Stories about Opinion
Arab Bloggers: A Blessed Generation?
"It’s no surprise that three years after the start of the Arab revolutions, the situation of online freedom of expression in the region seems almost as bleak as it did before 2011." Hisham Almiraat reflects on #AB14.
Privacy vs. Free Speech? Questioning the Conflict
"In the Arab world...we are still struggling to have our voices heard. I cannot accept the idea that the fight has now moved to the area of surveillance and away from free speech."
Indonesia: Twitter Defamation Case Casts Shadow on Media Landscape
Media freedom advocates call for a revision of Indonesia's 'draconian' Internet law after a local Twitter celebrity was found guilty of defaming a politician.
Hong Kong 2013: A Burgeoning New Media Sector and a Backward Government
Despite legal and technological barriers, new online media projects pushing making big waves in the push for transparency, accountability, and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong.
Prison Flees: Reflections on Alaa, Activism, and Community
"Alaa reminded us how our encounter with technology became a way of living." Reflections from Lina Attalah on friend and activist Alaa Abd El Fattah, currently in prison in Egypt.
On Alaa, Learning, and the Struggle
"These friendships come in fragments, but they are sometimes the best we have." Reflections from Jillian York on friend and activist Alaa Abd El Fattah, currently in prison in Egypt.
In the Internet Policy World, Who Gets to be Civil Society?
Reflections on IGF 2013, human rights, and the somewhat murky concept of "civil society" from the gang at Global Voices Advocacy.
A Different Kind of Free Speech
There are currently 142 people in prison or detention for "politically motivated reasons" in Azerbaijan. Activist and blogger Arzu Geybullayeva reflects on the country's approach to human rights and Internet governance in 2013.
Lifting the Lid on China's Censorship
Recent studies on Internet censorship in China focus primarily on "opinion leaders" -- individuals with high influence on social media platforms -- but fail to include community-based journalism efforts.
Why Didn’t Arab ‘Civil Society’ Discuss Human Rights at IGF?
At IGF 2013, only one session was devoted to Internet policy issues in the Arab World. How is it that panelists at this session barely breathed a word about human rights violations in the region?
Argentina and the New Surveillance Tech: Watching Your Every Move
Be careful where you look, what you touch, and how you walk -- the government may be watching. Ramiro Alvarez Ugarte explains how Argentina's biometric data collection system infringes on citizens' privacy.
Brazil: the New Internet Freedom Champion?
Dilma Rousseff's UN speech was met with praise from digital rights advocates around the world. Human rights lawyer Eduardo Bertoni argues that this is a positive development, but actions speak louder than words, he cautions.
Internet and Statecraft: Brazil and the Future of Internet Governance
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has pledged to make Brazil an international pioneer for human rights online. Policy expert Carolina Rossini weighs in on what this could mean for the future of the global Internet.
My Friend is Getting Tortured for Blogging
Safy is a regular guy who has worked as an IT officer until he saw his friend get shot by riot police during the first weeks of the revolution. He could not be the ‘regular guy’ after this.
US Power and the Not-So-Democratic Global Internet
The US government has a disproportionately large influence on global Internet policy. What if these policies don't work for the rest of the world?
In Thailand, Facebook ‘Likes’ Can Land You in Jail
On major chat and social network platforms, law enforcement officials are now monitoring users of keywords including "coup", "monarchy", "drugs", "prostitution", and other terms deemed relevant to national security.
The Religious Right Rises! Advocates Face High Stakes in Pakistan
State institutions create new lists of URLs each day and block them routinely. Advocates who challenge state censorship and surveillance practice face increasingly grave threats from both the government and the religious right.
