Latest stories
Citizen journalists face challenges in Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar
"To provide coverage of the protests, citizen journalists stepped up do the job themselves. The result was a truer coverage of events."
Will banning music glorifying violence from the airwaves reduce Jamaica's crime rate?
"The music is a reflection of the environment. Change the environment and the music will be changed."
China censors online chatter after anti-Xi Jinping protest; Hong Kong media muted
Keywords such as #Haidian, #Sitong bridge, #Beijing, and even #I-saw-it were censored on Chinese social media.
The true colours of Truecaller in India: app accused of being negligent about data privacy
According to recently published research, the popular app TrueCaller is plagued with constant breaches and data security failures, and the company is avoiding regulations and taxes in India.
The world must hear the voice of Iranian women
The Iranian government is attempting to silence the online and offline voices of women and all dissidents through a brutal and ongoing crackdown.
Can citizens of democracies still trust the law? A GV Insights discussion
The flip side of regulating the internet is that this enables the state to mobilise itself and erase the existence of these communities and their identities from popular culture and discussion.
Civil society groups call for justice after a radio broadcaster is killed in the Philippines
“...the culture of impunity in the country has made members of the press easy targets by vested interest groups who want to hide the truth.”
Unfreedom Monitor report: Data Governance
Advox research on data governance as a tool of digital authoritarianism is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Under Bolsonaro, political attacks gain institutional legitimacy in Brazil
In February 2022, the Federal Police delivered a partial report to the Supreme Court detailing the structure of “digital militias” coordinating attacks against rival politicians, democratic institutions, and the dissemination of "false news."
Unfreedom Monitor report: Morocco
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Morocco is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
‘The Art of the Steal?': Russia’s online voting problem
Online voting in an increasingly autocratic Russia means election results should be treated with increased scepticism, not presented as regime approval.
The Greek spyware scandal: When technology outpaces governance
This ongoing scandal in Greece highlights an issue that all countries are grappling with: the regulatory mechanisms meant to safeguard civilians’ digital rights have not kept up with the times.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Egypt
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Egypt is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Global Voices seeks country-level researchers for our Advox project
Advox, the digital rights initiative of Global Voices, is seeking country-level researchers to contribute to a project about networked societies and authoritarianism.
Brazil's Electoral Court brings platforms closer ahead of presidential elections, but questions over companies’ commitments remain
All the agreements are non-binding, however, which means there will be no enforcement in the case a platform does not meet the actions listed in the MoU.
Policing the pandemic: Australia’s technology response to COVID-19
Australian governments approached the use of digital technologies from an ideological perspective, heavily leaning on control and surveillance.
Unfreedom Monitor report: Tanzania
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Tanzania is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Red-tagged independent media blocked in Philippine internet back online
Bulatlat news website back online after a court pushback
An estate under siege: How the press in Zimbabwe is being gagged
Journalists are caught up in the crosshairs of a strategic battle to churn out narratives acceptable to either the state or opposition parties.
LIVE on September 22: Techno-authoritarianism in India
India's rapid digitization has been accompanied by an array of practices that curtail citizens' liberties. Join us on September 22 for a discussion of how citizens are pushing back.
