Stories about Human Rights from October, 2016
Hello Vodafone: What Does It Mean When a Global Telco Giant Enters Iran?
Vodafone's partnership with an Iranian telco is a welcome improvement to the local telecommunications market. But the potential for complicity between Vodafone and Iran's surveillance infrastructure is hard to ignore.
Saudi Mobile Data Quality Provokes National Protest Against Bad Service
Saudi social media users are protesting against the nation's mobile network operators' bad service and the continued blocking of VoIP apps that are supposed to be available for free.
Chinese Netizens See Human Rights Violations in Child Protection Bill
The new regulations attempt to protect children by requiring hardware companies to install surveillance software on their devices, and by promoting treatments for "Internet addiction."
Ethiopian Authorities Shut Down Mobile Internet and Major Social Media Sites
Those close to the situation fear this may be the beginning of a dangerous new phase after 12 months of protests.
WhatsApp Reportedly Blocked in Yemen, Mobile Operator Cites ‘Technical Issues’
Censorship of online content has surged in Yemen since the beginning of the conflict opposing Houthi rebels and forces loyal to president Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.
Netizen Report: Open Source Developers Endure Long Prison Sentences, And Worse
Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
#FreeBassel: Missing for More Than a Year, Syrian Web Developer is Not Forgotten
October 3, 2016 marked the one-year anniversary since Syrian-Palestinian software engineer Bassel Khartabil, also known as Bassel Safadi, disappeared from his prison cell in Syria.
As Violence Escalates in Ethiopia, Zone9 and Other Prominent Bloggers Face New Legal Threats
Seyoum Teshome, a prominent member of the embattled community of Ethiopian online writers was arrested last Friday. Meanwhile, the Zone9 bloggers are scheduled to return to court on October 21.
Venezuelan Government Jails Video Producers on Charges of ‘Instigating Rebellion’
A video intended to make the Venezuelan military reflect on the impact of their increasing power in Venezuela has landed its producers in jail.
Help End the Imprisonment of Iranian Web Developer Saeed Malekpour
Saeed Malekpour was arrested and jailed in 2008 over someone else's use of his open source code to upload pornographic material to the Internet.
