· December, 2012

Stories about Internet governance from December, 2012

China Introduces New Rules to Tighten Government's Grip Over the Internet

On Friday, December 28, China's legislature approved a new set of rules intended to tighten government control over the Internet, forcing internet and online service providers to require real name registration from all their users. What do Chinese netizens think of the new regulations? What are the implications of the these new measures?

30 December 2012

What does the WCIT really mean for Internet users?

The World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) in Dubai failed to reach consensus last Thursday, leaving many delegates frustrated after nearly two weeks of intense negotiations. The final text of the treaty will not drastically change the state of Internet policy for the world, but it could push us further in the direction of a fractured network where user experiences differ substantially from country to country.

21 December 2012

Pakistan's Fight for Net Freedom

It’s been an active year for digital activism on Internet freedom in Pakistan. The fact that the United Nations deemed it a basic universal human right has not stopped authorities in Pakistan from clamping down on the world wide web in many different ways and by various means.

14 December 2012

Human Rights Day: Defending Free Expression, Online and Off

If we want to reap all the civic, educational, political, and economic benefits of an open Internet, human rights -- and freedom of expression in particular -- must be baked into the technology and the policies that govern its use from the very beginning. On this year's Human Rights Day, the UN has placed a spotlight on the rights of all people “to make their voices heard in public life and be included in political decision-making,” a theme particularly relevant to the Internet and its unique civic power.

11 December 2012

Tajik Official Blocks Facebook and Summons its CEO

The chief of the state-run telecommunications service in Tajikistan has ordered Facebook blocked and asked the social network's CEO to travel to the Central Asian country and meet with him. Tajik internet users now ridicule the official.

6 December 2012