Russian Authorities Want Easy Access to Online Dating Logs
Do you hope to find love in Russia? If so, and you’re planning to use the Internet to meet people, the pursuit could be less private than you maybe hoped.
Thailand Tells Internet Users to Unfollow Junta Critics on Social Media — Or Face Consequences
"This is a ridiculous and oppressive order but I don't want any innocent people being targeted just because they follow my journalism," wrote former Reuters journalist Andrew MacGregor Marshall.
Ugandan Academic and Sanitary Pad Campaign Leader Faces Criminal Charges For ‘Computer Misuse’
Nyanzi's story has become a rallying opportunity for Ugandans who oppose the Musveni government.
Censorship Undressed: Iranian State TV Cuts Broadcast Mid-Sentence
In an unusual broadcasting flub this week, Iran's official state media network cut off the live video feed of a reporter in mid-sentence, censoring election coverage.
Netizen Report: Censorship Spikes After Venezuela’s ‘Self-Inflicted Coup’
Venezuelan journalists face rising threats amid protests, Russia blocks Zello, and Southeast Asian lawmakers use ‘fake news’ fears to justify censorship.
Russia Blocks Walkie-Talkie App Zello As Truckers Strike
Russia's media regulator has announced plans to block Zello, a mobile push-to-talk app that Russia's long-haul truckers are using to organize protests—including to coordinate an ongoing three-week strike.
Satirical News Show ‘China Uncensored’ Censored by Apple in Hong Kong and Taiwan
"There is no point in disputing your app store decision with respect to mainland China…but Hong Kong and Taiwan [...] operate under independent legal systems."
Iraqi Journalists Face Threats From ISIS, Armed Militias and the State
"As the war intensifies, and the number of armed groups and their influence in Iraq grows, the pressure on Iraqi journalists will increase.”
Southeast Asian Leaders Use ‘Fake News’ to Justify Tighter Media Laws and Intimidate Their Critics
Singapore plans to update its Broadcasting Act, Philippine House Speaker is proposing to regulate social media, and Cambodian officials are mimicking Donald Trump by calling unfavorable news "fake".
As Protests Escalate, Web TV and News Sites Are Censored in Venezuela
Multiple web TV channels that had been broadcasting protests in Caracas have been inaccessible since the morning of April 7.
News Website Cameraman Arrested While Broadcasting Protests in Venezuela
"Almost 30,000 people were watching the VPITV broadcast on YouTube when the Bolivarian National Police took the cameraman."
Netizen Report: Online Battles Break Out Amid Elections in Armenia and Ecuador
LiveJournal bans "political solicitation" in Russia (its new home), Google contemplates a return to China, and Bangladesh's telecom regulator rejects a proposed Facebook bedtime ban.
Ecuadorian Elections Marked by Website Outages, Twitter Suspensions
Along with pro-opposition websites, some media rights groups saw a sharp decline in traffic on the evening of the election.
Criminal Case Against Indian Poet Provokes Controversy Over Speech Rights
The poem was posted on Facebook on World Poetry Day — but its verses were not welcomed by everyone.
A Brazilian Judge Demands a Blogger's Sources, Testing the Limits of Media Freedom
Judge Sergio Moro later reversed his decision, but the action highlighted the weakness of the legal protection mechanisms of citizen journalists in Brazil.
