Stories from 30 November 2012
Zambia: “SIM Registration is For Security Reasons”
Recent admission by Zambia's telecoms regulatory body that the mandatory registration of SIM cards was being done to mount a security data base for users is stirring controversy among users and netizens.
Life Sentence for Qatari Poet for Insulting Amir
The poem is said to praise the Arab Spring, drawing comparisons to other countries living in repression and under dictatorship. According to Qatari journalist Abdulla Al Athbah, Al-Deeb's poem was seen as insulting to the Qatari Amir, and called for overthrowing his rule.
Syria Plunges Into Total Info Darkness
On Thursday, the US-based internet connectivity monitoring firm, Renesys, reported that internet was cut off in Syria. All of Syria's 84 IP address blocks were inaccessible, “effectively removing the country from the Internet.”
Citizens Tell Governments: Vote for Openness at the ITU
Today, Internet rights advocates are urging their governments to vote for openness at the conference of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Beginning Monday, Member States of the UN agency will decide whether the ITU should expand its regulatory authority to the Internet -- a move that could threaten privacy, free expression, and access to information for Internet users around the globe.
