Stories about Tech & Tools
YouTube is temporarily blocked during former PM's political rally in Pakistan
After blocking Khan's speeches from satellite TV, the government seems to be trying to stop his campaigning from being heard online as well.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Russia
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Russia is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
In Brazil and India we are seeing an increase in tensions between platforms and states
Research from the Unfreedom Monitor uncovers a pattern in the way that social media and tech platforms engage with states that practise digital authoritarianism.
Disruptive technologies, demagogic governance: Data (un)democracy in India during COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic not only resulted in a great loss of life in India, but also provided an impetus for authoritarian control.
Advocacy groups in the Americas focus on tackling rising surveillance technology
Digital surveillance continues to spread in the Americas, human rights groups raise awareness, research, and earn small judicial victories to limit its negative impacts on communities.
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."
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.
Vietnam’s Zalo Connect app: Digital authoritarianism hidden in peer-to-peer aid platforms
The app connects users in need with private donors. It exemplifies a humanitarian trend that centres on extracting data from vulnerable communities as a precondition to receiving aid.
Hong Kong set to implement a China-style health code and contact-tracing app
Hong Kong may adopt a health code system similar to the mainland Chinese three-colour version to curb the latest outbreak of COVID infections, according to the city's new health chief.
China: Possible police database breach exposes at least 1 billion citizens’ personal data
"...the data breach is a fresh new case of a dictator’s dilemma: the more you concentrate, the more you lose control."
How the economically marginalised navigate digital adoption in India amid the pandemic
COVID-19 drove the shift to digital services in India, but this has left informal workers struggling to access basic services and protect their personal data within an incomprehensible system.
In Sri Lanka, state-sponsored disinformation and suppression of dissent taint COVID-19 response
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sri Lankan government has used the digital space to further an authoritarian agenda, affecting the digital rights and freedoms of citizens.
The battle of crypto dreams in Myanmar
Myanmar’s crypto revolution is at the beginning of the tug of war between repression and resistance, and will play a critical role in Myanmar’s political revolution.
How Artificial Intelligence could influence Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections
When technologies are adopted in the absence of a solid legal framework and strict safeguards, they pose significant threats to privacy and personal security.
In Russia's invasion of Ukraine, cyberwarfare is a decisive element of the battlefield
The information war in Ukraine has only just started but already citizens on both sides are saturated by their government’s propaganda and left without balanced information.
Still flattening the curve?: Increased risk of digital authoritarianism after COVID-19
In the face of state surveillance, control, and censorship, we need a solid plan to reclaim our digital rights and develop proper political and legal regulations to protect them.
Pandemic tech and digital rights in Morocco
While data-driven technologies can add great value, they carry very significant risks for human dignity, autonomy and privacy and the exercise of human rights in general if not managed appropriately.
