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Stories about West Asia & North Africa from October, 2016
Iran Is Poised to Limit Press Freedom Even More Than It Already Does
The government of President Rouhani is preparing two bills that media experts and journalists say could further erode press freedom and freedom of expression in Iran.
Hello Vodafone: What Does It Mean When a Global Telco Giant Enters Iran?
Vodafone's partnership with an Iranian telco is a welcome improvement to the local telecommunications market. But the potential for complicity between Vodafone and Iran's surveillance infrastructure is hard to ignore.
Netizen Report: Protesters Flush SIMs, Set Fire to Modems in Saudi Telecom Boycott
Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
Morocco Unblocks VoIP Applications Ahead of UN Climate Conference
"To avoid being seen as a police state during the #COP22, Morocco temporarily unblocks VoIP services," tweeted one user.
Saudi Mobile Data Quality Provokes National Protest Against Bad Service
Saudi social media users are protesting against the nation's mobile network operators' bad service and the continued blocking of VoIP apps that are supposed to be available for free.
Reality, Conspiracy and the US ‘Internet Freedom’ Agenda: Deconstructing Iran's Case Against Nizar Zakka
Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese citizen was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison by Iranian for leading U.S. funded projects in Iran. We deconstruct this situation.
WhatsApp Reportedly Blocked in Yemen, Mobile Operator Cites ‘Technical Issues’
Censorship of online content has surged in Yemen since the beginning of the conflict opposing Houthi rebels and forces loyal to president Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.
Tunisian Teen Risks Suspension for Denouncing Poor School Conditions on Facebook
The school administration has accused Hamza Batti of engaging in a "smear campaign" against it.
Netizen Report: Open Source Developers Endure Long Prison Sentences, And Worse
Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
#FreeBassel: Missing for More Than a Year, Syrian Web Developer is Not Forgotten
October 3, 2016 marked the one-year anniversary since Syrian-Palestinian software engineer Bassel Khartabil, also known as Bassel Safadi, disappeared from his prison cell in Syria.
Help End the Imprisonment of Iranian Web Developer Saeed Malekpour
Saeed Malekpour was arrested and jailed in 2008 over someone else's use of his open source code to upload pornographic material to the Internet.
