Stories about Free Expression
Twenty far-right activists convicted over July 5 attack on journalists
Tbilisi City Court has convicted 20 far-right activists for the attacks on at least 53 media workers and others during the aborted Pride March in Tbilisi on 5 July 2021.
‘We are living under constant video surveillance in Ecuador,’ says activist Anaís Córdova
"The millions of dollars being spent on video surveillance and facial recognition technologies is increasing."
Social media platforms in Sri Lanka briefly restricted amidst curfew and protests
Social media platforms in Sri Lanka, including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Viber, have been restored after a 16-hour ban imposed to quell anti-government protests amidst the ongoing economic crisis.
In Turkey, media watchdog uses licensing to attempt to censor foreign media
A 2020 social media law introduced a set of requirements that will have a lasting impact on digital rights and freedom of expression in Turkey.
Keeping fakes under control: how legislation on disinformation turns into a censorship tool
In some countries, the legislative initiatives that operate with the terms fake news and disinformation become the instruments of surveillance, the silencing of voices, and the fight against dissent.
Bangladesh media accused of bias by Russia on Ukraine war coverage
The Russian ambassador to Bangladesh accused Bangladeshi media of taking a “biased approach” in their coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
How Sudanese resistance committees are shadowbanned on Facebook
The attacks primarily aim to affect public opinion by spreading disinformation, but the last attack aimed at changing the feed's algorithm to hide information on the user’s Facebook timeline.
Bringing diversity to Chinese narratives on Ukraine: A Chinese blogger in Odessa
A Chinese businessman based in Odessa in Ukraine has turned into a blogger with his own anti-Russian invasion views, only to be censored and attacked on Chinese social media
Can Ukraine's internet sustain longer-term attacks and destruction from Russia?
In Ukraine, the internet has become the major front of defense against the Russian invasion. Many experts have been asking why Russia has not tried to destroy Ukraine’s internet infrastructure?
Russia’s cyberwarfare remains limited, while Ukraine is crowdsourcing its own
Since 2008, Russia has been lauded as a cyber superpower. In the past, Russian cyber attacks have taken out electric grids, hacked elections, bankrupted corporations, and disabled military infrastructure. Nations across the world have been bracing for increased levels of cyberattacks, fearing that Russia will retaliate against sanctions by infiltrating global...
Why have attempts to debunk Russian war propaganda on Weibo failed?
China relies on Russian propaganda as the main source of information on the Ukraine crisis. Censorship instruction forbids Sino-Russian antagonism and anti-war declaration. Love triangle analogy has gone viral.
Azerbaijani journalist and queer activist murdered
Hafizli's sparked a public outcry on social media platforms, with many activists criticizing Azerbaijan's history of inaction when addressing hate crimes, specifically those targeting marginalized groups in the country.
What does Russia's new “hostage-taking” law mean for social media companies?
The new law imposes new obligations on popular foreign websites and social media platforms with over half a million daily Russian users, asking them to register legal entities in Russia.
Malaysian artist Fahmi Reza faces police probe and two charges for satirical posters
"Gov leaders must learn to take public criticism and dissent in stride and stop going after critics like #FahmiReza for poking fun at them."
Website of NGO Hong Kong Watch partially blocked amid rising fears of internet censorship
The website of NGO Hong Kong Watch appears to have been partially blocked in Hong Kong amid fears of rising internet censorship in the city.
Court in Russia-occupied Crimea sentences freelance journalist to six years in prison
Vladyslav Yesypenko was detained in Crimea in March 2021 on suspicion of collecting information for Ukrainian intelligence, charges the journalist has denied. While in detention, has reportedly endured torture.
In Tajikistan's mountainous region of GBAO, the power struggle with the capital extends to internet shutdowns
A long-standing conflict between the Pamiri population and the central government of Tajikistan has suffocated both opposition and local politics. leading to further isolation of the region with internet shutdowns.
Concerted attacks against Bangladeshi activists on Facebook
In a recent collaborative attack by unknown perpetrators, the Facebook profiles of several celebrities, journalists, media personalities and activists from Bangladesh were mysteriously turned into tribute profiles.
In an election year, press freedom declines in Angola
The media have been hit hard by the government corruption. Numerous television channels have recently come under state supervision after facing suspension for criticizing the government.
Russia rose to second place globally in Twitter content removal requests
Russia came in second place after Japan and accounted for 25 percent of global Twitter takedown requests in January-June 2021. Most requests targeted content that allegedly violated local laws against suicide promotion.
