Stories about Ecuador
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.
Access the Unfreedom Monitor database
The Unfreedom Monitor is an Advox initiative to deepen our understanding of the relationship between technology and authoritarian power. In the first phase of this project, researchers working in 11 countries and four key themes conducted analysis of incidents, narratives, and media items, to explain acts of digital authoritarianism and...
Despite what we think, the press does not live in a free paradise in Ecuador
It is necessary to question the notion that the media have full and free space to act, without threats, in Ecuador.
‘We are living under constant video surveillance in Ecuador,’ says activist Anaís Córdova
"The millions of dollars being spent on video surveillance and facial recognition technologies is increasing."
Netizen Report: Iraq and Ecuador face network shutdowns amid public protests
Networks are down in Turkey, Iraq and Ecuador; US tech companies are cutting off Venezuelans; and gatekeepers continue holding back content related to Hong Kong protests.
Netizen Report: If protecting your privacy is ‘part of a conspiracy,’ then we’re all in big trouble
Digital privacy tools draw suspicion in the US and Ecuador, India tackles Tiktok, and a Chinese man learns that facial recognition works -- even while you’re sleeping.
Netizen Report: Online Battles Break Out Amid Elections in Armenia and Ecuador
LiveJournal bans "political solicitation" in Russia (its new home), Google contemplates a return to China, and Bangladesh's telecom regulator rejects a proposed Facebook bedtime ban.
Ecuadorian Elections Marked by Website Outages, Twitter Suspensions
Along with pro-opposition websites, some media rights groups saw a sharp decline in traffic on the evening of the election.
Netizen Report: Pro-Government Hackers and Constitutional Amendment Put Free Speech Under Fire in Ecuador
Facebook is back on in Bangladesh, Venezuela sees big changes (and Internet outages) on Election Day and Kazakhstan plans to spy on everyone.
Ecuadorean Political Leader Who Criticized Government Nepotism on Twitter Gets 15 Days in Prison
A few tweets about an alleged case of nepotism in Ecuador's Government earned Sebastian Cevallos a sentence of 15 days in jail.
#HackingTeam Leaks: Ecuador is Spending Millions on Malware, Pro-Government Trolls
Pro-government propaganda, anti-opposition trolls, hashtag spamming, and widespread malware are all part of a politically-motivated social media spin campaign dating back to 2012.
Netizen Report: China Continues to Crack Down on Virtual Private Networks
This week's report begins in China, where the government continues its crackdown on the use of virtual private networks by blocking Avast.com, a free anti-virus and anti-spyware protection software.
Draft Telecom Law Would Give Ecuador's Defense Ministry Special Powers
A proposed telecom law in Ecuador would create a special tax for mobile phone service operators, and could give the Ministry of Defense increased powers in situations of "public calamity".
Netizen Report: Rafael Correa’s Crusade Against Critical Media, Online and Off
This week's report looks at cyber attacks in Hong Kong, mass surveillance in Egypt and Colombia's upcoming "digital portfolio" system that will house all citizen data under one roof.
Ecuadorean Activists Say No to Cybercafe Surveillance
A new amendment to Ecuador's penal code would obligate cybercafe owners to video surveil their customers and leave ISPs with hefty new data collection requirements.
Ecuador's New Penal Code Would Violate Internet Privacy
Civil society organizations explain that the way Ecuador's new penal law is proposed, all telecommucations services will have to store the data and connection traffic of their users, despite the risks that this entails.
Will Ecuador Criminalize Slander on Social Networks?
New proposed measures against slander and libel on social networks, including mandatory installation of surveillance cameras at Internet cafes, could have a big impact on free expression and privacy.
‘Mechanisms of Censorship’ in Ecuador's Communications Law
The controversial new law, among other things, imposes limits on corruption investigations and jeopardizes the dissemination of information of public interest.
Why Would Edward Snowden Want to Go to Ecuador?
The future of Edward Snowden is uncertain. The young American is reportedly sheltered in Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, and he has requested asylum from 20 countries. Although it remains unknown where he will go from here, many wonder: Why might Snowden want to go to a country like Ecuador, where restrictions on press freedom appear to be on the rise?
Latin America and the Caribbean Netizen Report: Detention Edition
This month, arrests of Internet users in Latin America and the Caribbean appear to have increased, with bloggers and activists in Ecuador, Colombia, and Cuba detained for their activities online. In this Netizen Report for Latin America and the Caribbean, we review some of these cases.
