Stories about Feature from August, 2018
‘Fake news’ is in the eye of the beholder: China is centralizing efforts to stop online ‘rumors’
In July 2018, Chinese state internet regulators received 6.7 million reports of illegal and false information.
Netizen Report: It’s not just Myanmar — ethnic hate speech runs rampant on social media in Cameroon, India
The Advox Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
Is Russian social media giant VKontakte sidestepping the GDPR? One user is trying to find out.
Russia's largest social network VKontakte is in hot water again for playing fast and loose with their users' privacy — this time allegedly violating the GDPR regulations.
In Mozambique, new licensing fees have raised the cost of doing journalism — and may threaten media freedom
The fees were described by Mozambican online newspaper @Verdade as "astronomical".
Russian social media giant evades hard questions about privacy failures
One user challenged Vkontakte: "How many times have you challenged the security services in court over their demands to hand over user information? You have that right."
Facebook admits it has been slow in addressing hate speech in Myanmar
"The ethnic violence in Myanmar is horrific and we have been too slow to prevent misinformation and hate on Facebook."
Fearing reprimand, student protesters in Bangladesh go silent
The government has blamed social media users and activists for trying to create unrest by sharing provocative posts and content on Facebook.
Netizen Report: Elections in Mali marred by militant violence — and internet shutdowns
Bangladeshi students go quiet as police pursue online accounts, Brazil gets a new data protection law and Facebook is still floundering in Myanmar.
#FreeKhayrullo: Human rights groups demand justice for Tajik journalist facing trial
A bold and popular journalist is appealing a 12 year-sentence he received after speaking out against official corruption.
Facebook bans 196 pages in Brazil, attempting to rein in abuse and disinformation
Free Brazil Movement is accusing the platform of censoring right-wing groups.
Lebanon ramps up interrogations of online activists
“You cannot bring us up with a mentality of freedom and then try to oppress us.”
Condemnation of independence activist draws a red line for Hong Kong's press freedom
The Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents' Club is under fire for organizing a talk by independence activist Andy Chan.
Netizen Report: Bangladesh protests trigger mobile network cuts, journalist arrest
Venezuela goes after journalists' cameras after drone attack, Iran re-routes Telegram (to government servers) and Google tries to go back to China.
India's biometric ID system takes more heat, after Google admits it coded helpline numbers into Android phones
With a growing list of incidents of system malfunctions and personal data leaks, Aadhaar has failed to gain public trust.
As Malaysia's new government marks 100 days in office, is free speech still under threat?
"We hope to see a genuine departure from the old oppression, and a transition into a Malaysia where all ideas can be discussed peacefully and our constitutional rights exercised maturely."
Landmark ruling in Angola acquits journalist Rafael Marques of all charges
While Marques had been brought to court on previous occasions, this was the first time he was formally acquitted.
Iran’s telecommunications company illegally rerouted Telegram app traffic
In a new move aimed at tightening the state-imposed ban on the Telegram messaging app, the Telecommunications Company of Iran (TCI) temporarily rerouted Telegram app traffic in violation of domestic law in July 2018.In a new move aimed at tightening the state-imposed ban on the Telegram messaging app, the Telecommunications Company of Iran (TCI) temporarily rerouted Telegram app traffic in violation of domestic law in July 2018.
Bangladeshi photojournalist Shahidul Alam detained over student protest coverage
"...there were people with machetes in their hands chasing unarmed students. And the police are standing by watching it happen."
If Google goes back to China, it will be on the government's terms. What will that mean for human rights?
Google may be prepared to compromise human rights principles for the Chinese market. But it will still depend on the Chinese government to grant its entry.
Killing speech softly: How the world’s biggest tech companies are quietly censoring critical expression in the Middle East
The failures of tech giants in moderating content in the region is a big and complex problem.
