Stories about Free Expression
Nigerian student arrested after calling First Lady ‘fat from corruption’ on Twitter
Last year, the Nigerian government suspended Twitter for seven months, lifting the embargo in January after Twitter agreed to the conditions made by the government, which further clamps down on the digital rights of Nigerian citizens.
In Turkey, social media platforms become complicit in censoring media and freedom of speech
Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook have become complicit in aiding the state to silence independent voices in Turkey, even at times when content is not political.
As we enter an era of Elon Musk's Twitter, is it time for us in civil spaces to find alternatives?
Looking ahead, the rest of us must resume the debate about the enormous power we have bequeathed social media platforms and the overdependence on Twitter by those who work in social justice, governance, human rights, and democracy.
Defamation lawsuit against Serbian investigative media outlet KRIK sets a dangerous precedent
Just before Serbian investigative media outlet KRIK received an EU Award for Investigative Journalism, a Serbian court sentenced it for publishing truthful news about a criminal trial.
LIVE on November 24: Disinformation and censorship in Russia
Join us on YouTube live on November 24 for a discussion exploring the convergence of Russia’s rapidly strengthening censorship infrastructure, and its use of disinformation both internally and externally.
TikToker Nekoglai was deported from Moscow to Moldova with signs of torture
The “ritual of guilt and shame” has been increasingly used by the Russian police to publicly show the “remorse” and fear of those protesting
Eight months of ‘fakes’ and ‘discreditation’: How the Kremlin’s new laws against anti-war dissent are applied online
Censorship and political repression are not new to Russia, but, in 2022, they reached new heights. Alongside new digital tools, new legislation allows the state to expedite and industrialise the repression of dissidents.
Twitter and Facebook have suspended accounts affiliated with the Cuban government
For the first time in Cuba, Twitter has also marked some accounts as "government-affiliated"
The tweets may flow: A look into India’s take-down requests
The tussle between social media giants, governments, and citizens raise questions about agency and power. Each stakeholder has tried to push back on the other to further their interests.
Police detains scores of activists at an opposition party rally in Azerbaijan
According to local media reports, police started rounding up members of the party and other attendees hours ahead of the scheduled rally.
Activists predict homophobic and transphobic violence in Russia, but most avenues of escape are slammed shut
The law on prohibiting "propaganda" from the LGBTQ+ community might trigger homophobic and transphobic violence. Time is running out, and the plea to help needs to be urgently heard.
Turkish lawmakers ratify new disinformation bill
Aimed to combat fake news and disinformation, the 40-article legislation passed by Turkey's parliament, is a threat to freedom of speech say critics of the bill.
Citizen journalists face challenges in Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar
"To provide coverage of the protests, citizen journalists stepped up do the job themselves. The result was a truer coverage of events."
China censors online chatter after anti-Xi Jinping protest; Hong Kong media muted
Keywords such as #Haidian, #Sitong bridge, #Beijing, and even #I-saw-it were censored on Chinese social media.
The world must hear the voice of Iranian women
The Iranian government is attempting to silence the online and offline voices of women and all dissidents through a brutal and ongoing crackdown.
Can citizens of democracies still trust the law? A GV Insights discussion
The flip side of regulating the internet is that this enables the state to mobilise itself and erase the existence of these communities and their identities from popular culture and discussion.
Civil society groups call for justice after a radio broadcaster is killed in the Philippines
“...the culture of impunity in the country has made members of the press easy targets by vested interest groups who want to hide the truth.”
Unfreedom Monitor report: Morocco
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Morocco is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
The Greek spyware scandal: When technology outpaces governance
This ongoing scandal in Greece highlights an issue that all countries are grappling with: the regulatory mechanisms meant to safeguard civilians’ digital rights have not kept up with the times.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Egypt
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Egypt is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
