Stories about Media
Unfreedom Monitor Report: India
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in India is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Under BTK's eye: investigation reveals Turkey's information and communication authority has been collecting private user data for over a year
The private user data collected by the Turkey's Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) has been described by main opposition party as the biggest tapping scandal in the history of the Republic.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Sudan
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Sudan is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
How the government in Sudan legalized internet categorizing and content filtering
One regulation obliges telcos to block and filter a list of URLs, and to “daily monitor” the filtering equipment to verify that it is being updated.
War in Ukraine is fundamentally changing the relationship between the internet and geopolitics
Russia's invasion of Ukraine confirmed what internet and war scholars have long predicted: the line between civil and military reality is being erased, further fracturing the world along "sovereign internets."
Why visa privilege is a press freedom issue
Being able to leave your country is an indispensable professional necessity for journalists — wherever they are based.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Brazil
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Brazil is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Digital authoritarianism in Bangladesh: Weaponising a draconian law to silence dissent in the pandemic era
The COVID-19 pandemic provided the government with a pretext to censor free speech, harass critics, and effectively curb dissent – accelerating what has been an ongoing turn towards authoritarianism in Bangladesh.
Access the Unfreedom Monitor database
The Unfreedom Monitor is an Advox initiative to deepen our understanding of the relationship between technology and authoritarian power. In the first phase of this project, researchers working in 11 countries and four key themes conducted analysis of incidents, narratives, and media items, to explain acts of digital authoritarianism and...
Indian police use old tweets as cause to arrest Muslim journalist known for debunking fake news
There has been widespread condemnation of the arrest of Indian journalist and co-founder of fact-checking website AltNews, Mohammed Zubair, over a 2018 tweet.
Turkey blocks access to two news websites
On June 30, Turkey’s Radio and Television High Council blocked access to the Turkish language websites of Deutsche Welle and Voice of America after two news outlets refused to obtain a broadcaster license.
Understanding India’s Central Media Accreditation Guidelines 2022
A new guideline for media accreditation has drawn a negative response from the Indian press community, activists, and concerned citizens as it provides sweeping power to the authorities.
Trace Turkey's path to normalizing the practice of blocking news websites
The sweeping legislative amendments to national laws as well as exhaustive institutional oversight by government institutions have created an environment of unlimited digital censorship in Turkey.
Myanmar journalists face grave risks at every turn
"Many journalists have gone into hiding or fled abroad with no legal or financial support and only pro-military publications can now work openly in the country."
In Georgia, veteran journalist sentenced to 3.5 years in jail
Gvaramia was first charged in 2020 with abuse of power, embezzling property at Rustavi 2, commercial bribery, and forging documents. He was found not guilty on the last three counts.
India pushes for storage of private data using technology built for anonymity
As VPNs and blockchain-based services are often designed to assure user anonymity and privacy, this direction might force many service providers to shut down operations in India.
Podcast: The state of press freedom
This week, we head to China, India, Colombia, Indonesia and Serbia to hear from journalists and researchers about what challenges the media faces in those countries.
Pakistan drops 12 points on World Press Freedom Index 2022
A report by Pakistani rights organization Freedom Network reveals that journalists in Pakistan were subjected to violence, legal cases, abductions, detentions and threats last year, mostly from the state actors.
Press freedom is marked by fear and insecurity in Mozambique
Among festive messages and recognition of the work done by journalists, the day was marked by a moment of consternation, due to the difficult situation in the local media.
What does Elon Musk's Twitter purchase mean for Venezuelan Twitter?
Twitter will change now that Elon Musk is its new owner. Will it change the way Venezuelans, inside and outside of the country, shape the political conversation?
