Stories about Censorship
Twitter vs India: The battle of BJP and Congress over a ‘fake toolkit’ on COVID-19
Twitter expressed concern about the “use of intimidation tactics by the police” and “the potential threat to freedom of expression” for the Indian users.
Colombians ‘save the evidence’ as they denounce social media censorship of protests
Different strategies have been created to preserve the record of ongoing protests and state violence, as well as of the content being censored on social media.
Belarus grounds Ryanair flight, detains independent journalist amid regime's crackdown on media
Pratasevich was formerly an administrator of NEXTA-Live, the Telegram channel covering the anti-government protests in Belarus. He is currently editor-in-chief of Belarus Golovnogo Mozga, another independent media outlet.
Several NGOs denounce censorship of Palestinian voices by tech companies
The NGOs' statement labelled as "improbable mistakes" the fact that Facebook reported two "technical issues" within 48 hours which they said targeted Palestinian users and "compromised Jerusalemites’ right to freedom of...
Pakistan bans TikTok for the second time
TikTok was blocked in Pakistan for 10 days in October 2020. Access was restored after the app's parent company ByteDance assured authorities it would bolster moderation.
Malaysia’s ‘fake news’ ordinance takes effect amid continuing concern over the COVID-19 state of emergency
"This ordinance strengthens the perception that the state of emergency we are currently in is a smokescreen to curb any form of criticism towards the government of the day."
Turkey reins in social media—one platform at a time
The new social media law sets up a series of restrictions that will have a lasting impact on digital rights and freedom of expression in Turkey.
China blocks Clubhouse after netizens discuss Xinjiang and Tiananmen
For a brief moment in time, Clubhouse cracked the Great Firewall.
China shuts down its most popular piracy website—is it just about copyright?
Netizens wonder whether the crackdown had something to do with Xi Jinping’s ideological battle against "Western values."
Indian farmers’ protests: Twitter withholds, then restores, prominent accounts by government order
Twitter restored the accounts after concluding they were "speech and newsworthy," a decision the Indian government decried: "Twitter cannot assume the role of a court and justify non-compliance."
A social media blackout persists in Uganda, weeks after the election
Uganda's longtime leader Yoweri Museveni was reelected for a sixth term, as rival Bobi Wine alleges massive irregularities, state inspired violence, intimidation and harassment.
In Tanzania, full-throttle COVID-19 denial leaves citizens without access to public health information
Since March 2020, the Tanzanian government has gone silent on the coronavirus with no data released to the public on infections or deaths.
Lockdown to shutdown: How COVID-19 stifled digital rights in Zimbabwe
COVID-19 and its subsequent government policies have had far-reaching implications on digital rights and media freedom in Zimbabwe.
In Pakistan, social media platforms risk bans under new ‘draconian’ rules
New rules vesting the government with the power to regulate online content and ban entire platforms drew criticism from human rights groups and tech companies.
Solomon Islands bans Facebook for ‘harmful content’
"Do not go into public life and make laws and decisions for your own good or for your own protection as is seen with the banning of Facebook."
Five new digital media platforms for uncensored news from Colombia
In Colombia, a new generation of journalists are fighting self-censorship and investigating corruption.
Shutdowns, throttling and stifling dissent online: Africa’s new normal, Part I
African governments are using school examinations and politically charged moments as an excuse to effect digital blackouts or clamp down on social media.
Pakistan lifts ban on Tiktok with conditions
Pakistani social media users strongly reacted to the ban on TikTok and initiated #UnBanTikTok #TikTokbanned hashtags against it and criticized the telecom industry regulator.
Social media in Latin America: Caught between a rock and a hard place
As researchers, it is very difficult to know how, or even if, high profile global announcements are actually impacting users in Latin America.
We made the largest Mexican telecommunications operator stop blocking secure internet
Group effort, research, perseverance, and Global Voices' journalism played a key role
