Stories about Surveillance
Georgian State Security Service accused of mass-surveillance of public figures
The Georgian State Security Service (SSG) has been spying on journalists, opposition and ruling party politicians, activists, priests, businesspeople, and other public figures, according to leaked documents.
COVID-19, digital rights and Nigeria's emerging surveillance state
In Nigeria, contact-tracing apps raise valid concerns about the government's attempts to leverage this for future clampdowns on citizens' digital rights — long after the pandemic is long gone.
Policing the digital frontiers: Is India weaponizing technology to silence civil society?
In the word's largest democracy, the targeting of human rights defenders through spyware poses a threat to fundamental rights and freedoms, including freedom of expression and privacy.
A Chinese city withdraws ‘civility code’ following online criticism
Suzhou – a Chinese city near Shanghai – launched a “civility code” in early September to rank citizens’ civility. As negative comments flooded in, the city called an end to...
Why Malawi urgently needs a data protection law
In January 2018, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) announced a mandatory national sim card registration exercise tied to the national ID process.
We made the largest Mexican telecommunications operator stop blocking secure internet
Group effort, research, perseverance, and Global Voices' journalism played a key role
Surveillance in Lebanon: A crisis of privacy
Intrusions on citizens’ privacy in Lebanon are pervasive and often conducted without proper judicial oversight.
The chilling tale of mass surveillance and spying in Rwanda
Rwanda justifies its tight control over media freedom, suppression of dissent, and hostility toward opposition as matters of national unity and security.
Black Lives Matter forces an IBM U-turn on facial recognition
In wake of Black Lives Matter protests, the company IBM has announced its withdrawal from the facial recognition software market
Documentary exposes the threat of facial recognition surveillance in Serbia
Online documentary warns the public about privacy risks emanating from a newly installed video surveillance system equipped with Chinese facial recognition technology.
Is Namibia walking a fine line between Chinese and European spy technology?
Namibia denies accusations that it is building an internet war chest to effortlessly check up on its domestic critics.
Tech giants halt data requests as Hong Kong national security law casts long shadow
Local demand for circumvention tools is surging amid fears that a China-style "Great Firewall" is in the offing.
‘A possible violation’: Mexico's biggest telecommunications operator is blocking Tor network
The Tor network is a free and open-source software used throughout the world by those who wish to exercise their freedom of expression and information while maintaining their privacy and anonymity.
A glimpse at Thailand's digital ID through the biometric profiling of Malay Muslims
"The discriminatory nature of these measures could amount to racial profiling, which subjects Malay Muslims to disproportionate and unnecessary surveillance based on ethnic prejudice rather than objective signs of suspicion."
Coronavirus and surveillance technology in India: Public health vs. privacy
Global Voices interviewed rights lawyer Mishi Choudhary and tech and policy researcher Srinivas Kodali to discuss the newest proposal in India to use unique ID data for #FacialRecognition with drones.
Is India fighting COVID-19 the “mass surveillance” way?
"There isn’t enough information available on what data will be collected, how long will it be stored and what uses it will be put to."
Coronavirus and surveillance technology: How far will governments go?
''While surveillance technologies and measures may give the public a sense of security in controlling the spread of the virus, we must remain mindful and vigilant of their continued use...
Could Russia's ‘Sovereign Internet’ go international?
"Russia is not seeking to isolate itself from the world, rather to create a precedent which other states aspiring to sovereignty over their segments of the internet can follow," says...
How Zimbabwe's biometric ID scheme (and China’s AI aspirations) threw a wrench into the 2018 election
Some citizens were told that if they didn't register and submit their biometrics, they might be barred from voting.
Is Russia getting its model for digital authoritarianism from China?
On the surface, China and Russia share much when it comes to digital governance. But their crackdowns on cyberspace also have important differences, says professor Maria Repnikova
