Stories about East Asia from July, 2017
Apple Removes Apps Offering Virtual Private Networks from Its China Store
"It represents the most drastic measure the Chinese government has taken to block the use of VPNs to date, and we are troubled to see Apple aiding China’s censorship efforts."
Brunei Government Employee Complaining About Halal Certification Charged with Sedition Over Facebook Post
"Anyways that guy that's being charged with speaking out against the govt is a reminder that we don't have freedom of speech," wrote a Twitter user.
Philippines: On Facebook's Free Version, Fake News is Even Harder to Spot
Free Basics' limitations leave poorer users at a loss, giving them less access to useful information -- and little capacity to determine whether news is reliable or not.
Vietnamese Activist Trần Thị Nga Sentenced to 9 Years for ‘Propaganda’
The 40-year-old Trần Thị Nga, also known by her pen name “Thúy Nga,” is a prominent advocate for migrants and land rights.
Can Facebook Connect the Next Billion?
New research by Global Voices tech and digital rights experts in Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan and the Philippines exposes the ups and downs of Facebook's "Free Basics" app.
Netizen Report: Authorities in China and Indonesia Threaten Whatsapp, Telegram Over Political Content
Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
China's Xinjiang Residents Are Being Forced to Install Surveillance Apps on Mobile Phones
Local netizens reported that police officers at check points are randomly searching residents' devices to see if they have installed the surveillance app.
Censorship After Death: Chinese Netizens Quietly Mourn Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo
"After [Liu Xiaobo's] death, any mention of his name in English and Chinese is enough to get messages blocked.""After [Liu Xiaobo's] death, any mention of his name in English and Chinese is enough to get messages blocked."
Myanmar’s Challenging Media Landscape, in Cartoons
Cartoons published by The Irrawaddy over the course of four years— from 2014 to 2017—reflecting the media milestones and hardships experienced in Myanmar.
In Effort to Stop Anti-Korean Hate Speech, Osaka Mayor Wants to Loosen Internet Privacy Laws
For more than a decade, Osaka and other communities with large populations of ethnic Korean residents have struggled to deal with far-right organizations that target ethnic Koreans and other minorities.
Netizen Report: Working in the Public Interest Can Get You Arrested
Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
Philippine Senator Moves to Criminalize ‘Fake News’ — Could This Lead to Censorship?
"How does one distinguish between a false report based on an honest mistake and one maliciously spread through print, broadcasting and online?"
In China's Ideological Battle, ‘King of Glory’ Game is a Top Target
Chinese Communist Party media are concerned about the game's storyline, which they say "subverts Chinese history."
Myanmar Military Cracks Down on Independent Media, Arrests Three Journalists
"It is absurd that security forces are using outdated laws to silence and punish journalists who have committed no crime," wrote the editor of The Irrawaddy.
