Stories about Middle East & North Africa
Trace Turkey's path to normalizing the practice of blocking news websites
The sweeping legislative amendments to national laws as well as exhaustive institutional oversight by government institutions have created an environment of unlimited digital censorship in Turkey.
In Turkey a journalist is arrested for covering an alleged hacking of a government database
The arrest comes after Haskoloğlu reported on an alleged hacking of a government database.
In Turkey, media watchdog uses licensing to attempt to censor foreign media
A 2020 social media law introduced a set of requirements that will have a lasting impact on digital rights and freedom of expression in Turkey.
Pandemic tech and digital rights in Morocco
While data-driven technologies can add great value, they carry very significant risks for human dignity, autonomy and privacy and the exercise of human rights in general if not managed appropriately.
Jordan's personal data protection draft bill: is it enough?
Experts say the draft bill, which still awaits parliamentary discussions, has points of strength like securing citizens’ consent before using their data, but the measures for its application raise concern.
In Turkey, a singer defies threats with a new song
The president, speaking after Friday noon prayer, said "no one can defame his holiness Adam. It is our duty, to rip out the tongues of those who do when necessary."
Erdoğan and the AKP's war with art and culture
In the years since the ascent to power, President Erdoğan's, ruling, Justice and Development Party (AKP) has slowly taken under its control much of the country's art and culture scene.
Tunisia: New prosecutions resurrect shadow of dictatorship
The use of military law by Kais Said's government to prosecute journalists and restrict freedom of expression foreshadows a return to the nightmare governments of before the Arab Spring.
SMEX: Israel’s presence at Expo Dubai 2020 Is a threat to digital rights
In November, US Department of Commerce blacklisted two Israeli surveillance companies, NSO Group and Candiru, which have reportedly supplied spyware to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Bahrain.
Legislating repression: Libya’s new cybercrime law
"The timing of promulgation, with presidential elections just around the corner, has left many people wondering about the purpose behind such a move."
In Turkey, 30 people face investigation over social media posts that ‘insulted the president’
When the hashtag #ölmüş (is said to be dead) started trending on November 3, it took only a few hours for the General Directorate of Security to take action.
Turkey: new report highlights the extent of censorship online
A new report explains how a series of amendments made to Turkish law No. 5651 will have a "burning and destructive effect" on freedom of expression in Turkey.
Supporters demand freedom for Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El Fattah
His lawyer spoke of Abd El Fattah's declining mental health and quoted Abd El Fattah saying, “I can’t carry on.”
Global internet freedom is in decline, according to new report
While Georgia and Armenia were ranked "free" in this year's report, Turkey and Azerbaijan ranked "not free" as a result of the challenging atmosphere around digital rights and freedoms.
In Turkey, a citizen sentenced to prison for insulting the president
Since getting elected as president in 2014, some "100,000 people have been accused of defaming the president," based on Article 299 of the Penal Code in Turkey.
In Turkey, religious cleric joins calls to censor social media
Ali Erbas, the head of the Religious Affairs Directorate in Turkey suggests using Islamic jurisprudence to control social media platforms.
Government announces new media regulations that could further constrain freedom of expression in Turkey
A number of government statements issued this week in Turkey signal a further decline on media freedom.
Several NGOs denounce censorship of Palestinian voices by tech companies
The NGOs' statement labelled as "improbable mistakes" the fact that Facebook reported two "technical issues" within 48 hours which they said targeted Palestinian users and "compromised Jerusalemites’ right to freedom of expression..."
The rise and fall of Clubhouse in Turkey
After a brief few months of popularity among student protesters and opposition activists, pro-Erdoğan figures have now flooded the app.
Algerians’ speech freedoms strained by media laws passed under COVID-19 pretext
As Hirak protests continue to protest unmet public demands, Algerian government uses the pandemic to restrain independent media platforms and people's digital rights through suppressive laws.
