Stories about Feature from May, 2015
Chinese Authorities Leap to Discredit Detained Citizens’ Rights Activist
"Now wicked people have taken control and good people are in jail."
Tagline of Zelalem Kiberet’s Blog: ‘Let Freedom Ring’
Because of his wit, humorous writings and uncompromising digs on religion, his friends nicknamed Zelalem after the imminent French writer, Zola.
Netizen Report: Rights at Risk Under Trans-Pacific Trade Deal
The TPP battle continues, China’s “Weibo Inquisition” stumbles on a robot mix-up, and a pro-Kremlin think tank launches a “demon” social media monitoring system.
Did Russia Just Effectively Outlaw Internet Anonymizers?
A Russian court has ruled to block a webpage for being "an anonymizer," raising concerns that tools like Tor and other anonymizing proxy services might soon be banned wholesale.
Robot Commenters Accidentally Expose Themselves on China's Weibo Platform
Patrick Wong contributed to this post. Chinese netizens are having a good laugh over the mechanized missteps of government-controlled robot commenters, who have been criticizing messages sent by their own...
Dear Ukrainian Officials: Russian Security Services Thank You for Your Cooperation!
A group of journalists pulled a prank on Ukrainian officials who use Russian email services, alerting them to the dangers of careless information security policies.
Netizen Report: Deconstructing Facebook’s Version of the Internet
Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world. Facebook’s Internet.org project seeks to “give the unconnected majority...
Message to an Ethiopian Blogger: Mahlet Fantahun, You Are Not Alone
"Writing one single blog post is not going to bring Mahlet... out of Kaliti Prison. This is much rather about keeping the process going. Of not staying silent."
STATEMENT: Global Voices Calls for Safety of Bangladesh Bloggers
We condemn the recent murders of bloggers and call on authorities to ensure that those responsible for these killings are brought to justice.
Russia Launches ‘Predictive System’ for Monitoring Protest Activity Online
The new Russian software will allegedly be able to spot preparations for protests online long before they happen, and could supply that information to law enforcement, academics and state officials.
The Media is the Message: E-Diplomacy in Egypt
Egyptian authorities today must figure out how to communicate effectively in the wake of four years of constant regime change.
Lost in the Web: Navigating the Legal Maze Online
Media lawyer and human rights expert Nani Jansen gives an overview of censorship and online speech regulation across the globe.
Atena Farghadani Goes on Trial Tomorrow in Iran for Her Cartoon About Access to Contraception
The cartoon that sparked her arrest depicts members of parliament as animals. She is charged with spreading propaganda against the system, insulting members of parliament and insulting the supreme leader.
Digital Citizen 2.9
Digital Citizen is a biweekly review of news, policy, and research on human rights and technology in the Arab World.
Under a Shaky Ceasefire, Yemenis Struggle to Stay Connected to the World
Frequent electricity cuts, bombings and a dire humanitarian situation could exacerbate and completely isolate Yemen should internet and telecommunications services be cut.
Netizen Report: Are Blogger Assassinations Becoming Routine in Bangladesh?
This week saw the third killing of a Bangladeshi blogger in 2015. In other news, China and Russia conspire on cybersecurity, and Iran blocks women (and Justin Bieber) on Instagram.
Human Rights Abuses in Azerbaijan: We Can’t Stay On The Sidelines Anymore
Arzu Geybullayeva calls on Western leaders to speak out on political prisoners in Azerbaijan as the country prepares to host the European Games.
Open Letter to President Obama From a Bahraini Human Rights Defender
AlMahafdah, a former political detainee in Bahrain, asks President Obama to "be the voice of the people of Bahrain" when he meets the crown prince of the kingdom on Wednesday.
Hong Kong Citizens Want Legal Protections for Their Metadata
Should government agencies really be able to look at Hong Kongers' telephone metadata without any oversight from the courts?
Ananta Bijoy Das Becomes Third Blogger Killed This Year in Bangladesh
Das promoted critical thinking about religion, which sparked the ire of Islamic hardliners in Bangladesh. He was hacked to death by a group of masked people with machetes.
