Stories
Did a Brazilian Judge Try to Use Marco Civil to Shut Down WhatsApp Across the Country?
WhatsApp kept working normally in Brazil, but the judge's decision, which was apparently based on provisions in the Marco Civil bill, went viral.
Brazil Scores Before “the Internet World Cup” Begins: Marco Civil Approved by the Senate
Last night, Brazil's Senate approved the landmark Marco Civil law, just hours before the start of the highly anticipated Internet governance meeting, the NETmundial.
From Brazil to the World: the Marco Civil and Internet Governance
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff delivered a searing critique of US government surveillance programs at the UN this fall and presented Brazil as a leader in upholding human rights online. Will she follow through on her promise?
WhatsApp postpones Brazil launch of new Communities feature until after elections
Initial media reports suggested WhatsApp's decision to withhold the launch was part of an agreement with the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE), with whom Bolsonaro has been at loggerheads due to his groundless remarks about fraud in the electoral system.
Opacity and a lack of debate mark Brazil's ratification of the Budapest Convention
Experts warn that the roll-out was problematic, not least because the treaty may put citizen data in general at risk and open the way to criminalizing the work of InfoSec researchers and activists.
Lynch mobs in India, fake news in Brazil — when disinformation goes viral, should Facebook take action?
Facebook may still not know its power when it comes to disinformation.
Will Brazil's forthcoming data protection law actually protect peoples’ privacy rights?
The president vetoed the creation of an independent authority that would oversee the law's implementation.
By Attempting to Curb Disinformation on Slain Politician Marielle Franco, a Brazilian Judge Hands Facebook Censorship Powers
The order could set a dangerous precedent for freedom of speech online in the country.
Netizen Report: Can Brazil’s Government Use Google to Manipulate Public Opinion?
The Advox Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
Netizen Report: US Tech Company Bans White Supremacist Group for Being ‘Assholes’
Global Voices Advocacy's Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
Netizen Report: Advocates Stand Up to Cybercrime Legislation in Brazil and Pakistan
Cybercrime battles rage in Pakistan and Brazil, Italian regulators put a lid on Hacking Team, and Wikimedia loses copyright fight in Sweden.
A Breakdown of the Current Version of Brazil's Cybercrimes Bill
Following criticism, the Commission made some changes to the most controversial elements of the legislation. But a battle still lies ahead.
Under Brazil's Cybercrime Bill, Social Media Sites Could Become ‘Permanent Agents of Vigilance’
"If somebody insults a politicians on a social media platform, the platform will be obligated to remove the content in a maximum of 48 hours."
WhatsApp is Back on in Brazil. But Why Was it Blocked in the First Place?
The judge who issued the order based her decision on a provision of Marco Civil, Brazil's so-called "Bill of Rights" for the Internet.
Netizen Report: UN Authorities Pluck Protesters from Global Internet Conference in Brazil
The UN fails to walk the walk on free expression, Tanzanians face prosecution over WhatsApp messages, and the UK rolls out a new surveillance bill that is 'worse than scary'.
When Were You Sexually Harassed for the First Time? Brazilian Women React to Online Violence
Social networks are increasingly filled with hate speech. This alarming phenomenon, however, is being countered by creative, irreverent, and organized women's groups online.
Netizen Report: Will Brazil Give Up On Defending Digital Rights?
Brazilian legislators seek to undercut the Marco Civil while Ecuador’s president wields tools of censorship to avoid hurt feelings.
Netizen Report: Wanna Comment on Social Media? Submit Your State ID First, Says Brazilian Deputy
While India's porn ban makes headlines, online harassment of Indian women has peaked. Meanwhile in Europe, Google balks at proposals to globalize the Right to Be Forgotten.
Netizen Report: Macedonian Leak Scandal Reveals Mass Surveillance, Corruption
Protests are heating up both on and offline in Macedonia, Myanmar, and Paraguay.
Protests, Blackouts, and a Bill of Rights for the Internet: Advox in 2014
From Egypt to Ethiopia to Tajikistan to Turkey, our authors wrote what they saw on the ground, on the Internet, in court and behind bars.